Athletes from the Glenville, NY based Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC)
performed very well over the weekend on their way to collecting
valuable points both on the World Ranking List (WRL) and USA
Judo roster. Burnt Hills High School graduate, Kyle Vashkulat
(21) started the JMJC off with a bang going 3-1 in the 100kg
division to claim a bronze raising his position on the WRL to
#22. Vashkulat started his day defeating Anthony Liu (ASA) by
ippon in just over a minute then knocked off 4x Hungarian
National Champion Balint Farkas in the quarter final.
In
the semis Kyle was defeated by former U23 European Champion
Viacheslov Denysov (UKR) then went on to beat Jason Koster (NZL)
to reach a world cup podium for the third time this year.
Brad Bolen (22) captured a bronze going 3-1 in the 66kg
weight class. Bolen defeated Will Jenkins (AUS) and Paul Dulac (NCL)
before losing in the semis to eventual champ Sasha Mehmedovic
(CAN). Bolen recovered nicely in the bronze medal bout by
beating Renwang Liu (CHN) to reach the podium.
Nick Kossor (25) appears to be fully recovered from
shoulder surgery that made him miss over 6 months as he played
very well taking 5th place in 60kg. Burnt Hills High graduate,
Kossor started strong defeating Faatasi Faauliuli (SAM) and
Lodovic Chammartin (SUI) to reach the semis then dropped his
nest two in tight battles. Kossor lost to A. Lamusi (CHN) in the
semis then Anrie Dickens (AUS) in the bronze medal match. Nick
Delpopolo (22) who is also and Burnt Hills graduate went 2-2 and
placed 5th at 73kg to remain #16 on the WRL.
Delpopolo dominated Abner Waterhouse (SAM) and Ben
Donegan (AUS) before losing to eventual champ, Sezer Huysuz (TUR)
in the semis. Delpopolo dropped his bronze medal fight in a
close tough match to Nugzar Tatalashvili (GEO). The fourth Burnt
Hills graduate who competed for the JMJC in Samoa, Hannah Martin
(23)lost her first bout to eventual silver medalist Oksana
Didenko (UKR) and was eliminated.
Woosley Wins Pan Am Games Bronze
Guadalajara, Mexico -
BHBL graduate, Angela Woosley (21) from the Glenville, NY
based Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) captured a 48kg bronze
medal at the 16th Pan American Games in Guadalajara over the
weekend. It was the largest multi-sport event of the year, with
approximately 6,000 athletes from 42 nations participating in 36
sports.
Woosley became the second athlete from the JMJC to medal at the
prestigious Pan Am Games, held every four years. Travis Stevens
won a gold for the JMJC in 2007. The next Pan Am Games will be
held in Toronto, Canada in 2015. This caps a career year for
Woosley which included a National title and US World team berth.
This result also raises Woosley's US ranking in 48kg to a career
high #2.
Glenville, NY -
4x Olympian, Olympic Silver Medalist, 2008
Olympic Head Coach & Burnt Hills Graduate, Jason Morris
is internationally recognized in the sport of Judo but also has
a background in Wrestling.
Morris' accolades in Wrestling include two NY State High School titles
where he complied a remarkable 98-4 total record under Head
Coach, Tim Koch. He went on to Syracuse University where Morris
became a Division I All-American.
Morris hosted a clinic for the Burnt Hills Wrestling program at
his facility, the Jason Morris Judo Center in Glenville, Sunday,
October 23, 2011. This clinic was the brainchild
of Head Wrestling coach at Burnt Hills, Steve Jones (who also
wrestled under Tim Koch) along with Morris as they would like to
give the spartans every edge going into the upcoming season.
The Spartans posted a 22-10 overall record last season and coach
Jones is 108-68 in nine seasons at Burnt Hills. The goal of the
clinic was for Morris to share his unique blend of Judo and
Wrestling that he used successfully during his career.
"It was a great opportunity for me to give something back to my
high school and possibly add to an already terrific program"
commented Morris.
