Kubasaki's Fred Suniga gets the upper hand on Seoul American's Jack Barnes during Wednesday's 215-pound gold-medal bout in the 35th Far East High School Wrestling Tournament at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. Suniga won the gold with a three-period decision. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – Brett Hammontree competed much of the season with a painfully broken right middle finger. You’d not have known it, given the way he wrestled Wednesday.
The Osan American 122—pound senior led a parade of 11 new gold medalists, pinning Callan Murphy of American School In Japan in 1 minute, 58 seconds as the 35th Far East High School Tournament’s individual freestyle competition concluded.
“Old-school toughness,” Osan coach Duke Allen said of Hammontree, who missed much of last season with a leg injury. “He had to deal with searing pain in everything he did. He used it as motivation.”
Hammontree and Murphy engaged in a wild duel of reverse leg lifts, with Hammontree finally catching Murphy in a side chest press for the pin.
“I try not to cry every match,” Hammontree said of dealing with the pain. “I wanted to win. I had to do something, put everything I had into these throws. All this time dealing with injury and it finally came together for me.”
While Hammontree basked in the first-time championship spotlight, two returning wrestlers from 2011 repeated their gold medals, Steven Walter (108 pounds) of Kubasaki and St. Mary’s International’s Chidi Agbo (heavyweight).
St. Mary’s, with titlists and six finalists, repeated its Division I team title in runaway fashion, and led an expected 1-2-3 finish by Kanto Plain powers St. Mary’s, Yokota and host Nile C. Kinnick. Robert D. Edgren won its second D-II title in three years.
“Kanto is tough to beat right now,” said coach Ian Harlow after his Titans won their ninth D-I team title, second to Kubasaki (21). “We have established coaches and programs, no turnover and it makes for building strong programs top to bottom.”
Edgren not only won the D-II title, it finished ahead of established D-I power Kadena by five points. “I was surprised and proud of that,” Eagles coach Justin Edmonds said. “It was a struggle. The kids stayed together and had fun.”
Among repeat champions, Walter rallied from a 4-0 second-period deficit using two leg lifts into a reverse chest press to beat St. Mary’s Kaimi Miyazawa by two-period decision. “I just wrestled my best and did what I had to do,” Walter said. “It feels good.”
Agbo used three leg-lace tilts to snag his second straight gold medal, beating Mason Naphy of Seoul American in two periods.
New champions included Chad Wilder of Zama American (141), who used two first-period gut-wrench tilts to decision St. Mary’s JP Kwak. This after missing the Florida state finals last year with a broken elbow. “So glad this year I achieved my goal,” Wilder said.
Darnell Vinson (180) became E.J. King’s champion since David Heitstuman in 2007, scratching out a two-period decision over Simon Sanchez’s Jesse Naputi. “It’s been a long road, there’ve been many challenges, but this year I took it home,” Vinson said.
Justin Duenas (101) became seventh-place Kadena’s lone titlist, pinning Edgren’s Francis Estacion in 2:43. Kinnick’s Quincy McCants (115) made quick work of St. Mary’s Kentaro Hayashi in 45 seconds.
Yuma Fuseya (129) of sixth-place Christian Academy Japan survived a three-period decision over Seoul American’s Robert Rhea. Trenton Traylor won Yokota’s lone gold via pin over Edgren’s James Bowman. Kinnick’s Zach Lacaria (148) rallied from behind early to pin Daegu’s Xavian Washburn.
Brendan Hymas (158) won the first of St. Mary’s three championships by two-period decision over Father Duenas Memorial’s Micah Lopez. Jeff Koo (168) was next, avenging his Kanto Plain finals loss to Yokota’s Stanley Speed in two periods. And Fred Suniga (215) gave Kubasaki its second title, outlasting Seoul American’s Jack Barnes in three periods.