Member News

February 11, 2006

World Team Members Headline San Jose Buddhist Sensei Memorial Tournament

Catch the Finals on the Live Webcast Sunday at 3:30 Eastern

The San Jose Buddhist Sensei Memorial Tournament will be held at San Jose State University Sunday Feb. 12.  This event is the first U.S. points tournament of the year and will include a live two-hour Webcast of the senior gold medal finals on www.livesportsvideo.com.  

This event is the first in USA Judo’s Live Webcast Series for and will feature the gold medal final matches in the senior black belt divisions commentated by 1987 World Champion Mike Swain, two-time Olympian Pat Burris and 2005 National Champion Chuck Jefferson.

Many of the top-ranked senior judo players in the United States are scheduled to compete, including Justin Flores (Menlo Park, Calif./73kg) who returns to competition for the first time since the 2005 World Championships and is fighting up a division from his traditional 66kg.  

Also scheduled to compete on the men’s side are Nate Torra (California/66kg), the 2005 National Championships silver medalist and Aaron Kunihiro (Covina, Calif./60kg) who won Nationals at 55kg and has now moved up a division.

In the women’s event, World Team members Sayaka Matsumoto (El Cerrito, Calif./48kg) and Molly O’Rourke (El Cerrito, Calif./78kg) are both scheduled to compete in San Jose.

Also on the women’s side, a division to watch will be 57kg which should include both 2005 U.S. Open silver medalist Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif.) as well as Danieska Carrion (CUB/Harlingen, Texas), a two-time World medalist at 48kg.

Athletes scheduled to compete include:

Men 

60kg:   Aaron Kunihiro (Covina, Calif.), 2005 National Champion (55kg)

66kg:   Nate Torra (California), 2005 Nationals silver medalist

          Sean Lang (San Jose, Calif.), 2005 Collegiate National Champion

73kg:   Justin Flores (Menlo Park, Calif.), 2005 National Champion and World Team member (66kg)

          Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho), 2005 Irish Open silver medalist

81kg:   Jose Bencosme (San Jose, Calif.), Former Collegiate National Champion

          Aiveris Sajus (LIT/San Jose, Calif.), 2005 Collegiate National Champion

90kg:   Atsushi Yoshinaga (San Jose, Calif.), Former Collegiate National Champion

100kg: Harvey Takeda (San Jose, Calif.), Former High School National Champion, returning to competition after

          eight-year layoff.

Women

48kg:   Sayaka Matsumoto (El Cerrito, Calif.), 2005 National Champion and World Team member

          Ann Shiraishi (Elk Grove, Calif.), 2005 U.S. Open bronze medalist

52kg:   Natalie Lafon (Harlingen, Texas), 2005 Nationals silver medalist

57kg:   Danieska Carrion (CUB/Harlingen, Texas), Two-time Worlds medalist (48kg)

          Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif.), 2005 U.S. Open silver medalist

78kg:   Molly O'Rourke (El Cerrito, Calif.), 2005 National Champion and World Team Member