Coaches Photo, Standing L to R:
JV Coach, Ron Ashcraft, Volunteer Varsity Assistant Coach, Jeff
Blatnick, Volunteer Assistant Coach, John La Mar. Kneeling:Head
Coach, Steve Jones (left) and Jason Morris (Click to
Enlarge)
Delpopolo Is Back In The NY Groove
Liverpool, Great Britain
-
22 year old Nick Delpopolo from the
Glenville, NY-based Jason Morris Judo Center went 5-0 to win the
73kg gold at Great Britain's International Judo Federation's (IJF)
World Cup Saturday, October 1, 2011. The first match of the
tournament saw Delpopolo defeat David Gonzales of Spain by yuko
to advance to the second round against Jan Gosiewski (GBR).
Nick
was held scoreless by the Brit for a full 5 minutes but needed
only 9 seconds in overtime to score another yuko and take the
victory. Moving into the quarter final Delpopolo squared off
against Marcelo Contini (BRA) where Delpopolo found himself in
another golden score (overtime) match and needed a full 8
minutes to defeat Contini by unanimous decision. In the semi
final Nick faced Miguel Romero of Spain. Delpopolo led the match
by a yuko off of two penalties given to the Spaniard and then,
with 15 seconds left in the bout, Nick footswept Romero for a
huge ippon (full point) that brought the crowd to its feet.
Fittingly Nick's gold medal match was the last match of the day.
Emmanuel Narety (GHA) was the only man standing in the way of
Delpopolo and a gold medal. The match started off with Narety
lifting Delpopolo high in the air with an ippon seoi-nage that
Nick was able to spin out of. Delpopolo answered back by
knocking Narety down with a big switch attempt that Narety
avoided by sitting squarely on the mat. With 1:20 remaining Nick
dropped under Narety with morote seoi nage and then stood up and
buried him with ko-ouchi for an ippon score to become the first
American male to win this World Cup.
An exultant Delpopolo, in summing up his gold medal performance,
said "I recently relocated back to the Jason Morris Judo Center
(JMJC) in NY, where the team, outfitted in black and silver
sweats, plays heavy metal music during training. As I was
walking onto the mat for the final AC/DC's 'Back in Black'
started playing and I had a conscious thought in my head that it
was a sign."
Morris put perspective to Delpopolo's victory by saying, "I'm
very excited for Nick as this is a terrific win for him, coming
off of a disappointing finish at the World's a month ago in
Paris. Nick's confidence was low and this is just the thing to
get the ball rolling in the right direction again and a solid
mental boost for the rest of the season".
Saturday's results just about secure a spot for Delpopolo for
the second straight year at the IJF's World Judo Masters to be
held January 14-15, 2012 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The World
Masters in an invitation only event to the top 16 players in the
world for each weight class.
Also looking good today for the JMJC was Nick Kossor who after a first
round bye went 1-2 to finish 7th in the 60kg division. Kossor's
losses came to the gold and bronze medalist. Kossor is only 4
months off of having major shoulder surgery and is making speedy
progress on his way back. JMJC's Brad Bolen was eliminated in
the first round of 66kg.
A MUST SEE video - THIS is
what Judo is all about !
Watch and enjoy !
Bolen
& Vashkulat Capture Bronze
Margarita Island, Venezuela
Brad Bolen (22) & Kyle Vashkulat (20) from the Jason Morris Judo
Center in Glenville, NY turned in break out performances at the
Venezuela World Cup over the weekend claiming bronze medals in
their respective divisions. Bolen's only loss came in a bitterly
fought semifinal struggle to eventual champ Alonso Wong (PER).
Bolen's real challenge came in his bronze medal match against US
rival Kenny Hashimoto. Hashimoto went in as the favorite against
Bolen with a 4-1 record with convincing throwing techniques
displayed at the US Nationals in April while Bolen's win came
through his dominant ground work (choke). This time Bolen
countered a Hashimoto attack with a convincing counter throw to
secure the match and his #1 US ranking over Hashimoto's #2 at
66kg. Vashkulat who is a Burnt Hills High School graduate, was
involved in one of the most exciting matches of the tournament
as he beat hometown hero Albenis Rosales (VEN) in an overtime
thriller. Vashkulat retained his #1 US ranking and he and Bolen
each gained valuable points on the IJF rankings roster.
