| Member News
August 27, 2007
Golden State Open Results
Men's Completed Draws
Women's Completed Draws
The Golden State Open, held
on Sunday at the Fairplex Fairgrounds in
Pomona
,
Calif.
, featured 126 competitors
in the senior elite division, including a number of retired players making a
return to competition at this USA Judo Senior E-Level Tournament.
One of the most notable
athletes to have fought at the event was James
“Brewster” Thompson (
Las Vegas
,
Nev.
/ San Jose State University), an actor and
entertainer who was a member of the 1975 World Championships Team and a
six-time Senior National medalist who won his last medal at the 1984 Nationals
in the 95kg division.
Thompson finished second in
the 12-person +100kg division which, at 54-years-old, makes him the oldest
athlete ever to achieve a Senior Elite National Ranking. Thompson’s only loss during the day came
against 15-year-old Kevin Duarte
(Baldwin Park, Calif.
/ Mojica) who he lost to in the second round, but beat when they faced each
other in the fight for the silver medal.
Thompson wasn’t the only
athlete of “advanced age” who fared well over the weekend as D'Anya Bierra (Castle Rock,
Colo.
/ Timberline Judo),
a silver medalist at the 1992 Nationals who will turn 40 in 2008, placed third
in the 63kg division and 42-year-old William
Worthington (Richmond, Calif. / Cahill's
Judo) won the 100kg division.
Other divisions also
featured weight shakeups as athletes settle into attempts to qualify for the
2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Judo, June 13-14 in
Las Vegas
,
Nev.
In her first domestic event
since moving down to 48kg, Natalie Lafon
(Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at Harlingen), a
two-time Senior Nationals silver medalist at 52kg, won her new division and
will earn a national ranking on the 48kg roster as well.
Also fighting in the 48kg
division was Taylor J. Ibera
(Honolulu, Hawaii
/
Hawaii
Tenri), the
reigning National and U.S. Open Champion in the 44kg division who finished third.
A former Collegiate National
Champion and Senior National medalist at 63kg, Corinne Geier
(San Jose
,
Calif.
/ USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose
State University) moved down to 57kg, placing second after a loss to Pauline Macias (Colorado Springs, Colo. /
USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) who was
making her first appearance at a point event since spring.
And while some moved down,
others moved up as Grace Ohashi
(Colorado Springs
,
Colo.
/
USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), a Pan Am
Games Team member in the 52kg division, moved up two divisions to fight 63kg
where she went 2-2 to place fifth after losses to eventual champion Janine Nakao (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo
National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) and Paula Duarte (Baldwin Park, Calif. / Mojica
Judo), the top-ranked junior in the division.
Overall, the USA Judo
National Training Site at San Jose State University Team had the best results
in the senior black belt divisions, including six gold medals won by Nakao, Tomoyo Yoshinaga (70kg), Joseph Hashimoto (66kg), Jose Bencosme (81kg), Atsushi Yoshinaga (90kg) and Conor Driscoll (+100kg).
In a tournament that
included more than a dozen current or former Senior National medalists, there
were several other noteworthy performances.
Anna Palmer
(Colorado Springs
,
Colo.
/ USA Judo National Training Site at the
Olympic Training Center), a 2007
Senior Nationals bronze medalist, dominated the 52kg division, winning all three
of her matches by ippon (instant win).
Kyle Taketa
(Torrance, Calif.
/
Gardena
) won a bronze medal at the Senior Pan
Ams in the 55kg division, but the growing 15-year-old moved up to 60kg and won
his first senior event in the division, 3-0.
Joseph Hashimoto, younger
brother of former #1 Kenny Hashimoto,
also won his first Senior domestic event, going 4-0 in the 66kg division. Also fighting in the 66kg division, junior Daniel Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii
Tenri) produced an impressive second-place finish after losing in the first
round and battling back through six consecutive wins in the loser’s bracket to
win the silver medal.
As was expected, Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western
Idaho Judo Institute), 2007 British Open silver medalist, had a solid day
in the 73kg division, winning the gold medal with three wins.
Complete results are as
follows:
Women's 44kg
1. Kiana S. Abellera
(Los Angeles, Calif.
