Member News

November 28, 2006

Team USA Departs for Pan American Infantile Championships

Carly Patton, the defending champion in the 11-12-year-old 53kg division and 2005 Outstanding competitor, is one of 31 U.S. athletes fighting for gold this week in Venezuela.

Thirty-one U.S. athletes will be competing at the Pan American Infantile Championships in Maracaibo, Venezuela on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

The Pan Am Infantile Championships include competition for 11-12-year-olds on Thursday and 13-14-year-olds on Friday.

Five members of the team are Pan Am Infantile competitors from last year’s squad that brought home a total of 25 medals.

The five returning members to the team each won medals last year, including titles won by Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club), Marina Lambert (Chesapeake, Va. / Washington Judo), Kyle Taketa (Torrance, Calif. / Gardena Judo), Carly Patton (Zephyrhills, Fla. / El Mambi) and a bronze medal earned by Everet Desilets (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club). 

Bouyssou, competing in the 11-12-year-old division, has moved up from 31kg to 38kg this year and is a favorite to take another title in the heavier category as well.  Bouyssou has won every domestic junior event she has competed in this year as well as becoming the youngest athlete ever to become ranked as a senior after winning the Golden State Open as a 12-year-old fighting up at 44kg.  One of the hardest working 12-year-olds you’ll see, Bouyssou has yet to tire out during a match and has never been beaten in competitions outside the United States.

Lambert will return to the 13-14-year-old +64kg division after not only a successful junior season, but also becoming one of the youngest athletes to win a medal at the Senior U.S. Open after taking bronze in the 78kg division in October.

Taketa is back for his third Pan Am Infantile appearance.  After winning a title in the 13-14-year-old 40kg division in 2005, a growth spurt has pushed Taketa up three divisions to 53kg.  He’s adjusted quickly, however, winning the Triple Crown (three junior national titles in consecutive weeks) in July and taking gold at the Senior-level Continental Crown and Golden State Open. 

Patton comes in as the defending 11-12-year-old champion at 53kg.  The 12-year-old looked excellent in Costa Rica last year, winning the Female Outstanding Competitor award and took two junior national titles and a Junior U.S. Open gold this summer.

Desilets won a bronze medal in 2005 as a 12-year-old at 34kg and will be competing as a 13-year-old at 36kg.  Like many of his teammates, Desilets dominated his division domestically, winning the Triple Crown and the Junior U.S. Open.

Among the rookies, a trio from Honolulu stand out as potential gold medalists in Maracaibo. 

Nahoa Salera (Honolulu, Hawaii / Shobukan Judo Club) will be fighting in the 11-12-year-old 42kg division.  A 12-year-old, Salera will be competing in his first event outside the United States, but has been deemed one of the most talented of the members of the younger team and handled each of his opponents easily when he won gold at both the USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships, where he also won the Best Technique Award, and the Junior U.S. Open. 

Chrissy and Melinda Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri) are both products of storied judo families.  Mother Robin Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii) was a Pan American Games Champion in 1983 and father Greg Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii) is an assistant coach for the team that includes five athletes from their Hawaii Tenri Judo Club.

Chrissy will be fighting in the 13-14-year-old 53kg division while Melinda will be competing in the 11-12-year-old 48kg division.  Both girls won two junior national titles and the Junior U.S. Open over the summer.

Giovonte Ortiz (Jonesboro, Ga. / Waka Mu Sha) also will be competing on his first Pan Am Team, fighting in the 11-12-year-old 48kg division.  Twelve-year-old Ortiz was the Outstanding Competitor in the younger divisions at this year’s Junior Olympics and holds the distinction of not only going undefeated during all four major junior tournaments over the summer, but also winning each match by ippon (instant win).

The U.S. Pan American Infantile Team is being coached by Serge Bouyssou (Hope, R.I.) who also has five athletes from his Mayo Quanchi Judo Club on the team, including Bouyssou, Desilets, Caitlyn Mason (East Greenwich, R.I.), Madison Hatch (Lebanon, Conn. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club) and Ricondo Cole (Providence, R.I.),

Bouyssou will be joined by assistant coaches Greg Chow and Ben Koomoa (Honolulu, Hawaii), head of the Shobukan Judo Club and personal coach of Salera and Jacob Palimo’o (Honolulu, Hawaii).

Sergeant Major E.L. Mayfield (Jacksonville, N.C.) and Antonio Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.) are the team managers.  Jose H. Rodriguez (Colorado Springs, Colo.), USA Judo CEO, is the Team’s Chef de Mission

The referees representing the United States are Calvin Terada (Renton, Wash.) and Raymond Saito (Honolulu, Hawaii).

The complete athlete roster is as follows:

Boys 11-12-year-old Division

28kg:     Chris Cos (Elbert, Colo. / Olympic Training Center Juniors)

31kg:     Kyle Williams (Boca Raton, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai Judo Club)

34kg:     Jacob Palimo’o (Honolulu, Hawaii / Shobukan)

38kg:     Chaede Grace-Reyes (Pearl City, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

42kg:     Nahoakuwoo Salera (Honolulu, Hawaii / Shobukan)

48kg:     Giovante Ortiz (Jonesboro, Ga. / Waka Mu Sha)

53kg:     John Tucker (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo)

+53kg:  Dane Pestano (Wiamando, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

Girls 11-12-year-old Division

28kg:     Caitlyn Mason (East Greenwich, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club)

31kg:     Melissa Clauss (Clermont, Fla. / Central Florida Judo & Jujitsu)

34kg:     Sachiko Ragosta (Charlottesville, Va. / Charlottesville Judo Academy)

38kg:     Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club)

42kg:     Lauren Baez (Coral Gables, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai)

48kg:     Melinda Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

53kg:     Carly Patton (Zephyrhills, Fla. / El Mambi)

+53kg:  Mariah Drescher (Norwich, Conn. / New London County Judo)

Boys 13-14-year-old Division

36kg:     Everet Desilets (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo)

40kg:     Ricondo Cole (Providence, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo)

44kg:     Hanif Shabazz (Atlanta, Ga. / Waka Mu Sha)

48kg:     Anthony Kwon (Kaneohe, Hawaii / Hodokan Judo Club)

53kg:     Kyle Taketa (Torrance, Calif. / Gardena Judo)

58kg:     Preston Quam (Oceanside, Calif. / San Shi)

64kg:     Dariel Porras (Miami, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai Judo Club)

+64kg:  Christopher Roman (Atlanta, Ga. / Waka Mu Sha)

Girls 13-14-year-old Division

40kg:     Madison Hatch (Lebanon, Conn. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club)

44kg:     Shea Favorite (Clermont, Fla. / Central Florida Judo & Jujitsu)

48kg:     Gabriella Denu (Aberdeen, Md. / College Park Judo)

53kg:     Chrissy Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri Judo)

58kg:     Lydia Au (Chicago, Ill. / Tohkon Judo)

64kg:     Shaniqua Brown (Atlanta, Ga. / Waka Mu Sha Judo Club)

+64kg:  Marina Lambert (Chesapeake, Va. / Washington Judo)