Bolen, Vashkulat and JMJC teammates Natalie Lafon, Hannah
Martin, Tony Sangimino & Angela Woosley will remain in Venezuela
until Thursday for a training camp before traveling to El
Salvador for the ESA World Cup.
Martin
Claims Gold, Bolen Silver
Miami, FL
Hannah Martin (23), representing the Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC)
in Glenville, NY, captured the women's 63kg title at the US Judo
Open at the Doral Marriott in Miami this past weekend. Martin, a
graduate of Burnt Hills High School and a lifelong Burnt Hills
resident went 4-0 to win her second US Open crown.
Hannah moved up to 63kg from 57kg earlier this year (April) and
is already ranked #4 in the US and will likely rise higher in
the next couple of weeks as she will be competing in World Cup
events in Venezuela and El Salvador. JMJC athletes have now won
a total of 37 medals at the US Open including 7 gold in the it's
10-year history. Brad Bolen (22) notched his career best result
at the US Open taking a silver losing only in the final to #2
ranked Kenny Hashimoto (25). Bolen fell to 1-4 against Hashimoto
who his primary US rival.
Bolen still remains ranked #1 in the US at 66kg. Kyle Vashkulat
(21) placed fifth at 100kg losing in the semis to 2x Jr. World
Champ, Lukas Krpalek (CZE) and then lost the bronze medal bout
to Jose Boissard (DOM) in a very close battle. Bolen, Martin and
Vashkulat will compete in the Venezuela World Cup next weekend
along with teammates Natalie Lafon (52kg), Tony Sangimino (81kg)
& Angela (Cruetzberger) Woosley (48kg). They will all travel to
the El Salvador World Cup the weekend after Venezuela.
Bolen, Sangimino
& Stromecki Strike Gold in Vail
Vashkulat Takes 5th in Romania
Vail, CO -
Athletes from the Glenville, NY based Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC)
won 7 overall medals including 3 Gold at USA Judo's President's
Cup over the weekend. Bolen (22) was exceedingly sharp winning
all his matches by ippon (full point) to claim his second 66kg
President's Cup gold adding it to his 2009 title. Brad Bolen
further solidified his #1 ranking in 66kg with his day's work.
Tony Sangimino (20) turned in a stellar performance in capturing
his first President's Cup 81kg title. Sangimino took an 81kg
bronze in 2010 and 90kg bronze in 2009. Sangimino climbed to a
career high #5 ranking in 81kg. Jake Stromecki (21) continued
his improvement winning a gold in the Open division including a
win over veteran Mark Fletcher (30) in the final allowing Jake
to rise all the way to #2 in the Open rankings.
Fletcher, in addition to being far more experienced than
Stromecki, outweighed him by 20kg. Stromecki managed to
outmaneuver the bigger man and throw him with ouchi (inner-leg
throw) and transition quickly into a pin for the win. Stromecki
also won a silver in the 100kg weight class to maintain his #4
100kg ranking. Hannah Martin (22) rose to the #4 spot in her new
63kg weight class taking a silver and losing only in the final
to #1 Christal Ransom. Martin moved up to 63kg from 57kg just 2
months ago. Cammi Kaichi (23) took a silver at 52kg and Leah
Fisher (28) picked up a bronze at 70kg to close out the medal
haul for the JMJC.
Bucharest, Romania - Jason Morris Judo Center's (JMJC)
Kyle Vashkulat (20) enjoyed a terrific weekend as well taking
5th place at the Romania World Cup while his JMJC teammates were
in Vail at the President's Cup. Vashkulat defeated Mael Le
Normand (FRA) and Jadranko (BIH) before losing to hometown
favorite Daniel Brata (ROM) in the quarter finals. Vashkulat
beat Balint Farkas (HUN) before losing a close battle to a Pan
Am nemesis Leo Leite (BRA) in the bronze medal bout.
