Member News

August 20, 2006

Congratulations Grand Slam and Triple Crown Winners!

As the junior national season officially drew to a close following the Junior U.S. Open, USA Judo would like to congratulate those athletes who won either the Triple Crown (all three junior national championships) or the Grand Slam (the three junior nationals and the Junior U.S. Open).

The junior season kicked off July 8-9 with the USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships in San Jose, Calif.  The next weekend (July 15-16), athletes competed at the U.S. Judo Association Junior Nationals in Boca Raton, followed by the U.S. Judo Federation Junior Nationals in nearby Fort Lauderdale on July 22-23.

Finally, the season ended with the Junior U.S. Open, July 29-30 in Fort Lauderdale, where the U.S. juniors competed against athletes from throughout the world, including many countries in Central and South America as well as Canadian and European athletes.

During the month-long series of competition, seven athletes won the “Grand Slam” – all four events – while three athletes were Triple Crown winners, taking titles at each of the three Junior Nationals events.

Jake Larsen (Santa Rosa, Calif. / Redwood Judo / 90kg) was the only IJF-Junior (under-20) athlete to win a Grand Slam.  After temporarily losing his #1 ranking in the division to 15-year-old Pan American Juvenile gold medalist Kyle Vashkulat (Scotia, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), Larsen reclaimed his ownership of the division by winning not only these four events, but also a spot on the Junior World Championship Team. 

Twelve-year-old Everet Desilets (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo) moved up an age division this year, but had little difficulty taking the Grand Slam in the 36kg Juvenile A (13-14-year-old) division.

Also hailing from the Mayo Quanchi Judo Club, Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I.) may only be 12-years-old, but she now has amassed more than 15 consecutive Junior National titles.  This year the 2005 Pan American Infantile Champion came into the season significantly taller and consequently moved up two weight divisions, but still earned a Grand Slam in the 38kg Intermediate 2 (11-12-year-old) event following a close win in the Junior Open final over Katie Germain (Lakeland, Fla. / GE Judo) who remains the first athlete to give Bouyssou a legitimate challenge in recent tournaments 

Chris Cos (Elbert, Colo. / Olympic Training Center) blazed through the 28kg Intermediate 2 division with ease to win his first Grand Slam.  Cos also likely earned an invitation to compete on his first international team at the Pan American Infantile Championships in Venezuela this November as the highest ranked athlete in Intermediate 2 and Juvenile A divisions as of Sept. 3 will have the opportunity to compete in the event.

Giovante Ortiz (Atlanta, Ga. / Waka Mu Sha) also dominated his division, winning every match throughout the month by ippon (instant win) to win a Grand Slam in the 48kg Intermediate 2 division.

Also competing for Waka Mu Sha, Shaniqua Brown (Atlanta, Ga.) moved up from 58kg to 64kg to win her first Grand Slam, including two final match wins over Kadee Shadden (Mineral Wells, Texas / Ruben Martin Judo). 

Teshiya Alo (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri Judo Club) was just one of a strong contingent of junior athletes from Hawaii that made their presence known in the juvenile and intermediate divisions.  At 8-years-old, Alo was one of the youngest athletes in the 26kg Intermediate 1 (9-10-year-olds) division, but made her first appearance on the USA Judo junior rosters with wins in all four events.

Taylor Ibera (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri) won her first Triple Crown, competing in the 44kg Juvenile B (15-16-year-olds) division, posting wins over 2006 Senior Pan American Team member Veronica Prado (North Lauderdale, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site) in the process.  The 15-year-old first made people take notice by winning a bronze medal at the Senior Nationals in April and has since become an athlete to watch in both the Juvenile B and IJF-Junior divisions.  The 44kg division has become one of the most interesting female lightweight divisions as it appears to be a four-way competition with wins being had by Ibera, Prado and Sandra Chevalier (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo).  Alexa Liddie (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center) also continues to be a player in the mix having defeated Ibera in their first match-up at the Junior Olympics. 

Pan American Infantile Champion Kyle Taketa (Torrance, Calif. / Gardena) is looking to add a second title this year after winning the Triple Crown, making the jump from 40kg to 53kg in the Juvenile A division to do so.  Taketa posted only one loss during the season when he won a silver medal at the Junior Open behind Dominican player Miguel Aracena. 

Kendyl Post (Livermore, Calif. / Amador Judo) was the third Triple Crown winner earning her title in the Intermediate 1 30kg division.  During her series of wins, Post defeated #1-ranked Summer Truong (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Jushinkan Judo Club) and #2 Willow Heller (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Cohen’s Judo).