Visually Impaired National Championships Preview

Nicole Jomantas April 30, 2010

 

(Myrtle Beach, S.C.) – Athletes who are legally blind will compete in the USA Judo Visually Impaired National Championships on Saturday in Myrtle Beach.

 

The Visually Impaired National Championships will serve as the Trials for athletes seeking to qualify for the 2010 Pan American Championship Team for the Visually Impaired. 

 

Competitors in the event include four past Paralympians as well as 11 members of the World Championship Team that competed in Antalya, Turkey in March.

 

Athletes scheduled to compete include the following players:

 

Women’s 48kg

Angie Moran (Denver, Colo. / Denver Judo)

 

Women’s 52kg

Cindy Simon (Wayne, N.J. / Kokushikai Judo Academy), 2010 World Team member

Elizabeth Bottner (Newark, Del. / Liberty Bell)

 

Women’s 57kg

Jordan Mouton (Houston, Texas / Diamondback Judo), 2008 Paralympian and three-time World Team member

 

Women’s 70kg

Lori Pierce (Austin, Texas / University of Austin), 2004 Paralympic medalist and two-time World medalist

Christella Garcia (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento Judo), two-time World Team member

 

Women’s +70kg

Katie Davis (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento), 2010 World silver medalist

Melissa Sheeder (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Liberty Bell)

 

Men’s 60kg

Ron Hawthorne (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), two-time World Team member and 2009 Visually Impaired Pan American Games Champion

 

Men’s 66kg

Josh Farra (Coatesville, Pa. / Liberty Bell), 2010 World Team member and 2009 Visually Impaired U.S. Open Champion

Josh Sisson (Kansas City, Mo. / Welcome Mat)

Craig Chavez (Temecula, Calif.)

 

Men’s 73kg

Nathaniel Fodrea (Redkey, Ind. / Judan Judo), 2010 World Team member

Adnan Gutic (St. Louis, Mo. / White Dragon), 2010 World Team member and 2009 Visually Impaired U.S. Open Champion

Mike Davis (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento), 2009 Visually Impaired National Champion

Brian Bayer (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo)

 

Men’s 81kg

Dartanyon Crockett (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

Steve Patten (Englewood, Colo. / Denver Judo)

John Turner (Denver, Colo. / Denver Judo)

Fernando Saz (Chicago, Ill. / Tohkon Judo Academy)

 

Men’s 90kg

Ryan Jones (Denver, Colo. / Denver Judo), 2010 World Team member and 2009 Pan American Games                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Greg DeWall (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), 2008 Paralympic medalist and 2007 World fifth-place finisher

Chris Jones (San Francisco, Calif. / Cahill’s Judo), 2009 Visually Impaired U.S. Open bronze medalist and 2009 Visually Impaired Pan American Games bronze medalist

Robert Deese (Billings, Mont. / Park’s Martial Arts Academy), fifth-place finisher at the 2010 German Open for the Visually Impaired

 

Men’s 100kg

Myles Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), 2010 World medalist and 2008 Paralympic Games fifth-place finisher

Demetris Morrow (Littleton, Colo. / Denver Judo)

Quentin Johnson (Union City, Ga. / Kokoro Tatsu Martial Arts & Fitness)

 

Men’s +100kg

Bernard Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo)

Steve Mulhern (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo)

Tags: Cindy Simon, Greg De Wall, Myles Porter, Ron Hawthorne