Visually Impaired National Championship Results

 (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) – USA Judo conducted a visually impaired division at the National Championships in Myrtle Beach on Saturday with athletes from nine states competing.

 

In its second year, the event also served as the trials for the team that will compete at the Pan American Championships for the Blind on Sept. 5 in Orlando.

 

After advancing to the finals in the 100kg division in the senior elite competition, Myles Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) went straight into the visually impaired competition where he threw Demetris Morrow (Littleton, Colo. / Denver Judo) twice for ippon (instant win). 

 

Less than two hours later, Porter was back on the mat fighting sighted competitor Kyle Vashkulat for the 100kg senior elite title. 

 

Although Porter lost a close match, his silver medal win made him the first visually impaired athlete ever to medal at a Senior Nationals. 

 

“Obviously, I wanted to win it, but to make history like that at Seniors in front of my friends and family and coaches was really cool,” Porter said. 

 

A medalist at the Blind World Championships in March, winning gold would have earned Porter a berth on this year’s Senior World Team as well.

 

“In 2008 my goal was to win the gold at the Paralympics,” said Porter who placed fifth at the Beijing Paralympics.  “That’s always been my goal and the second I stepped off the mat in China I was focused on 2012 and this puts me one step closer to that.”

 

Greg DeWall (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) also competed in the senior elite divisions earlier in the day.  A bronze medalist at the Beijing Paralympic Games, DeWall went 2-2 in the 90kg division.

 

DeWall soon found himself with more matches than he expected when he, Ryan Jones (Denver, Colo. / Denver Judo) and Chris Jones (San Francisco, Calif. / Cahill’s Judo) ended in a three-way tie for first.

 

The three players fought again and DeWall beat both Joneses to win the division.  Chris Jones beat Ryan Jones to place second while Ryan Jones won the bronze.

 

A fifth-place finisher at the 2007 Blind World Championships in the 63kg division, Christella Garcia (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento Judo) moved up to 70kg at the Worlds in March and stayed in the new division for this event where she beat World and Paralympic silver medalist Lori Pierce (Austin, Texas / University of Austin) to win the gold medal.  Garcia threw Pierce for ippon in their first match.  In the second, Garcia led by three yukos (quarter-point each) before pinning Pierce.

 

Garcia juggled a docket of matches during the afternoon as she fought in the able-bodied masters (over 30) division as well where she won the women’s 70kg class.

 

Because the visually impaired and masters matches overlapped, Garcia had to withdraw from her first match against Angie Marino (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), but defeated Sandra Hauptmann (Chicago, Ill. / Tohkon) in her next match.  As Marino lost to Hauptmann, the three players fought the round robin again.  This time, Garcia defeated Hauptmann by ippon and choked Marino to win the gold medal.

 

In the +70kg division, Melissa Sheeder (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Liberty Bell) upset World silver medalist Katie Davis (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento) to win the gold medal.  Sheeder threw Davis with an o soto gari (outer leg throw) in her first match, but Davis came back in the next to pin Davis for ippon.  In their final match, Sheeder threw Davis with another o soto to win a division just months after she was introduced to the sport.

 

Seventeen-year-old Josh Farra (Coatesville, Pa. / Liberty Bell) has come a long way since entering his first visually impaired tournament at the U.S. Open in 2009.  Since then, Farra had competed in Germany, Lithuania and the Blind Worlds in Turkey.  Now he can add “National Champion” to his resume after defeating Craig Chavez (Temecula, Calif.) and Josh Sisson (Kansas City, Mo. / Welcome Mat) by ippon.

 

A gold medalist at the 2009 Nationals in the 81kg division, Adnan Gutic (St. Louis, Mo. / White Dragon) won the 73kg division where he defeated Mike Davis (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento), Nathaniel Fodrea (Redkey, Ind. / Judan Judo) and Brian Bayer (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo).  Although Gutic won the title, he was nearly upset by Davis who led by a waza-ari before Gutic pinned him for ippon.

 

Competing in just his third judo tournament, former high school wrestler Dartanyon Crockett (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center) defeated Steve Patten (Englewood, Colo. / Denver Judo) and John Turner (Denver, Colo. / Denver Judo) by ippon to win the 81kg division.

 

Two new heavyweights fought for the first time this year.  Steve Mulhern (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo) won the +100kg title after he threw Bernard Taylor (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo) twice for ippon.

 

Complete results are as follows.  Athletes who are eligible to compete at the Pan Ams are noted with an asterisk.

 

Women’s 48kg

1. Angie Moran* (Denver, Colo. / Denver Judo)

 

Women’s 52kg

1. Cindy Simon* (Wayne, N.J. / Kokushikai Judo Academy)

 

Women’s 57kg

1. Jordan Mouton* (Houston, Texas / Diamondback Judo)

 

Women’s 70kg

1. Christella Garcia* (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento Judo)

2. Lori Pierce* (Austin, Texas / University of Austin)

 

Women’s +70kg

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

2. Katie Davis* (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento)

 

Men’s 60kg

1. Ron Hawthorne* (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

 

Men’s 66kg

1. Josh Farra* (Coatesville, Pa. / Liberty Bell)

2. Craig Chavez* (Temecula, Calif.)

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

 

Men’s 73kg

1. Adnan Gutic* (St. Louis, Mo. / White Dragon)

2. Mike Davis* (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento)

3. Nathaniel Fodrea (Redkey, Ind. / Judan Judo)                    

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

 

Men’s 81kg

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

2. Steve Patten* (Englewood, Colo. / Denver Judo)

3. John Turner (Denver, Colo. / Denver Judo)

 

Men’s 90kg

1. Greg DeWall* (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

 

Men’s 100kg

1. Myles Porter* (Colorado Springs, Colo. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

2. Demetris Morrow* (Littleton, Colo. / Denver Judo)

 

Men’s +100kg

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

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

Tags: Chris Jones, Greg De Wall, Myles Porter, Ryan Jones