Coach Drake Auna, Coach Luis, Danica Auna, Coach Jimmy Angana
Vanley Auna
President, NorthShore-Live.com, LLC
anuav001@gmail.com
Edsa Shangri-La, Manila,
Philippines, July 2, 2008 – Danica Leilani
Auna, 17, a Filipino American from
Hauula, Hawaii and two-time Hawaii state wrestling champion from Kahuku High
School and two-time United States Girls’ Wrestling Association All-American, participated
in the women’s wrestling portion of the Philippine Olympic Festival held at the
Tondon Sports Complex in Metro Manila this past weekend.
Before coming to the Philippines
to meet relatives for the first time, Danica set a goal to also contact the
Philippine national team so she could express her desire to wrestle for
them. When assistant head coach, Karlo Silverio L. Sevilla III of the
Philippine National Team, learned that Danica was interested in wrestling
for them he quickly extended an invitation for Danica to compete in two freestyle
exhibition matches against Philippine national team members Noemi Tener and Maribel Jambora (Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist).
The All-American easily defeated
Tener by fall in the first round, and then decisioned, the bronze medalist, Jambora
3-0 in the second match. Danica’s
impressive wins against the national team members prompted the Philippine
coaches to encourage her to apply for Philippine citizenship so she can
legitimately challenge for a spot on the national team.
The highlight of Danica’s
wrestling experience here was being able to meet veteran national team members Christina Vergara (formerly Villanueva)
and Gemma Silverio. Danica hopes to share her talent in wrestling
by helping to improve the girls and womens wrestling programs in America as well as the Philippines.
The former captain of the
Kahuku girls wrestling team, began wrestling in 7th grade on the
Kahuku Intermediate team. She made the
varsity squad as a freshman in 2005 and quickly made her mark winning the OIA
East and OIA championships at 103lbs.
She went on to finish second in the State championships losing in
overtime, 4-2, to Carla Watase of Iolani.
In 2006, she won the OIA East and OIA championships at 108lbs and
finished second again in the state final losing, 4-3, to Megan Morisada of
Iolani. After winning yet another OIA
championship at 125lbs last year, she finally claimed a state title by pinning
Ariella Ing of Moanalua in the 2007 final.
This year she won her second state title by pinning Megan Yamaguchi of
Kalani in the 120lbs championship match.
Athlete
Bio
Danica
Auna
The Short List
·
2012 Olympic
hopeful
·
2x United States
Girls Wrestling Association All-American (2007, 2008)
·
4x Hawaii State
Girls Wrestling Championship Finalist (2005-2008)
·
2x Hawaii State
Girls Wrestling Champion (2007, 2008)
·
2x Hawaii State
Girls Wrestling Team Champion (2006, 2008)
·
3x OIA Individual
Champion (2005, 2006, 2007)
·
3x OIA Team
Champion (2005, 2007, 2008)
·
3x OIA East
Individual Champion (2005, 2006, 2008)
·
3x OIA East Team
Champion (2005, 2007, 2008)
Did
You Know?
·
Full name is
Danica Leilani Auna; nickname is “Bunzer”
·
Is one of eight
children (six brothers and one sister)
·
Loves to eat all
kinds of food especially Hawaiian and Japanese cuisine
·
First female
wrestler from Kahuku
High School to win two
state titles
·
Earned 10 varsity
letters in three different sports at Kahuku
High School
·
Is ambidextrous
If you’d like more
information, or to schedule an interview with Danica Auna, she is staying at
the Edsa Shangri-La in Manila,
room 621, until Thursday, July 3. She
can also be reached by email at aunav001@gmail.com