Member News
April 11, 2006
U.S. Team to Compete at Pan American Junior Judo Championships in Colorado Springs, April 13-14
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – USA Judo is pleased to announce the team that will compete at the Pan American Junior Championships, April 13-14 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs as well as the USA Judo Junior Cup, an open tournament immediately following Pan Ams.
Competition will be contested in two age divisions. Juvenile athletes (born 1990-1991) will compete April 13 while junior athletes (born 1987-1989) will compete April 14. Preliminary rounds will begin at 10 a.m. both days with gold medal matches taking place at 7:30 p.m. April 13 and 5 p.m. April 14.
More than 150 athletes from at least 17 countries in the Pan American region are expected to participate in the event, including: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Canada, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Netherlands Antilles, Guatemala, Barbados, Nicaragua, Belize and the Virgin Islands.
The 31-person team includes eight veterans of previous Pan Am Junior Teams, most notably Ronda Rousey (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Cohen’s Judo/63kg), the 2004 World Junior Champion and Athens Olympian who won gold at the 2004 Pan Am Juniors, disposing of three opponents in a total of 81 seconds.
This time around, watch for Rousey to reclaim her gold in quick fashion as she has routed both junior and senior opponents consistently both in the Pan Am region and in Europe, including a win at the A-Level Birmingham World Cup on April 1.
Also returning from the 2004 team is Brittni Bradford (Land O’Lakes, Fla./St. Pete’s Judo Club/+78kg) who won silver as a juvenile and has now moved up to the junior division.
Four members of the North Miami USA Judo National Training Site also are returning to the team with the hopes of scoring gold.
Jeanette Rodriguez (North Lauderdale, Fla./48kg) is out to avenge her final round loss to Brazilian Camila Souza while Angelica Delgado (North Lauderdale, Fla./57kg) and Veronica Prado (North Lauderdale, Fla./40kg) both won bronze at last year’s event. Bobby Lee (Lauderhill, Fla./73kg) will be competing on his second Pan Am Junior Team. Last year the #3-ranked senior finished fifth in the junior division and won silver in 2004 in the juvenile division.
Nicki Schultheis (Gurnee, Ill./Gurnee Judo/52kg) returns for her second junior team after winning a silver medal at last year’s event.
Tony Sangimino (Burlingame, Calif./Cahill’s Judo/+90kg) is making his second juvenile team appearance having won a silver medal in 2005.
Making their first Pan Am Junior appearance are North Miami USA Judo National Training Site athletes Franchesca Durand (Coral Springs, Fla./52kg) and Antonio Rodriguez (Pembroke Pines, Fla./66kg) who competed as 14-year-olds at last year’s Pan American Infantile Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Durand, the #2-ranked senior in her division, won gold in Costa Rica while Rodriguez brought home a silver medal.
Although the North Miami USA Judo National Training Site is the dojo with the most athletes on the team with seven, the Jason Morris Judo Center lays claim to nearly half of the junior male squad and a fourth athlete on the juvenile male team.
Although each of these athletes are Pan Am Junior rookies, look for the quartet to make a strong run at the podium.
Jeremy Liggett (Scotia, N.Y./NYAC/60kg) was undefeated in U.S. junior competition last year and continues to be the #2-ranked senior in his division following fifth-place finishes at last month’s New York Open and the 2005 Rendez-Vous Canada.
AJ Silverman (Scotia, N.Y./66kg), Yuko Sin (Scotia, N.Y./81kg) and juvenile athlete Kyle Vashkulat (Scotia, N.Y./90kg) each are top-ranked juniors.
Other Pan Am rookies to watch for include juvenile Kayla Harrison (Middletown, Ohio/Renshuden/63kg) and junior athletes Marina Shafir (Latham, N.Y./Judo America/78kg) and Katie Sell (Oshkosh, Wis./Welcome Mat Judo/70kg). The three athletes were undefeated in major U.S. Junior competition in 2005 and each won bronze medals at Senior Nationals.
Andre Taylor (Plano, Texas/Becerra Judo Club), the top-ranked senior at 55kg and last year’s U.S. Open Champion, also will be competing on his first Pan Am Junior Team.
The teams will be coached by German Velazco and Jhonny Prado, both of Coral Springs, Fla. and the North Miami USA Judo National Training Site. The pair coached last year’s teams to 19 overall medals.
Complete rosters are as follows:
Junior Male 1987-1989
55kg: Andre Taylor (Plano, Texas/Becerra Judo Club)
60kg: Jeremy Liggett (Scotia, N.Y./NYAC/Jason Morris Judo Center)
66kg: AJ Silverman (Scotia, N.Y./Jason Morris Judo Center)
73kg: Bobby Lee (Lauderhill, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
81kg: Yuko Sin (Scotia, N.Y./Jason Morris Judo Center)
90kg: Jacob Larsen (Santa Rosa, Calif./Redwood Coast Judo Club)
100kg: Zane Malloy (Oak Harbor, Wash./NAS Whidbey Island Judo)
+100kg: Aaron Shiosaki (Lomita, Calif./Gardena Judo)
Juvenile Male 1990-91
51kg: Anthony Aguilar (Ontario, Calif./Guerros)
55kg: Aaron Gonzalez (Burleson, Texas)
60kg: Daniel Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii/Hawaii Tenri)
66kg: Antonio Rodriguez (Pembroke Pines, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
73kg: Cody Peterson (Milwaukee, Wis./Judo Inc.)
81kg: Joshua Angelini (Havre de Grace, Md./Lancaster Judo Club)
90kg: Kyle Vashkulat (Scotia, N.Y./Jason Morris Judo Center)
+90kg: Tony Sangimino (Burlingame, Calif./Cahill’s Judo)
Junior Female 1987-89
44kg: Unfilled
48kg: Cassandra Bezoski (Amherst, Ohio/Shodokan Judo Club)
52kg: Nicki Schultheis (Gurnee, Ill./Gurnee Judo)
57kg: Pauline Macias (Lancaster, Calif./Antelope Valley Judo)
63kg: Ronda Rousey (Buffalo Grove, Ill./NYAC/Cohen’s Judo)
70kg: Katie Sell (Oshkosh, Wis./Welcome Mat Judo)
78kg: Marina Shafir (Latham, N.Y./Judo America)
+78kg: Brittni Bradford (Land O’Lakes, Fla./St. Pete’s Judo Club)
Juvenile Female 1990-1991
40kg: Veronica Prado (North Lauderdale, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
44kg: Daimisy Porras (North Lauderdale, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
48kg: Jeanette Rodriguez (North Lauderdale, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
52kg: Franchesca Durand (Coral Springs, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
57kg: Angelica Delgado (North Lauderdale, Fla./North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
63kg: Kayla Harrison (Middletown, Ohio/Renshuden)
70kg: Haley Shadden (Mineral Wells, Texas/Ruben Martin Judo)
+70kg: Kate Patton (Zephyrhills, Fla./El Mambi Judo)
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