Nakasone, who was seeded third in the bracket, went 4-0 in the tournament, and furthermore finished each match with a pin, including Lahainaluna's Kainalu Estrella just 49 seconds into Saturday's title bout. CJ Caraang | SL

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Male Athlete of the Week: Jake Nakasone, Iolani wrestling
Over the last six years, Iolani wrestling coach Walden Au has come to appreciate Jake Nakasone — and not just for his prowess on the mat.

Nakasone, a Iolani senior and captain, has never won a state championship — although he has qualified for the state tournament in each of his first three varsity seasons and placed in the top six of his weight class twice.

Rather, when Au speaks about Nakasone, he often mentions a team-first attitude — "as is the case with so many of our wrestlers — and his steadfast approach in honing his craft.

"He's kind of old school, just does what he's told and works hard," Au said. "He's a grinder in practice. He's emotional in the sense that he cares a lot about the sport and his team. He set high goals for himself since his freshman year and he hasn't necessarily hit those per se, but he wants it every year and that's reflected in how hard he works. He's not the most technical wrestler or the most impressive athlete, but in terms of his work ethic and determination, you don't see that in athletes much, period."

Nakasone's hard work paid off for him over the weekend at the Hawaii Wrestling Officials Association Scholarship Tournament Friday and Saturday at Leilehua's Paul T. Kobayashi Gymnasium, where he won the 120-pound weight class.

"I think like most of the coaches, we have the highest expectations and standards of our kids, but in the same breath that whole weight area — 120, 126 — is a competitive area," Au said. "We weren't necessarily sure who would be there, but we were confident that whoever he wrestled against he would wrestle tough. He's been working a lot on his neutral and his top game and I'm happy that he was able to find the opportunity to use it this week."

Nakasone, who was seeded third in the bracket, went 4-0 in the tournament, and furthermore finished each match with a pin, including Lahainaluna's Kainalu Estrella just 49 seconds into Saturday's title bout.

"Jake went out there and the other coaches who cornered for him talked about a game plan and he executed off of that," Au said. "When he got his first takedown he got comfortable and just went for the pin. I'm really happy with his composure and how he finished up."

Nakasone, who placed fifth at 120 pounds as a sophomore and fourth at 126 last year, had a total of just over eight minutes of combined mat time over the weekend. He earned a tournament-best 32 points for the Raiders, who won the team title by a margin of 15.5 points over Campbell.

"It was a great feeling I think for our kids and probably one of the first times that, as a team, we've been able to walk away with a real, tangible hardware in terms of a title," Au said. "I think what really impressed me is that we were behind Campbell most of the second day. Campbell is a tough team with a great coaching staff and they had more wrestlers than us, but as coaches we talked to the team and told them that this is our opportunity in front of us and if we do what we need to do we might find ourselves in a good place at the end of the tournament."

Iolani won six of seven championship-round bouts, including four titlists. In addition to Nakasone, Dayne Tongoe (106 pounds), Brian Pascua (152) and Saiaiga Fautanu (182) also won their weight classes.

"I'm very proud of how these kids work," Au said. "I know (winning) this tournament isn't necessarily a reflection ow how states will play out, but hopefully this team will take some pride in it and continue to work their way through it. Even if we had dropped the tournament to Campbell or any other team, I think it would have been a great learning opportunity to show them that when you go out there and wrestle as hard as you can and give it all you have, you can walk away with your head held up high, but it was just like the cherry on top to walk away with the team title Saturday."

Female Athlete of the Week: Kori-Ann Koverman, Kapolei soccer
Kori-Ann Koverman is off to a nice start to the season for the Kapolei girls soccer team.

Through the Hurricanes' first two regular-season games in the competitive Western Division of the Oahu Interscholastic Association — both wins — Koverman has scored a team-high four goals, which is tied for the third-best total in the division.

Koverman, a sophomore attacker, scored two goals in a 5-2 win over Nanakuli last Tuesday and added two more in Thursday's 7-0 win over Radford.

"She scored the first goal in both games," Kapolei coach Brian Beck said of Koverman. "In fact, she scored the first two goals against Nanakuli and her first goal against Radford was an early one, right off the bat."

Beck said that Koverman has done a nice job staying within herself and the game plan.

