Member News

November 22, 2007

Dallas Invitational Preview

More than 500 players across all divisions are expected to compete at the Dallas Invitational, a USA Judo Senior E-Level point tournament, on Saturday in Grapevine, Texas.  

The last domestic point tournament of the year, the event is expected to include 100 senior elite players vying for valuable qualification points for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Judo, June 13-14 in Las Vegas, Nev.

Competition will be held at the Hilton DFW Lakes, 1800 Hwy 26 East.

Competition schedule is as follows:

Juniors 12 & under...................8:30 am

Juniors 13 -16...........................not before 10:00 am

Senior Eliminations..................not before12:30 pm

Senior Novice & Masters ....... after Senior Eliminations

Senior Finals ............................7:00 pm

Among this weekend's anticipated matches are several that will have an impact on the top senior elite national rankings. 

In the +100kg division, top-ranked Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE) will be returning to his home state of Texas where he is expected to fight Senior Nationals silver medalist Anthony Turner (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami). 

In the 78kg division, 2004 Olympian Nikki Kubes (Fort Worth, Texas / Fort Worth Judo) will be competing for the first time since placing third at the USA Judo Senior National Championships in April.  Kubes, whose Nationals appearance was her first since tearing her Anterior Cruciate Ligament at the Pan American Championships in 2006, is expected to compete against top-ranked Katie Mocco (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center).  Mocco is coming off broze medal win at the Finnish Open two weeks ago and placed second at the U.S. Open in October.

Natalie Lafon (Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen) competed at this event in 2006, placing second in the 52kg division.  Over the summer Lafon moved down to the 48kg division and is now ranked fourth in the division.  Last year's champion Diana Yoshida (Dallas, Texas / Dallas Judo) also will be competing.  Yoshida beat Lafon by decision at the Fall Classic over Labor Day weekend, but Lafon won their last match at the U.S. Open. 

Other players to watch include: 

• Anna Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / 57kg), 2007 U.S. Open silver medalist in the 52kg division

• Bobby Lee (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami / 73kg), 2006 U.S. Open Champion

• Katie Sell (Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen / 70kg), 2007 Senior Nationals silver medalist

• Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 2007 Finnish Open silver medalist

• Josh O’Neil (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / 60kg), 2007 German Open fifth-place finisher in the 60kg division

• Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center / 100kg), 2007 Senior Nationals bronze medalist

• AJ Silverman (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center / 73kg), 2006 Junior World Team member in the 66kg division