It was an eventful weekend on campus as BYU–Hawaii hosted the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) Wrestling Championships. The tournament brought in the top qualifying wrestlers from across the entire state of Hawaii to Oahu's North Shore. Boys and girls from over 50 high schools competed in the championship with the unwavering support of their families, friends, and communities.
Among the spectators enjoying the event was Johnny Feinga, a Laie resident, former wrestler, and long-time wrestling fan. While watching his child compete in the weekend's events, Feinga reminisced on his fond memories of attending sporting events at the Cannon Activities Center in his youth. Of this year's tournament, Feinga shared this championship "surpassed any of those events as far as energy and excitement." He shared his gratitude towards BYU–Hawaii for hosting this year's tournament and hopes the facility will be used for similar events in the future.
Behind the scenes of the event were a number of BYU–Hawaii students from different majors and departments. The SSAC 192 Activities & Events and EXS Sports Administration classes are a few classes that had their students assist in the planning, organizing, marketing, and execution of the tournament. The objective was to create an environment for experiential learning and allow students to convert classroom knowledge into real-life experience.
Brandyn Akana, Head of Sports & Student Activities, also spoke to the tournament's success, sharing, "It was great to see the students, community, and entire state experiencing this wonderful venue. Participants and families could also experience the wonderful spirit on campus, many of which would never have had the opportunity to do otherwise."
Overall, it was great to see the competing youth give their all in individual and collective efforts to claim state titles and recognition.