/ Sawtelle)
Women's 48kg
1. Natalie Lafon
(Harlingen, Texas
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
Harlingen
)
2. Victoria Anthony
(Huntington Beach,
Calif.
/ LACC)
3. Taylor J. Ibera
(Honolulu,
Hawaii
/
Hawaii
Tenri)
Women's 52kg
1. Anna Palmer
(Colorado Springs,
Colo.
/
USA
Judo National Training
Site at the Olympic
Training
Center
)
2. Chrissy Chow
(Honolulu,
Hawaii
/
Hawaii
Tenri)
3. Tara Clark (Hercules,
Calif.
/ Amador)
Women's 57kg
1. Pauline Macias
(Colorado Springs
,
Colo.
/
USA
Judo National Training
Site at the Olympic
Training
Center
)
2. Corinne Geier
(San Jose
,
Calif.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
3. Larisa Lindstrom
(Livermore
,
Calif.
/ Amador)
Women's 63kg
1. Janine Nakao
(Marina
,
Calif.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
2. Christal Ransom
(Colorado Springs
,
Colo.
/
USA
Judo National Training
Site at the Olympic
Training
Center
)
3. D'Anya Bierra (Castle
Rock,
Colo.
/
Timberline Judo)
Women's 70kg
1. Tomoyo Yoshinaga (
San Jose
,
Calif.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
2. Kate Tefft (
Windsor
,
Calif.
/ Sika Ryu Judo)
3. Cheri McKwon (
Mesa
,
Ariz.
/
Tucson
Judo)
Women's 78kg
1. Lisa Uemura (
Salinas
,
Calif.
/
Salinas
Judo)
2. Amber Butts (
Fontana
,
Calif.
/ LACC)
3. Sasha Liege (
Huntington Beach
,
Calif.
/ Mojica)
Women's +78kg
1. Joellen Friesner (
Albany
,
Calif.
/ Cahill's Judo)
Men's 55kg
1. Grayson Lindstrom (
Livermore
,
Calif.
/ Amador)
2. Joshua Villani (
Bellevue
,
Wash.
/ Ippon Judo)
3. Jarra Maratea (
Livermore
,
Calif.
/ Amador)
Men's 60kg
1. Kyle Taketa (
Torrance
,
Calif.
/
Gardena
)
2. Jared Sterling (
Puyallup
,
Wash.
/ Ippon Judo)
3. Jeff Sato (
Pismo Beach
,
Calif.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at the Olympic
Training
Center
)
Men's 66kg
1. Joseph Hashimoto (
San Jose
,
Calif.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
2. Daniel Chow (
Honolulu
,
Hawaii
/
Hawaii
Tenri)
3. Kenji Yoshino (
Dana
Point
,
Calif.
/
Orange
County
)
Men's 73kg
1. Michael Eldred (
Fruitland
,
ID
/ Western Idaho Judo Institute)
2. David Torres (
San Jose
,
Calif.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
3. Shane Simerly (
Colorado Springs
,
Colo.
/
USA
Judo National Training
Site at the Olympic
Training
Cener
)
Men's 81kg
1. Jose Bencosme (
San Jose
,
Calif.
,
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
2. Andrew Hung (
San Jose
,
Calif.
,
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
3. Mike Pechina (
San Bruno
,
Calif.
/ Cahill's Judo)
Men's 90kg
1. Atsushi Yoshinaga (
San Jose
,
Calif.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
2. Jasung Koo (
Tustin
,
Calif.
/
USA
Stars)
3. Alex Maratos (
Miami
,
Fla.
/
Miami
Judo)
Men's 100kg
1. William Worthington (
Richmond
,
Calif.
/ Cahill's Judo)
2. Joseph Aceto (
San Jose
,
Calif.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
3. Joey Nawa (
Los Alamitos
,
Calif.
/ Sawtelle)
Men's +100kg
1. Conor Driscoll (
San Jose
,
Calif.
,
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
2. James B. Thompson (
Las Vegas
,
Nev.
/
USA
Judo National Training Site at
San Jose
State
University
)
3. Kevin Duarte (
Baldwin Park
,
Calif.
/ Mojica)
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