Keenan Coupens: Captain wrestles Wildcats to victory

By Shakira Ortiz Strauss

Staff Writer & Editor 

Keenan Coupens hand-fights with his opponent. First round into the match, he sets up his shot and shoots into a double-leg takedown. Coupens, who wrestles for the Konawaena High School team, went on to win by pinning his opponent one minute into the first round.

On February 18th, the Konawaena boys high school wrestling team secured 1st place in the Big Island Interscholastic Federation competition. This was a great team accomplishment. However, it could not have been achieved without talented individuals like Keenan Coupens, a senior who captains the team.

“Because of his leadership, we won BIIFs,” said head coach Rico Ventenilla. “I feel proud as coach of his leadership skills.” 

Coupens competed in many tournaments this season. As an individual, he placed 2nd at the BIIF competition. he also participated in the Freakshow Wrestling competition in Las Vegas. Then he wrestled in two Oahu tournaments: the Officials Wrestling tournament and the Moanalua Team Duals tournament, where the Konawaena high school boys team took second place in the Silver bracket. 

Ending the season with a record of 10-4, Coupens proved to be an amazing asset to the Konawaena wrestling team. 

“I know that he’s gonna be successful with everything in life, whether it's school, college, to being a father someday,” Coach Ventenilla said.  

The sport of wrestling requires a tremendous amount of dedication and hard work. “Discipline ... it’s crucial for this sport. It helps everyone to practice a growth mindset," Ventenilla said.

Coupens has developed both qualities while wrestling at Konawaena, according to his teammates.

“I've seen the way wrestling has changed Keenan. It has made him more mature and I've seen him work as hard as he can to get what he wants,” said Christian Freitas, another senior wrestling captain at Konawaena High School.  

Wrestling changed his life, Coupens agreed: “Wrestling has helped me grow in all attributes because there are so many things that need to be strong when you compete in wrestling.”

Coupens ended the 2022-2023 wrestling season with great accomplishments and is headed into bigger things beyond Konawaena. He leaves behind an enduring impact on the Konawaena wrestling team, and some advice for new wrestlers: “Trust the process and embrace the grind,” Coupens said.