Over 500 athletes representing 15 US
states, four Canadian provinces and Barbados, Brazil, Colombia,
Dominican Republic, Japan, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden and Ukraine
descended on Burnt Hills High School in Burnt Hills, NY on
Saturday May 14, 2011 for the 10th Annual Morris Cup, a Senior
Level E qualifying event for national judo rankings. The event
is hosted annually by the Glenville, NY-based US National
Training Center at the Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) at 584
Rt. 50.
The Morris Cup is the final leg of the four-event "Zebra Tour"
held after NYC's Starrett Cup, the Boston-area Pedro's Challenge
and Rhode Island's Ocean State International. Zebra Tour
organizers provide the winners of elite divisions a $250 purse
and an athlete winning all four events in a given year earns a
$1000 bonus. In 2011 the host JMJC's Kyle Vashkulat just missed
the $1000 bonus which would have matched JMJC clubmate Nick
Kossor (2009) as the only athlete to sweep the Zebra Tour in a
given year and be named "Zebra Tour Champion". Vashkulat did so
winning the +100kg weight at the Burnt Hills High School he
graduated from a brief three years ago. Vashkulat didn't have
the required 5 competitors in his division at the Ocean States
so even though he won all four Zebra events was able to collect
the bonus. The JMJC also captured the team title for the third
straight year and sixth time overall winning a total of 19
medals including 7 gold. The JMJC won the team title in 2002,
2004, 2007, 2009 & 2010 while Mayo Quanchi won in 2003, 2005 &
2008 and Pedro's Judo Center won in 2006. The surprise of the
2011 Morris Cup was an inspirational showing by Toronto-area
Upper Canada Judo who tied for second with NYC's Combat Sambo in
strong showings by dedicated up-and-coming clubs who pushed
aside many dojos with longer and deeper resumes. Upper Canada
won the Jr. Team Championship and the $350 prize.
The Morris Cup, named in honor of Jason's father who passed away
at the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Olympics after seeing his
son (Jason) win a silver medal, has been one of the east coast's
most prestigious events for 10 years. Kicking off the function,
as they have for the past nine years, were local recording
artists "Dan Wos Project" who performed rock and roll standards
along with some of their signature tunes. The judo action went
non-stop from 10am until 8pm on six mats. "The Morris Cup had a
long line of sponsors and volunteers who made it all possible
which we are very grateful for" tournament director Jason Morris
said at the close of the event. "Just as in an athletic career,
a Tournament Director and staff has to 'Do the Work and Stay the
Course' year-in and year-out to make a ten-year story",
summarized four-time Olympian Morris while borrowing his club's
favorite aphorism.
Special Awards:
Nicolas Gill Award (Most Outstanding Sr. Male)
Alexis Morin-Martel (Shidokan)
Jimmy Pedro Award (Most Outstanding Sr. Female)
Angela Woosley (JMJC)
Jason Morris Award (Most Outstanding Jr. Male)
Quentin Cook (Anderson YMCA)
Teri Takemori Award (Most Outstanding Jr. Female)
Briana McCracken (Upper Canada)
Dave Grimes Award (Potential & Sportsmanship)
Steven Cherny (Combat Sambo)
Rene Capo Trophy (Most Inspirational)
Mikhael Charlidze (Spartak)
Team Results: 5 points for GOLD
3 points for SILVER
2 points for BRONZE
1. Jason Morris Judo Center 65
2. Upper Canada 47
2. Combat Sambo 47
Bolen, Martin & Stromecki Are Golden
Philadelphia, PA - Jason Morris Judo
Center (JMJC) athletes Brad Bolen (22), Hannah Martin (22) &
Jake Stromecki (21) all captured titles in their respective
divisions at the Liberty Bell Classic in Philadelphia, PA over
the weekend.
Overall the JMJC claimed a total of 9 medals. Bolen added this
win at 66kg to his gold last week at the Ocean State
International which should be a good confidence boost for the
Pan Am Championships next weekend in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Bolen picked up the $350 first prize money. Bolen will join
teammates Nick Kossor (60kg) and Kyle Vashkulat (100kg) on the
US team that will be competing in the Pan Ams. Martin moved up
to 63kg from her normal 57kg weight class and won the gold.
