Forty-Three U.S. Athletes to Compete at Rendez-Vous Canada This Weekend

 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Forty-three U.S. athletes will compete at the Rendez-Vous Canada, a USA Judo Senior B-Level Point Tournament, in Montreal on Saturday and Sunday. 

Among the U.S. delegation are six members of the 2009 Senior World Championship Team, including 2008 Olympians Travis Stevens (81kg) and Daniel McCormick (+100kg), both of whom train in Wakefield, Mass. with the USA Judo National Team FORCE and NYAC programs.  Stevens, a two-time Pan American Champion, won this event in both 2007 and 2008 while McCormick won the silver medal last year. 

Nineteen-year-old Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) will likely face Amy Cotton (CAN) in the 78kg division in a rematch of their second-round fight at the World Championships in August where Cotton edged Harrison by a yuko (quarter-point) score at Harrison's first Senior Worlds.  Rendez-Vous will be the final tune-up event for Harrison before she defends her Junior World Championship title next weekend in Paris.   

Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute), a 2009 Pan Am medalist, will be looking for his second Rendez-Canada medal after placing third in 2007.  Meanwhile,  Eldred's 2009 World Teammates Janine Nakao (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE) and Katie Sell (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center) will be competing with hopes of earning their first Rendez-Vous medals in the 63kg and 70kg divisions, respectively. 

Competition schedule is as follows: 

Saturday, October 17
Men's 55kg, 81kg, 90kg, 100kg and +100kg
Women's 44kg, 52kg, 57kg, 78kg and +78kg

Sunday, October 18
Men's 60kg, 66kg, 73kg
Women's 63kg and 70kg

A complete roster of U.S. athletes competing this weekend is as follows:

Men's 55kg
Ron Hawthorne (Kansas City, Kans. / Welcome Mat Judo), two-time Blind World Team member

Men's 60kg
Vitaliy Vanyan (North Hollywood, Calif. / Mojica), 2009 U.S. Open silver medalist
Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 2008 Senior National Champion
Jeff Fujimoto (Berkeley, Calif. / Sawtelle Judo), 2009 U.S. Open fifth-place finisher

Men's 66kg
Brad Bolen (Scotia, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 2008 Rendez-Vous Canada bronze medalist
Toshiya Nishimura (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
Rafael Ramos (North Bergen, N.J. / Camal Judo), 2006 Senior National Champion at 60kg

Men's 73kg
Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute), 2009 U.S. Open bronze medalist and 2009 Pan Am bronze medalist
Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), two-time Junior World Team member and two-time Senior National silver medalist
Salama Salem (Jersey City, N.J. / Tech Judo)
Austin Strube (Tallman, N.Y. / Tech Judo)

Men's 81kg
Travis Stevens (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 2008 Olympian and two-time Pan American Champion
Chris Round (Wakefield, Mass. / Team FORCE)

Men's 90kg
Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC / Legrosports Starrett), two-time Pan Am medalist
Iavor Kostadinov (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), 2009 U.S. Open Champion in the Open division
Harry Chandler (Pittsfield, Mass.), 2009 Senior Nationals fifth-place finisher
Tony Sangimino (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 2009 Junior World Team member
Carlos Moran (Clifton, N.J. / Camal Judo)
Aaron Handy (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)

Men's 100kg
Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 2009 Senior Pan Am Team member and two-time Junior World Team member
William Worthington (Richmond, Calif. / Cahill's Judo Academy), 2009 U.S. Open bronze medalist
Myles Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), 2008 Paralympic Games fifth-place finisher
Jake Stromecki (Holden, N.Y. / Kin-Tora Judo Club)

Men's +100kg
Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 2008 Olympian and 2008 Pan Am bronze medalist

Women's 44kg
Alexa Liddie (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), 2007 Pan Am silver medalist and 2009 U.S. Open bronze medalist

Women's 48kg
Angela Creutzberger (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 2008 Junior World Team member and two-time Senior Nationals bronze medalist
Ann Shiraishi (San Francisco, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute), 2009 U.S. Open silver medalist and 2008 U.S. Olympic Team alternate

Women's 52kg
Natalie Lafon (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 2009 Pan American Team member and two-time U.S. Open bronze medalist at 48kg
Anna Feygina (St. Ann, Mo. / Kirkwood Webster Judo), 2009 U.S. Open fifth-place finisher
Jessica Irons (Yorkville, Ill. / Yorkville Judo), 2009 Cadet World team member

Women's 57kg
Hana Carmichael (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 2008 Junior World Team member and 2009 U.S. Open bronze medalist
Hannah Martin (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center), 2009 Senior Nationals silver medalist and 2008 U.S. Open Champion
Pauline Macias (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), 2009 Senior Nationals fifth-place finisher

Women's 63kg
Janine Nakao (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE), two-time Senior National Champion and 2009 U.S. Open bronze medalist
Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), 2009 Pan Am Team member and 2009 Senior Nationals silver medalist
Sarah Black (Chico, Calif. / Stanford Judo Club), 2009 Senior Nationals bronze medalist

Women's 70kg
Katie Sell (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), 2009 Pan Am Team member and 2009 Senior National Champion
Samantha Bleier (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), 2009 Senior Nationals bronze medalist
Angie Marino (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center)

Women's 78kg
Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), 2008 Junior World Champion and five-time U.S. Open Champion
Susie Rizek (Naperville, Ill. / Fox Valley Jujitsu), 2009 Pan Am Team member and two-time U.S. Open bronze medalist

Women's +78kg
Toni Geiger (Dumont, N.J. / Tech Judo), 2009 Senior Nationals silver medalist and 2009 U.S. Open bronze medalist

Tags: Kathleen Sell, Brad Bolen, Daniel McCormick, Janine Nakao, Jeff Fujimoto, Kathleen Sell , Katie Sell, Kayla Harrison, Michael Eldred, Nick Kossor, Ron Hawthorne, Toshiya Nishimura, Travis Stevens, Vitaliy Vanyan