2006 Rendez Vous Day 2 Results

+100kg Medals (L-R): Trevor McAlpine (CAN), Shinya Katabuchi (JPN), Joel Brutus (USA) and Anthony Turner (USA)

Anthony Turner (blue) def. Daniel McCormick (white) in the +100kg bronze medal match.

2005 World Team member Djamal Aliev prepares for his 100kg bronze medal match.

Aliev finishes fifth at 100kg.

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Sixteen-year-old Jeanette Rodriguez (Margate, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo

National Training Site) won her first senior international medal in the 48kg division on Saturday at the Rendez-Vous Canada in Montreal.

Rodriguez beat Canadian Chantal Beausoleil and #2-ranked junior Brenna Clark (Hercules, Calif. / Okubo / APOA Judo Club) to advance to her semi-final match against Donna Robertson (GBR), a bronze medalist at the Belgium Ladies Open in February. After the conclusion of the five-minute match, they moved into a Golden Score (overtime) period where Robertson was handed a shido (penalty) for stalling which gave Rodriguez the win.

In the final, Rodriguez was overpowered by Mayumi Takara (JPN) who threw her for two waza-aris (half-point) to win the match.

Rodriguez, a member of the USA Judo Elite U-23 Team, fought for a medal for the first time at this level in June at the Tre-Torri International in Italy where she finished fifth. Rodriguez, a member of the USA Judo Elite U-23 Team, fought for a medal for the first time at this level in June at the Tre-Torri International in Italy where she finished fifth. Up next, Rodriguez will chase another medal at the Junior World Championships, Oct. 12-15 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

In other 48kg matches, six-time Senior National Champion Sayaka Matsumoto (El Cerrito, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute) went 2-2 on the day to finish seventh, losing in the second round to 2006 Pan American bronze medalist Glenda Miranda (ECU) by a waza-ari and later in the repechage to Leen Dom (BEL), this year’s Rome World Cup Champion.

Annie Shiraishi (Elk Grove, Calif. / Okubo / APOA Judo Institute) had similar difficulties, finishing with a 1-2 record after losses to Takara and Dom after beating Canadian Nationals bronze medalist Lolita Dagher in the first round.

Twenty-seven-year-old Stephanie Baim (Carrolton, Texas / Unattached) picked up her first international win since retiring nearly a decade ago. Baim threw her first opponent, Canadian Jade Parson (CAN) for ippon. In the second round, she threw Robertson with an o soto gari (major outer reaping) for a yuko, but was knocked unconscious on the landing. Robertson then armbarred a blacked out Baim to win the match.

Clark had a first-round bye before losing to Rodriguez in the second. In the repechage, Clark choked Beausoleil before losing to eventual bronze medalist Bianca Ockedahl (CAN) to finish the day at 1-2.

The United States claimed four of the top six placings in the men’s heavyweight division with 2006 Senior National Champion Joel Brutus (New York City, N.Y. / NYAC) and 2005 U.S. Open Champion Anthony Turner (Miami, Fla. / IntoCombat) winning bronze medals in All-American final matches.

Brutus threw 2005 World Team member Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) for ippon (instant win) while Turner defeated former top-ranked player Daniel McCormick (Arlington, Texas / Bedford Kodokan Judo Club) by a waza-ari and other smaller scores.

Pan American bronze medalist Katie Mocco (Scotia, N.Y. / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center / 70kg) pinned Canadian Katy Bryant in her first match, but lost to 2002 Junior Worlds bronze medalist Yoshimi Shichijo (JPN) and dropped down to the repechage. In the bronze medal match, Mocco fought a familiar foe – Diana Chala (ECU). Chala defeated Mocco at the 2005 Pan Ams, but Mocco beat Chala in the quarter-finals of this year’s Pan Ams. Although Mocco received a waza-ari after Chala committed three penalties, she lost the match by a yuko (quarter-point) and koka (smallest points).

Rene Capo (Scotia, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), a 45-year-old 1988 and 1996 Olympian, continued his comeback with a fifth place finish at 100kg on Sunday, losing a tough final to Elco Van Der Geest (NED). Van Der Geest, who finished fifth at the Athens Olympic Games, was defeated earlier in the upset of the day by Scott Edward (CAN) who would finish second overall. Djamal Aliev (Centennial, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) also finished fifth, losing the bronze medal to Guillaume Cavalli (CAN).

Also competing in the 100kg division, Senior Nationals bronze medalist Adler Volmar (North Lauderdale, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site) failed to place after going 0-2 on the day. Myles Porter (Toledo, Ohio / Toledo-Maumee Judo Club), a fifth-place finisher at the 2006 World Blind Judo Championships, had a difficult draw, losing both of his matches, including a first round defeat by Van Der Geest.

In the 52kg division, Team USA was shut out of the placings as Fall Classic Nationals silver medalist Anna Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) and Senior Nationals silver medalist Natalie Lafon (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National Training Site) both went 1-2. Second-ranked junior Nicki Schultheis (Gurnee, Ill. / Gurnee Judo) won her first two matches, but sustained an injury following a loss in the quarter-finals and withdrew from the tournament. Tara Clark (Hercules, Calif. / Okubo / APOA Judo Club) continues to do well after moving down from 57kg to 52kg over the summer, winning her first two matches by ippon before losing to silver medalist Renee Guggino (CAN) on a counter. Clark dropped down to the repechage, but lost her match against Scotland to finish the day at 2-2.

Team USA also competed in a team event following the individual tournament against Team Canada. The U.S. women nearly produced a victory, winning three of seven matches with wins by 2005 World Team members Matsumoto, Ronda Rousey (Santa Monica, Calif. / NYAC) and Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National Training Site. The men won one match fought by Taylor Takata (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National Training Site) and Aaron Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen's Judo) tied a second.

Complete results are as follows:

Women’s 48kg

1. Mayumi Takara (JPN)

2. Jeanette Rodriguez (Margate, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)

3. Leen Dom (BEL)

3. Bianca Ockedahl (CAN)

Women’s 52kg

1. Aminata Sall (CAN)

2. Renee Guggino (CAN)

3. Monika Cabaj (POL)

3. Yoriko Yoshumura (JPN)

Women’s 70kg

1. Catherine Jacques (BEL)

2. Yoshimi Shichijo (JPN)

3. Diana Chala (ECU)

3. Kelita Zupancic (CAN)

5. Katie Mocco (Scotia, N.Y. / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center)

Men’s 100kg

1. Keith Morgan (CAN)

2. Scott Edwards (CAN)

3. Elco Van Der Geest (NED)

3. Guillaume Cavalli (CAN)

5. Rene Capo (Scotia, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)

5. Djamal Aliev

Men’s +100kg

1. Shinya Katabuchi (JPN)

2. Trevor McAlpine (CAN)

3. Joel Brutus (New York City, N.Y. / NYAC)

3. Anthony Turner (Miami, Fla. / IntoCombat)

5. Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site)

5. Daniel McCormick (Arlington, Texas / Bedford Kodokan Judo Club)