Athlete Biography

Name: Kayla Harrison

Weight Category: 63kg, 78kg
Date of Birth: July 2, 1990
Hometown: Middletown, Ohio

Current Residence: Wakefield, Mass.
Club Name: NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE
Coach: Jimmy Pedro

Personal:  Kayla is hardly your standard high school student. Although only 17-years-old, she is the top-ranked junior in her division and a strong hopeful for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team who won the 2006 Senior National Championships in the 70kg division just a week after winning the 63kg Pan American Juvenile title.  At the junior level, she won every domestic event in which she competed since 2005. In 2007, Kayla became the first American ever to win the prestigious Junior Belgian Ladies Open in the 70kg division, before moving back down to 63kg where she won a silver medal at the USA Judo Senior National Championships and U.S. Open.  This year, Kayla moved up to 78kg where she won her second Senior National title and has now earned national rankings in seven weight divisions since 2003.  Kayla won the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, but was not able to compete in Beijing as the United States had not qualified to participate in the division.

Recent Career Highlights

2008:

• Gold – USA Judo Senior National Championships (78kg)
• Gold – U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Judo (78kg)

2007:

• Gold – Puerto Rico Open (70kg)
• Gold – Fall Classic National Championships (63kg)
• Gold – Junior Belgian Ladies' Open (70kg)
• Gold – High School National Championships (70kg)
• Gold - U.S. Open Championships (63kg)
• Silver – USA Judo Senior National Championships (63kg)

2006:

• Gold – USA Judo Senior National Championships (70kg)
• Gold – High School National Championships (70kg)
• Gold – Pan American Juvenile Championships (63kg)
• Gold – Junior U.S. Open (IJF-Junior, 70kg)
• Gold – U.S. Open Championships (Open)
• Silver – U.S. Open Championships (70kg)
• Ninth – Moscow Super World Cup (70kg)

2005:

• Gold - Junior U.S. Open (Cadet, 63kg)
• Gold - Junior U.S. Open (Youth, 63kg)
• Gold - USA Judo Junior Olympic National Championships (IJF Junior, 63kg)
• Gold - U.S. Judo Association Junior National Championships (Juvenile B, 63kg)
• Gold - U.S. Judo Association Junior National Championships (Juvenile C, 63kg)
• Gold - Liberty Bell (Junior Girls 17-19, 63kg)
• Gold - USA Judo National High School Championships (57kg)
• Silver - Pan American Cup (Juvenile, 57kg)
• Bronze - Junior British Open (63kg)
• Bronze - USA Judo Senior National Championships (63kg)

2004:

• Gold - Pan American Infantile Championships (53kg)
• Gold - Junior U.S. Open (53kg, Junior)
• Silver - Fall Classic National Championships (Senior, 52kg)
• Bronze - Junior U.S. Open (52kg, Youth)
• Bronze - USA Judo Senior National Championships (Senior, 57kg)
• Bronze - Junior British Open (52kg)

2003:

• Gold - Golden State Invitational (48kg)
• Gold - Junior U.S. Open (48kg)
• Gold - U.S. Judo Federation Junior National Championships (48kg)
• Gold - USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships (48kg)
• Gold - U.S. Judo Association Junior National Championships (48kg)