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