Consider it Hai School.
The recent judo tourney was the last chance for competitors to practice techniques in a tournament setting before heading south.
About 24 Judokas, spread over seven divisions, took part at the Golden Horn Judo Tournament, hosted by the Golden Horn Judo Club, and held at—you guessed it—Golden Horn School on Saturday.
“It was nice to see how the kids have progressed over the years,” said Dan Poelman, president and official chair of Judo Yukon. “There were lots of different throws and lots of excitement again and some close matches.
“It was good to see some of the juniors trying some of their techniques and I guess it pays off when you keep consistent and it’s finally clicking for some of them.”
All three Whitehorse clubs were represented, with most competitors in the 13-and-under division, but a few adults did take to the mat as well.
“Some divisions were mixed—boys and girls,” said Poelman. “The parents and friends were out there cheering, which was nice.”
The tournament marked the last event in the Yukon for the season. However, a handful of Yukon judokas will likely be heading to the Junior Nationals being held in Calgary at the start of July.
“It’s also preparations for the Junior Nationals that are coming up,” said Poelman. “We’re not quite sure yet (who will be going). Everyone is still training, but perhaps eight people or so—we’re still finalizing some details with the coaches.”
Apart from throw downs and holds, another draw was the concession stand, said Poelman.
“It’s known for its famous chili,” he said. “It’s one reason people come out, I guess. We also had some door prizes this year, as well.”
Results
Mixed/U11/-32KG
1st Brady Ford
2nd Tayler Mitchell
3rd Georgia Gaw
3rd Isaac Pumphrey
Mixed/U9/-35KG
1st Rene Koep
2nd Max Zaparinuk
3rd Dana Sellers
3rd Hugo Burgess
Boys/U13/-50KG
1st Erik Vasseur
2nd Tim Schimmer
3rd Sam Christopherson
3rd Jordan Runions
Mixed/U13/-56KG
1st Woojin Jung
2nd Andrew Jensen
3rd Argus Huggard
3rd Tristan Ledgerwood
Girls/U13/-53KG
1st Ashley McCallum
2nd Camila Gaw
3rd Lizzy Sparling
Boys/U13/-62KG
1st Nicholas Widdes
2nd Tavis McCallum
3rd Finley Sparling
Male/seniors
1st Marc-Andre Lavigne
2nd Dane Vasseur
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com