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Judo Champions League kick started at Golden Horn

One of Whitehorse's four judo clubs will have definitive bragging rights over the others, come season's end.
judo

One of Whitehorse’s four judo clubs will have definitive bragging rights over the others, come season’s end.

Judo Yukon’s Champions League, added for this season, officially got underway with the season opening Golden Horn Judo Championships on Saturday at Golden Horn School.

The new league system will allow for the clubs to accumulate points through the season at the four scheduled local tournaments, each hosted by a different club, crowning a champion club at the end. In addition to awarding the club with the most points, the league will also consist of a secondary award, taking in account club size and averaging points per judoka.

While the Shiroumakai Judo Club, which operates out of Vanier Catholic Secondary, jumped out to an early lead in the league, it’s still anyone’s game.

Taking in account the results of the Golden Horn tourney, predictions based on age and belt colour won’t get you far.

The championships saw a few underdogs produce upsets. For example, in his first tournament, seven-year-old yellow stripe Alan Johnson won gold in two U-9 divisions.

Competing in the U-15 boys’ division, Jerry Miller, 14, whose white belt status would usually prevent him from competing at such a level, won the division, defeating second place finisher Andrew Jensen, who represented the Yukon at last year’s nationals.

“It was his first competition and, although he’s a white belt, he’s progressed quite well, so we allowed him to fight in groundwork and in the standing division,” said Aaron Jensen, instructor at Shiroumakai Judo Club. “He won both divisions. He is a little older than some of (his competitors), but he’s just a white belt and he beat a green belt and a yellow belt.”

Even in the open adult division (the final results of which are not tallied) there was an unforeseen upset with white belt Kyle Carlson defeating a blue belt on the way to a second place finish.

“We do a lot of practice here and it’s nice to see how these guys compete instead of just practice,” said Carlson. “It’s good to see how they are in a fight, instead of just an exhibition.”

The next edition of Judo Yukon’s Champions League will take place at Hiroshikai Judo (at Holy Family School) on January 15.


RESULTS


Mixed U-9 - 65lbs Newaza (kneeling)

1st - Alan Johnson

2nd - Cassie Jensen

3rd - Cole Beaman


Boys’ U-9 - 65lbs Newaza

1st - Alan Johnson

2nd - Wesley Vangel

3rd - Hugo Burgess

3rd - Max Leas


Girls’ U-9 - 60lbs Newaza

1st - Emiko Teramura

2nd - Kaylee Johnson

3rd - Maria Vasseur

3rd - Cassie Jensen


Boys’ U-11 - 75lbs

1st - Anthony Barteaux

2nd - Isaac Pumphrey

3rd - Thomas Brenner

3rd - Rene Koep


Girls’ U-11 - 75lbs

1st - Georgia Gaw

2nd - Paige Poelman

3rd - Felicity Vangel

3rd - Dana Sellers


Mixed - 85lbs Newaza

1st - Thomas Dickson

2nd - Melia Hudgin

Boys’ U-13 - 100lbs

1st - Mark McKinnon

2nd - Marek Henderson

3rd - Jadon Leenders

3rd - Donovan Horvath


Boys’ U-15 Newaza

1st - Jerry Miller

2nd - Andrew Jensen

3rd - Aidon Johnson

3rd - Raymond O’Neil


Boys’ U-15

1st - Jerry Miller

2nd - Aidon Johnson

3rd - Andrew Jensen


Non-combat skill tests

Knowledge test (beginners)

1st - Melia Hudgin

2nd - Jadon Leenders

3rd - Jerry Miller

3rd - Kaylee Johnson


Knowledge test (advanced)

1st - Paige Poelman

2nd - Georgia Gaw

3rd - Aidon Johnson


Ukemi (beginners)

1st - Jadon Leenders

2nd - Emiko Teramura

3rd - Naia Teramura

3rd - Kaylee Johnson


Ukemi (advanced)

1st - Aidon Johnson

2nd - Isaac Pumphrey

3rd - Georgia Gaw


Contact Tom Patrick at

tomp@yukon-news.com