| Member News
September 26, 2008
Travis Stevens and Kayla Harrison Win U.S. Open Titles
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Travis Stevens (white) defeated Antoine Valois-Fortier (CAN) to win gold in the 81kg division. (Photo Credit Herman Rojas) |
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Jacob Larsen (white) fought Robert Edward in the 90kg final. |
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Women's 78kg medals. |
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55kg medals |
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63kg medals. |
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70kg medals. |
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81kg medals. |
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90kg medals. |
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100kg medals |
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+78kg medals. |
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+100kg medals. |
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Just six weeks after placing ninth in his Olympic debut, twenty-two-year-old Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) advanced to his third consecutive U.S. Open final on Friday night at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.
Returning to the tournament where Stevens first made his mark on the international scene when he won the Open in 2006, top-seeded Stevens had a bye and then won his next three matches against Guillaume Perrault (CAN), Takeshi Kurisu (JPN), Takeshi Kurisu (JPN) and Vahram Stepanyan (No Country).
In the final, Stevens controlled his match with Antoine Valois-Fortier (CAN) well, ultimately locking in an armbar against the Canadian who tried unsuccessfully to stand out of the submission before he was forced to tap out.
In a round-robin division, 18-year-old Junior World Team member Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) won each of her three matches by ippon (instant win) to earn her third U.S. Open title in as many divisions following her 2007 63kg and her 2006 open division gold medals. Suzie Rizek (Naperville, Ill. / Fox Valley Judo) and Missy Tashiro (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) also won medals in the division with both players earning bronzes.
Harrison’s 2006 Junior World Teammate Jacob Larsen (Santa Rosa, Calif. / Boulder Judo Training Center / Team FORCE) advanced to the 90kg finals where he won a silver medal. Although Larsen was fighting in his first U.S. Open medal round, he won three matches in the division to advance to the final against 2008 British Open silver medalist Robert Edward (CAN). Although Larsen made several early attacks, Edward soon threw Larsen for ippon.
Pan Am Team member Mindy Swanson (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri) improved upon her 2007 U.S. Open bronze medal with a silver in the +78kg division. After throwing her first two opponents for ippon in the round robin division, Swanson lost her final match to Canadian junior Alyssa Caughy (CAN). Four-time Senior Nationals medalist Toni Geiger (Dumont, N.J. / Tech Judo / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) also fought in the heavyweight division, winning her first U.S. Open medal with a bronze.
One of the youngest of the day’s medal winners, Steven Perez celebrated his fifteenth birthday on Tuesday, but still won his U.S. Open medal with a silver in a round-robin 55kg division. Perez counted among his victories a win over reigning Pan American Champion Hiram Cruz (PUR) who he lost to in the finals of the Senior Nationals earlier this year. Rounding out the division, 14-year-old Connor Murtha (Boulder, Colo. / Boulder Judo Training Center) won a bronze medal, making him the youngest medalist of the day.
Former 57kg Senior Nationals medalist Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) avenged her Senior Nationals semifinal loss in the 63kg division earlier this year when she beat Janine Nakao (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) in the bronze medal match to make her first trip to the podium at the U.S. Open.
Repeating her 2007 U.S. Open placing, Olympic Team alternate Katie Sell (Oshkosh, Wis. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) defeated 2008 Junior World Team member Helen Delpopolo (Westfield, N.J. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) to place third in the 80kg division.
Two-time World Team member Djamaldin Aliev (Centennial, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) won his first U.S. Open medal in the 100kg division when he and Olympian Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami) fought a defensive bronze medal match which Aliev won by two penalties to Volmar’s four.
Competition continues on Saturday with the women’s 48kg, 52kg, 57kg and open divisions and the men’s 60kg, 66kg, 73kg and open divisions. Preliminary rounds begin at 9 a.m. with gold medal finals at 5 p.m.
Complete results are as follows:
Men’s 55kg
1. Julien Paradis (CAN)
2. Steve Perez (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)
3. Hiram Cruz (PUR / Jacksonville, Fla. / Jacksonville Ryu)
3. Connor Murtha (Boulder, Colo. / Boulder Judo Training Center)
5. Austin Hronek (Vancouver, Wash. / Obukan Judo)
Men’s 81kg
1. Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)
2. Antoine Valois-Fortier (CAN)
3. Vahram Stepanyan (No Country)
3. Kalem Kachur (CAN)
5. Colin Burns (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
5. Takeshi Kurisu (JPN)
Men’s 90kg
1. Robert Edward (CAN)
2. Jacob Larsen (Santa Rosa, Calif. / Team FORCE / Boulder Judo Training Center)
3. Michael Leger (CAN)
3. Dilyaver Sheykhislyamov (UKR)
5. Emil Edmar (GBR)
5. Steve Fayzakov (Fresh Meadows, N.Y. / Spartak Sports Club)
Men’s 100kg
1. Sidi Mohamed Aouidate (FRA)
2. Tokuzo Takashi (JPN)
3. Andrew Goulet (CAN)
3. Djamaldin Aliev (Centennial, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
5. Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)
5. Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)
Women’s 63kg
1. Maude-Helene Benoit (CAN)
2. Jennie Bonsant (CAN)
3. Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
3. Aneta Mozdzen (CAN)
5. Janine Nakao (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)
5. Jennifer Tutass (El Cerrito, Calif. / Cahill’s Judo / Stanford Judo)
Women’s 70kg
1. Michelle Holt (GBR)
2. Maiko Hatano (JPN)
3. Sabrina Baron (CAN)
3. Katie Sell (Oshkosh, Wis. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
5. Katy Bryant (CAN)
5. Helen Delpopolo (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)
Men’s +100kg
1. Yasutaka Ohkawa (JPN)
2. Cedric Medeuf (FRA)
3. Mohamed Fawzi Bel Hadji (FRA)
3. Vladimir Starcencov (MDA / Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Cohen’s Judo Center)
5. Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
5. Jeremy Picard (PLN)
Women’s 78kg
1. Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
2. Katrina Mcdonald (GBR)
3. Suzie Rizek (Naperville, Ill. / Fox Valley Judo)
3. Missy Tashiro (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)
Women’s +78kg
1. Alyssa Caughy (CAN)
2. Melinda Swanson (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)
3. Toni Geiger (Dumont, N.J. / Tech Judo / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
3. Deborah Mackay (CAN) |
