Cadet World Team Trials Results

Nicole Jomantas March 28, 2009

Photo: Nicole Jomantas

Members of the 2009 Cadet World Team

(York, Pa.) - At the conclusion of the Cadet World Trials on Saturday, 16 athletes, ages 15-16-years-old were named to the U.S. Team that will compete at the Cadet World Championships, Aug. 6-9 in Budapest, Hungary.

The Trials were held in conjunction with the USA Judo Youth and Scholastic National Championships in York, Pa. where if the top-seeded player won his or her Juvenile B division, that player would earn a trip to the Cadet Worlds. If he or she lost, then a one-match fight-off was held to determine the winner of the Trials.

With many athletes entering new weight divisions this year, the boys' divisions included several exciting fight-offs.

After winning the 66kg division at the Youth and Scholastics in 2008, Max Golembo (Vernon Hills, Ill. / Cohen's Judo) moved up to the 73kg division where he won all five of his matches by ippon (instant win).

In the fight-off, Golembo threw Andrew Pappas (Cupertino, Calif. / Santa Clara Police Athletic League) for ippon to win his slot on the Cadet World Team.

Max Schneider (Chicago, Ill. / Tohkon) also moved up this year from 60kg to 66kg. Schneider also went undefeated, taking four wins by ippon before throwing top seed Ruben Martin Jr. (Burleson, Texas / Ruben Martin Judo) with a kata guruma (fireman's carry) to win the fight-off.

Pavel Gorelov (Charlottesville, Va. / Charlottesville Judo Academy) moved up from the 90kg division where he fought at the Ocean State International last week to +90kg. Gorelov won the division with three ippons to advance to the fight-off where he threw top seed Jimmy Barnes (Oklahoma City, Okla. / USA Stars) for ippon.

George Truong (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Ju Shin Kan) entered the 55kg division unseeded, but won four matches to take the gold medal. Truong then defeated top seed Ausin Hronek (Vancouver, Wash. / Ippon Judo) in the Cadet World Trials fight-off.

Ricondo Cole (Scituate, R.I.) defeated his Mayo Quanchi Judo Club teammate Everet Desilets (Hope, R.I.) in the finals of the 60kg division, but Desilets took the fight-off win by two yuko scores (quarter-point each).

The following players won their Juvenile B divisions as the top seeds, automatically earning berths to the Cadet World Team:

Destinee Nagtalon (Cupertinno, Calif. / South San Francisco Boys & Girls Club / 40kg)
Caitlyn Mason (East Greenwich, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi / 44kg)
Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / NYAC / Mayo Quanchi Judo / 48kg)
Mindy Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri / 52kg)
Carly Patton (Zephyrhills, Fla. / Del. Diaz Mambi Training Center / 57kg)
Karina Bach (Largo, Fla. / Del. Diaz Mambi Training Center / 63kg)
Kadee Shadden (Mineral Wells, Texas / Ruben Martin Judo / 70kg)
Sharonda Enos (Utica, N.Y. / +70kg)
Anthony Sek (Providence, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo / 50kg)
Jeremy Galib (Glenville, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center / 81kg)
L.A. Smith (Rahway, N.J. / Cranford Judo / 90kg)