Stromecki (100kg) won his first Liberty Bell going 3-0 on the
day. Cammi Kaichi (23) won a silver at 57kg as did Natalie Lafon
(30) who was in 52kg. Brice Rudat (21) earned a silver medal in
the 90kg novice category while Pete Stanley (27) won a silver in
the 100kg novice division. Ethan Stanley (24) closed out the
JMJC medal count by winning a silver in +100kg novice and a
bronze in the +100kg elite division
Ocean State International
Judo Results
Providence, RI -
Athletes from the Jason Morris Judo Center hauled in 13 total medals
including 9 Gold at the Ocean State International Judo Championships in
Providence, RI over the weekend
The Ocean States in the third leg of the Zebra tour with the first two
being the the Starrett Cup and Pedro's Challenge and the last stop being
the JMJC's own Morris Cup X at Burnt Hills High School May 14, 2011.
Brad Bolen (Burnt Hills), Harrison Hatton (Charlton), Natalie Lafon
(Clifton Park),Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills), Ethan Stanley (Clifton
Park), Pete Stanley (Clifton Park), Kyle Vashkulat (Clifton Park) &
Christie Woosley (Gloversville) all walked away with Gold medals in
their respective divisions.
Bolen (22) went 4-0 in the 66kg weight class to capture the title along
with the $250 first award. Martin (22) was sharp all day winning two
Golds claiming the 57kg and 63kg divisions. Among Hannah's victories was
one over #2 ranked Hana Carmichael who had won the previous five
meetings between the two. Lafon (30) posted a 3-0 mark on the day
winning all of her matches by ippon to win the 52kg category.
Ethan Stanley (24) was a double medalist taking a gold in the +100kg
novice division then picking up a bronze in the elite +100kg weight
class. Pete Stanley (26) continued to improve taking a Gold in the 100kg
novice division. Hatton (17), a Burnt Hills High Junior picked up a Gold
winning the brown belt 66kg division. Woosley (18) was a double medalist
taking a gold in 70kg and bronze in the 78kg category. Vashkulat (20)
cruised through the +100kg division keeping his hopes alive to capture
all the Zebra tour events to claim the $1000 bonus for doing so.
Kyle would be only the second athlete to win the Zebra tour in it's five
year history joining JMJC's Nick Kossor (25) who accomplished that feat
in 2009. Jake Stromecki (Burnt Hills) looked very good in his first
tournament back from reconstructive shoulder surgery and won a silver
medal in the 100kg weight class. Krystal Defibaugh (16) form Galway
closed out the JMJC medal count winning a bronze in her first tournament
in the 15-16yrs. 57kg division.
JMJC ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH EMPIRE
STATE COLLEGE
Burnt Hills, NY - The Glenville-based Jason
Morris Judo Center (JMJC) won 23 total medals including
6 Gold at the 9th annual Morris Cup to edge a strong
team from Puerto Rico and claim the team title for the
second straight year. 2010 World team members Brad
Bolen (66kg), Nick Kossor (60kg) and Kyle Vashkulat
(100kg) led the way for the JMJC taking Gold medals in
their respective weight classes. The JMJC's own Victoria
Ferrante received the “Teri Takemori Award” (Most
outstanding junior female) by displaying outstanding
technique in winning Gold in her Juniors division.
Enrollment results of the ninth Morris Cup, held May
8, 2010 at the Burnt Hills High School in Burnt Hills,
NY and hosted by the Jason Morris Judo Center included a
record 556 total competitors from CA, CT, IL, IN, MA,
MD, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VA, VT, Ontario, Quebec & Puerto
Rico.
Ontario’s Upper Canada Judo sent a small team that had
an extraordinary performance winning 9 gold, 2 silver
and a bronze. The JMJC ‘s Morris Cup team title was
their fourth having won in 2002, 2007 & 2009.
