Member News
November 3, 2007
Fujimoto, Lafon and Geier Win Gold in
Mexico
(Colorado Springs,
Colo.)
– Team
USA
won three gold medals during the final day
of competition at the Benito Juarez, a USA Judo Senior D-Level Point Tournament
in
Merida, Mexico
.
Natalie Lafon
(Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen) took gold
in the 48kg division, earning enough points to move herself into the #3-ranking
national ranking after only three months in the division.
Sixteen-year-old Lisette
Abad
(San Jose,
Calif.
/
San Jose
After-School
All-Stars) also
competed in the 48kg division, placing third.
Corinne Geier (San
Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) moved down from 63kg where she was a Senior Nationals medalist down to 57kg in
March and won her first international event in
Mexico
, leading a U.S. Podium
sweep. Geier countered Anna Palmer
(Colorado Springs,
Colo.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at the Olympic
Training
Center)
to win gold.
Palmer, the top-ranked actively competing player in the 52kg
division, fought up to 57kg where she will earn a top-12 ranking in the heavier
division.
Larisa Lindstrom
(Livermore, Calif.
/ Amador Judo Team) and Jackie
Perez
(College Station, Texas
/
Texas
A & M
University
Judo) both won bronze medals in the division as well.
Eighteen-year-old Jeff Fujimoto
(Los Angeles,
Calif.
/ Sawtelle Judo) won the 60kg division. Dan Gomez
(Cypress, Texas
/
Texas
A & M
University
Judo) beat Jeff Sato
(Colorado Springs, Colo.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at the Olympic
Training
Center)
to win bronze in the division.
Jeff Fong (
San Jose
,
Calif.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
) won a silver medal in the 66kg division. Fong, a fifth-place finisher at the 2006 Senior Nationals, lost in the
finals to a Mexican opponent who upset former Pan Am Champion Taylor Takata (Colorado Springs, Colo. /
USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) by a shido (penalty)
earlier in the day. Takata went on to
win a bronze medal.
Tanner Singh (Plano, Texas / Dallas Judo) also won a bronze in the division.
RJ Cohen (
Buffalo Grove
,
Ill.
/
Cohen’s Judo) defeated AJ Silverman
(
Glenville
,
N.Y.
/
USA
Judo National Training
Site at the
Jason
Morris
Judo
Center
) in the bronze
medal match of the 73kg division to place third.
Tara Clark (
Livermore
,
Calif.
/
Amador Judo Team) also fought an American in the bronze medal round,
beating Jessica Sternick (
San Antonio
,
Texas
/ Universal Judo) to place third in the 52kg division.
Complete results are as follows:
Women's 44kg
1. Edna Carrillo (MEX)
Women's 48kg
1. Natalie Lafon (Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen)
2. Viridiana Fernandez (MEX)
3. Nidia Palos (MEX)
3. Lisette Abad (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose After-School All-Stars)
Women's 52kg
1. Karla Torres (MEX)
2. Evangelina Garcia (MEX)
3. Maribel Gonzalez (MEX)
3. Tara Clark (Hercules, Calif. / Amador Judo)
Women's 57kg
1. Corinne Geier (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)
2. Anna Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo./ USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
3. Larisa Lindstrom (Livermore, Calif. / Amador Judo Team)
3. Jackie Perez (College Station, Texas / Texas A & M)
Men's 55kg
1. Ivan Jimenez (MEX)
Men's 60kg
1. Jeff Fujimoto (Los Angeles, Calif. / Sawtelle Judo)
2. Oscar Garcia (MEX)
3. Dan Gomez (Cypress, Texas / Texas A & M University Judo)
3. Enrique Torres (MEX)
Men's 66kg
1. Armando Ortiz (MEX)
2. Jeff Fong (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)
3. Tanner Singh (Plano, Texas / Dallas Judo)
3. Taylor Takata (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
Men's 73kg
1. Abraham Negrete (MEX)
2. Lee Mata (MEX)
3. RJ Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Cohen's Judo)
3. Victor Guerrero (MEX)
Men's Open
1. Carlos Honorato (BRA)
2. Isao Cardenas (CUB)
3. Julian Gutierrez (MEX)
3. Efrain Sanchez (MEX) |
