Morris Cup Results

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – More than a hundred athletes competed in the senior elite divisions on May 7 at the Morris Cup in Burnt Hills, N.Y.

 

In its ninth year, the Morris Cup drew at least 10 medalists from the previous week’s USA Judo Senior National Championships in Myrtle Beach, including five Senior World Team members.

 

While many athletes moved up a weight division for the event, Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) remained in the 60kg division in which he qualified for his first Senior World Team.  Kossor went 4-0 to win the division, including two final match wins against Puerto Ricans Juan Roman and Jonathan Medruno.

 

Pan American Champion Brad Bolen (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) returned to the top of the podium in the 66kg division.  Bolen defeated Everet Desilets (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club), the Senior Nationals 60kg silver medalist, in the semifinals, but lost his next match to Eldar Ismayilov (RUS).  Bolen dropped down to the repechage where he choked Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), a 2009 Pan Am medalist in the 60kg division.  As the tournament was held in a “true double” elimination format, Bolen returned to fight Ismayilov again, winning their next two matches to take the title.

 

Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), a Senior World Team member in the 73kg division, moved up for the event to win the 81kg division. Delpopolo went 5-0, throwing Alfred Raymond (Scituate, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club) for ippon in the finals.  Raymond then lost his repechage match to Gadiel Miranda (PUR) to place third and Delpopolo defeated Miranda to win the division.

 

A two-time Junior World Team member, Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) qualified for his first Senior World Team when he won the 100kg division in Myrtle Beach.  Vashkulat won his third straight title in the 100kg division at the Morris Cup with back-to-back wins over four-time Pan Am medalist Carlos Santiago (PUR).

 

With strong teams from Puerto Rico and Canada in attendance, the women’s divisions were dominated by international players.  Among them was Isabel Latulippe, a seven-time World Cup medalist who competed in the 48kg division.  Latulippe advanced to the final against Senior Nationals medalist where she defeated Angela Creutzberger (Ballston Lakes, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center).  Creutzberger, a 2008 Junior World Team member, won her repechage match against Keishla Vazquez (PUR) to earn the chance to fight Tulippe again.  This time, Creutzberger earned the win and forced a third fight.  The veteran Canadian won their next match, however, to win the gold medal. 

 

In the 63kg division, Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), a Senior Nationals bronze medalist in the 57kg division, won her first four matches, including her final match against five-time Pan Am medalist Jessica Garcia (PUR).  Garcia fought Hana Carmichael (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), a Senior World Team member in the 57kg division, for the second time of the day and defeated the Senior Nationals silver medalist to return to fight Martin again.  Garcia and Martin fought twice more with Garcia earning both wins.  Martin placed second and Carmichael finished third.

 

Five-time Senior Nationals medalist Natalie Lafon (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) defeated former Pan Am medalist Andrea Madgett (CAN) in the finals of the 52kg division, but Madgett returned from the repechage to win her next two matches against Lafon to win the title.

 

Medalists and award listings are as follows:

 

Special Player Awards:

Nicolas Gill Award (Most Outstanding Sr. Male)
Dilyaver Sheykhsiyamov (RUS)

Jimmy Pedro Award (Most Outstanding Sr. Female)
Jesscia Garcia (PUR)

Jason Morris Award (Most Outstanding Jr. Male)
Zach Burt (CAN) 

Teri Takemori Award (Most Outstanding Jr. Female) 

Victoria Ferrante (Mountain Lakes, N.J. / Jason Morris Judo Center)

Dave Grimes Award (Potential & Sportsmanship) 
Ricondo Cole (Providence, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi)

*New* Rene Capo Trophy (Most Inspirational)

Robert McDermott (NNYJC)

Completed Draws

 

Women’s 48kg

1. Isabel Latulippe (CAN)

2. Angela Creutzberger (Ballston Lakes, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

3. Keishla Vazquez (PUR)

 

Women’s 52kg

1. Andrea Madgett (CAN)

2. Natalie Lafon (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

3. Vanessa St. Pierre (CAN)

 

Women’s 57kg

1. Yanileth Valle (Aqueda)

2. Cammi Kaichi (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

3. Merande Sek (Providence, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo)

 

Women’s 63kg

1. Jessica Garcia (PUR)

2. Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

3. Hana Carmichael (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)

 

Women’s 70kg

1. Maria Perez (PUR)

2. Alix Renaud-Roy (CAN)

3. Karoll-Ann Nault-Dugle (CAN)

 

Women’s 78kg

1. Margaret DeJesus (PUR)

2. Olguimar Rivera (PUR)

 

Men’s 55kg

1. Miguel Medano (PUR)

2. Hiram Cruz (PUR)

3. Enrique Martinez (PUR)

 

Women’s +78kg

1. Lenuta Berinde (CAN)

2. Christina Salmard (Baltimore, Md. / Baltimore Judo)

3. Janelle Snider (Latham, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)

 

Men’s 60kg

1. Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

2. Juan Roman (PUR)

3. Jonathan Medrano (PUR)

 

Men’s 66kg

1. Brad Bolen (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

2. Eldar Ismayilov (RUS)

3. Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)

 

Men’s 73kg

1. Acevedo Miranda (PUR)
2. Anthony Vennitti (Flushing, N.Y. / ITC)

3. Felipe Pitta-Rodrigues (PUR)

 

Men’s 81kg

1. Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)

2. Gadiel Miranda (PUR)

3. Alfred Raymond (Scituate, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club)

 

Men’s 90kg

1. Dilyaver Sheykhsiyamov (RUS)

2. Jean Pierre Cantin (CAN)

3. Oleksanse Blekherov (RUS)

 

Men’s 100kg

1. Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

2. Carlos Santiago (PUR)
3. Jake Stromecki (Colden, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)

 

Men’s +100kg

1. William Setter (Victor, N.Y. / Bushido Kai)

Tags: Aaron Kunihiro, Aaron Kunihiro, Alfred Raymond, Angela Creutzberger , Brad Bolen, Everet Desilets, Hana Carmichael, Hannah Martin, Janelle Snider, Kyle Vashkulat, Natalie Lafon, Nick Delpopolo, Nick Kossor