SCCC students Nick Kossor (24) and Kyle Vashkulat (19) from the Jason
Morris Judo Center (JMJC) in Glenville, NY captured National titles over
the weekend in dominant fashion winning all their matches by ippon
(full-point). Kossor entered the event as the #4 seed which meant he had
to win the event to qualify for the the world team which competes in
Tokyo, Japan September 8-13, 2010. Kossor won his first two matches with
varied techniques to set up a semi final showdown with #1 Aaron Kunihiro.
Kossor took the advantage at the very beginning and never looked back
throwing Kunihiro with a foot sweep for the first score then blasted his
nemesis with a big uchimata (inner leg throw) for ippon to advance to
his fourth straight 60kg National final. The final was an anticlimactic
affair with Kossor dominating the bout very cautiously against a young
and up and coming Everet Desilets. Desilets committed a penalty for
grabbing the pant leg and was disqualified giving Kossor his second
National title to add to the one he won in 2008. This result also earned
Kossor his first World team berth. This comes as a great triumph as Nick
has waited a long time for this opportunity as he had to overcome
missing almost three total years due to two ACL reconstruction surgeries
on both knees and a wrist injury.
Vashkulat breezed to to his second straight 100kg final winning all his
matches by ippon. Myles Porter was his opponent in the final but didn't
fare any better as Vashkulat buried him with ouchigari in the first two
minutes to claim his first 100kg title. Vashkulat had already wrapped up
a slot on the world team due to his #1 ranking. This result was Kyle's
third National medal at 100kg. He also has two medals in the OPEN
category including a gold in 2008.
The JMJC picked up four bronze medals and a fifth place finish as well.
Natalie Lafon (29) recovered from a devastating first round defeat to
win four straight matches to claim a bronze making this her third
straight medal performance. Lafon's loss to eventual champ Anjelica
Delgado was very controversial as Lafon was winning in dominant fashion
up by a waza-ari (half-point) and two yukos (1/4 points). With one
second remaining the official gave Lafon her fourth stalling penalty and
was disqualified. The JMJC staff protested to no avail. This was her
first medal at 52kg. She won the title in 2008 at 48kg.
Union College FreshmanAngela Creutzberger (19) won her third straight
48kg bronze medal losing only to rival Katlyn Bouysou in the semis. SCCC
student Tony Sangimino (19) had himself a great day winning his first
National medal taking a bronze at 90kg. Sangimino's only loss came in
the quarterfinals to many time National medal winner Aaron Cohen in a
hotly contested battle. This result moves Tony into a career high #4
ranking at 90kg on the US roster. UAlbany student Hannah Martin (21)
closed out the JMJC medal count picking up a bronze at 57kg. This was
Hannah's fifth straight trip to the National podium. Jake Stromecki (20)
placed 5th at the OPEN wight category and took seventh in 100kg. Veteran
Bill Shanahan (40) impressively hung with the kids and took seventh
place at 73kg with a 3-2 record and newcomer Cammi Kaichi (22) placed
seventh at 57kg in her first time competing at the Nationals.
The Jason Morris Judo Center has now won an astounding total of 58
medals at the Nationals including 18 Gold in the JMJC's 10 year history.
Next up for the JMJC will be the Morris Cup which it is hosting for the
9th year and will be held at the Burnt Hills High School starting at
9:30am Saturday, May 8, 2010.
Group Photo: Standing L to R: Bill
Shanahan, Tony Sangimino, Jake Stromecki, Kyle Vashkulat, Brad Bolen.
Kneeling L to R: Angela Creuztberger, Natalie Lafon, Nick Kossor, Hannah
Martin, Cammi Kaichi at the Judo National Championship venue the
Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center Hotel
Brad Bolen, a 21-year old from the Glenville, NY-based Jason
Morris Judo Center competing on the US Seniors judo team for the first
time stunned the international field of 66kg players when he won the
gold medal at this weekend’s Pan American Championships with four
straight victories. Bolen was the only American to capture gold this
year and become the third ever Pan Am Champ for the JMJC joining Carrie
Chandler (2005) and Travis Stevens (2007 Pan Am Games).