"What's good about her is even when she misses she doesn't get super down on herself and that's huge," Beck said. "She, and a lot of the players, they want to be perfect, but I tell her that, ‘You don't need to be perfect, but this is what we expect of you,' and she doesn't do anything that she can't do, but it's not that she's not willing to try to."

As a freshman last year, Koverman played sparingly — mostly as a midfielder or a defender — early on before working her way into the starting lineup by late in the season. Beck said that Koverman will be looked to help fill the void left behind by former standouts Shandy Hopeau and Bianca Gonzales, both of whom graduated in the Spring.

"It's more of Kori understanding that she definitely has more support behind her so we don't have to pull her back into the midfield or as a defensive player because I know that she can possess the ball," Beck said. "Now with the players we do have, we can possess the ball more in the back and keep Kori up front."

Beck credited Koverman's work ethic as a big part of her early-season success this year.

"I think what happened is she really matured over the last year — over the summer and during the preseason — and she's matured into our quickest player and even in practices she just puts the ball on frame," Beck said. "I explained to her at halftime in the Nanakuli game that we don't need her to hit balls from super far out to score goals. She has a quick one-two touch so we want her to get as close to the keeper as she can and just tuck it away and she's been doing it in practices and in the games. When she misses, she doesn't miss by much."

As Koverman's role has expanded, her maturity has grown with it.

"Last year she was just this cute little freshman on the team that could do no wrong, but this year — especially in the first two games — now that she's scoring, she knows her team is depending on her so her whole attitude has changed in practice," Beck said. "Even from when she starting scoring last year and she saw her value on the team, she took that and has absolutely matured into the player she is now."

Off the pitch, Beck described Koverman as a jokester.

"She's definitely the one that cracks all the jokes and can be off on her own, doing her own thing and everyone looks at her and laughs, so she keeps everybody positive, but I think the difference moreso this year is as soon as she steps over the white line, it's a lot different," Beck said.

Koverman and the Hurricanes (2-0) visit Waialua Tuesday night.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Keanu Akina, Kahuku — Scored 16 points in a loss to Martinsburg and scored 17 points in a loss to Kamehameha

Jaylen Cain, Maryknoll — Scored 16 points in a loss to Saint Louis

Anson Canencia, University — Scored 16 points in a win over Waianae

Sailele Faaoataga, Waialua — Scored 17 points in a win over Iolani

Miah Fepuleai, Farrington — Scored 16 points in a win over Leilehua

Kolin Galdiano, Damien — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kaiser and scored 15 points in a loss to Moanalua

Mark Gamboa, Damien II — Scored 15 points in a loss to Saint Louis II

Justin Genovia, Iolani — Scored 15 points in a win over Kaimuki

Joseph Gouty, Leilehua — Scored 19 points in a loss to Farrington

Ryan Hobus, University — Scored 17 points in a win over Waianae

Hugh Hogland, Iolani — Scored 16 points in a loss to Fairfax

Logan Hutchinson, Mid-Pacific — Scored 20 points in a win over Kaimuki

Chance Kalaugher, Kaiser — Scored 24 points in a win over Damien, scored 25 points in a loss to The Master's Academy and scored 19 points in a win over Guangming

Hayato Kamata, Maryknoll — Scored 18 points in a loss to Saint Louis

Chris Kobayashi, Punahou — Scored 20 points in a win over Bentley

Lancen Kuni, Waialua — Scored 19 points in a win over Iolani II

Hirkley Latu, Kahuku — Scored 15 points in a loss to Martinsburg

Alex Layi, Kalaheo — Scored 16 points in a win over Radford

Kaisha Mason, Iolani II — Scored 15 points in a loss to Waialua

Lachlan Macleod, University — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kalaheo

Jared Miller, Damien II — Scored 15 points in a win over Maryknoll II

Micah Mitchell, Hawaii Baptist — Scored 25 points in a win over Maryknoll II and scored 34 points in a win over Iolani II

Tristan Nichols, Saint Louis — Scored 25 points in a win over Campbell and scored 18 points in a win over Maryknoll

Jeremi Santos, Lahainaluna — Scored 15 points in a win over Lee

Ryan Shin, Maryknoll II — Scored 21 points in a loss to Damien II

Kekai Smith, Kalaheo — Scored 17 points in a win over Radford and scored 17 points in a win over University

Royce Tashiro, Waialua — Scored 22 points in a win over Saint Louis II

Captain Whitlock, Kalaheo — Scored 25 points in a win over Radford and scored 32 points in a win over University

