USA JUDO

Baez Solid Gold Performance Highlights a Strong Showing By Team USA on Day One of the Junior Pan Ams

The Junior Pan American Championships got started with competition in the Juvenile ( 15 & 16 year olds ) divisions. Team USA had 7 players competing on day one. Led by Lauren Baez' ( Ki-Itsu-Sai, Florida ) gold medal in the female 57kg division, Team USA got off to a very good start. Baez dominant performance led to her first Junior Pan American title. She went 4 - 0 on the day, including three ippon victories, Previously, Lauren had taken bronze ( 2009 ) and silver ( 2010 ) medals at the event. Alisha Galles ( PAL Judo, New Mexico ) had a very strong showing earning a silver medal in the female 63kg division. Alisha dominated her first two matches with strong gripping and mat work, She lost a tough match to the Brazilian in the final, but looks towards a bright future. Matthew Kearney ( Okuri Judo, Texas ) showed great mettle and determination by taking home the silver medal in the male 50kg division. In the process of beating a tough Puerto Rican player in the semi finals, he suffered a shoulder injury that kept him from competing in the gold medal match. Kearney's performance was an inspiration for the rest of the team. Michael Assels ( Becerra Judo, Texas ) added to his Junior Pan American medal collection with a bronze medal in the male 66kg division. Michael lost a very tightly contested match against the eventual gold medal from Brazil, before rebounding to beat the reigning junior champ from Argentina. Willie Inserra ( Sport Judo, Virginia ) put the experience he gained from competing at the recent Cadet World Championships in Kiev, Ukraine to good use in taking the bronze medal in the male 60kg division. Willie had two decisive victories wrapped around a tough, tightly contested loss to Brazil in the semi finals. One of Willie's teammates from the Cadet Team, Adonis Diaz ( Budokon, Florida ) also competed. Adonis was the only U.S player to win a second round match in Kiev at the Cadet Worlds. He's one of the up and coming stars in USA Judo. He had a rough day at the office, losing to the local hero from Chile in the bronze medal match in the male 55kg division. Seraiah Martin ( Champion Judo Club, Texas ) fought extremely hard and pushed all of her opponents. For Seraiah it was a great learning experience. It was he first Junior Pan American team, but with her work ethic and attitude, certainly not her last.