James Wilkins, Moanalua — Scored 17 points in a win over Damien

Kobe Young, Kamehameha — Scored 17 points in win over Kahuku

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Gieani Balino, Campbell — Scored 18 points in a win over Waialua

Sarah-Jordan Bannister, Hawaiian Mission — Scored 16 points in a win over Lutheran and scored 20 points in a win over Island Pacific

Brittini Blake, Kahuku — Scored 18 points in a loss to Kalani

Joselle Ferrer, McKinley — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kailua

Moli Heimuli, Farrington — Scored 20 points in a win over Kalaheo

Sienna Ho, Moanalua — Scored 15 points in a win over Castle

Kaylee Ishii, Castle — Scored 19 points in a loss to Moanalua

Ricka Jackson, Campbell — Scored 18 points in a win over Waialua

Ciera Kameehonua, Mid-Pacific — Scored 18 points in a win over Damien

Victoria Kintz, Kaimuki — Scored 16 points in a win over Kahuku

Sierra Koki, Castle — Scored 15 points in a loss to Kailua

Keleah-Aiko Koloi, Lahainaluna — Scored 16 points in a win over Baldwin

Cherilyn Molina, Konawaena — Scored 19 points in a win over Pahoa

Doris Naulu, Lutheran — Scored 17 points in a win over Christian Academy

Alana Nuuanu, Nanakuli — Scored 19 points in a win over Kapolei

Alexis Pana, Hilo — Scored 16 points in a win over Kamehameha-Hawaii

Keala Quinlan, Roosevelt — Scored 30 points in a win over Kalani

Raven Rosa-Lasco, Moanalua — Scored 24 points in a win over Castle

Sasha Shepherd, King Kekaulike — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kamehameha-Maui

Olivia Sou, St. Andrew's — Scored 17 points in a win over Christian Academy

Tara Takata, Kailua — Scored 22 points in a win over Castle

Cheyenne Teo, Kahuku — Scored 17 points in a loss to Kalani

Tia Thompson, La Pietra — Scored 16 points in a loss to University

Ihi Victor, Konawaena — Scored 18 points in a win over Pahoa

Daesha Viela, Kalani — Scored 15 points in a win over Kahuku

BOYS SOCCER
Rory Chinen, Leilehua — Scored three goals in a win over Aiea

Jamin Fonseca, Mililani — Scored two goals in a win over Waianae

Shandon Hopeau, Kapolei — Scored two goals in a win over Radford

Takahiro Kosins, Kalani — Scored three goals in a win over Castle

Boogie Mattos, Campbell — Scored four goals in a win over Nanakuli

Noah Mokulehua, Kaiser — Scored three goals in a win over McKinley

Ezra Williams, Farrington — Scored three goals in a win over Kaimuki

GIRLS SOCCER
Mariko Bebb, Mililani — Scored the lone goal in a win over Leilehua

Rachel Bowler, Iolani — Scored two goals in a win over Sacred Hearts

Sharon Cain, Kamehameha — Scored two goals in a win over Pac-Five

Allison Candilario, Punahou — Scored two goals in a win over Mid-Pacific

Chardonnay Curran, Campbell — Scored two goals in a win over Nanakuli

Tia Furuta, Mililani — Scored three goals in a win over Waianae

Kailana Kaeo, Mililani — Scored three goals in a win over Waianae

Kylee Kim-Bustillos, Iolani — Scored two goals in a win over Sacred Hearts

Brittny Maze, Aiea — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua

Shay Nakahira, Punahou — Scored two goals in a win over Mid-Pacific

Nicole Olanda, Aiea — Scored four goals in a win over Radford

Sara Olanda, Aiea — Scored two goals in a win over Leilehua

Asio Ono, Pac-Five — Scored two goals in a loss to Kamehameha

Jamie Shimamoto, Punahou — Scored three goals in a win over Saint Francis

Shyanne Springel, Kaimuki — Scored three goals in a win over Farrington

Daelenn Tokunaga, Pearl City — Scored four goals in a win over Waianae

WRESTLING
Ebony Ayers, Keaau — Won the girls' 225-pound weight class and earned 30 points for her team at the HWOA Scholarship Tournament

Justin Inovejas, Lahainaluna — Pinned four of his five opponents and won the boys' 145-pound weight class to earn 32 points for his team at the HWOA Scholarship Tournament