In his first match Bolen did
himself a favor by disposing of Jose Gonzales (HON) for ippon (instant
win) in roughly one minute. Bolen then threw Israel Verdugo (ECU) for
wazari and was leading comfortably before Verdugo panicked and forfeited
the match with an illegal leg grab. That put Bolen in the semi-finals
against Venezuela’s Ricardo Valderrama. Valderamma had just upset
prohibitive favorite Leandro Cunha of Brazil. As Cunha had handed Bolen
a defeat less than two months ago in Panama City Bolen recognized that
this sem-final match was his major test of the day. He surprisingly
received a walkover (instant win) in the semis. Then in the finals,
against a home crowd rooting for El Salvador’s Carlos Figueroa, Bolen
wasted little time in skying Figueroa with a gorgeous uchi mata for
ippon (instant win).
Bolen’s JMJC teammate Kyle Vashkulat (19), a Burnt Hills graduate
and current SCCC student competing on his second Senior Pan Am Team,
earned a bronze medal in the 100kg division. Vashkulat started his day
sluggishly with an uncharacteristic loss by pin in the final minute to
Mexico’s Sergio Garcia (MEX). Vashkulat (a two-time Junior World Team
member) took his frustration out on US Open silver medalist, Carlos
Santiago (PUR) with anippon win. Vashkulat found himself fighting for
bronze in a rematch of his 2009 Rendez-Vous Canada final’s victory
against veteran Scott Edward (CAN) in Montreal. This time Edward fought
Vashkulat even for 4:58 with Vashkulat down by two penalties. Vashkulat
used his final two seconds wisely as he caught the Canadian Edward for
ippon in dramatic fashion. In claiming his first Pan Am medal. Bolen &
Vashkulat join five other JMJC alumni to win a Pan Am medal.
Providence, RI –
Thirty athletes of various ages from the
Glenville, NY-based Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) brought home 16
total medals including 5 Gold from the Ocean State International Judo
Tournament Saturday March 20, 2010.
SCCC Student Nick Kossor (24) led the way with a spectacular performance
going 4-0 including a booming throw in the final against the bracket’s
#1 seed Canadian judo star Joel Benoit. Kossor’s aerial display earned
him the 66kg title along with a $250 first prize. JMJC teammate Brad
Bolen (21) joined Kossor on the 66kg podium securing a bronze losing
only to Benoit in the semis.
UAlbany junior Hannah Martin (21) turned in her best performance in a
year taking the 63kg crown in a very strong field that included US #1
Janine Nakao. Martin posted a 4-0 record on her way to collecting her
$250 1st place check. The 52kg. women’s division provided intrigue and
upsets as JMJC’s Natalie Lafon (29) engaged in another in a long series
of epic struggles against wunderkid Katelyn Bouyssou (15). Natalie gave
no ground and wore Boussyou down but couldn’t put her away and after
five minutes of regulation and 2 minutes of overtime the match went to
the judges who awarded the match to Bouyssou.
Playing on her home turf Bouyssou appeared confident against her next
opponent -- Lafon’s JMJC teammate and Union College freshman Angela
Creutzberger (19). Cruetzberger smashed Bouyssou for ippon (full point)
and in the process Angela ended a personal two-year losing streak
against her long-time rival, Bouyssou. It could be said that
Creutzberger benefited from teammate Lafon’s earlier 7-minute failed
effort against ’09 national champ Bouyssou. Amanda Galib (13) displayed
a combination of strength and technique to take a gold medal in the
13-14yrs. 48kg division. JMJC's Laura Galib (12) and Victoria Ferrante
(12) took a silver and a bronze, respectively, to make the 13-14yr-old
48kg category a JMJC sweep.
Christie Woosley (17) picked up a gold in the 17-19yrs. 70kg weight
class then SCCC student Cammi Kaichi (22) turned in her best performance
to date taking a silver in the 57kg weight class with a 4-1 mark. SCCC
student Kyle Vashkulat (19) looked poised to take the 100kg gold as he
was dominating the final against long-time rival Shintaro Higashi when
the veteran Higashi called on his experience and pulled a foot sweep on
an unsuspecting Vashkulat to win the bout and leave Kyle out of the
money with a silver. UAlbany senior Jake Stromecki (20) put in another
workmanlike performance to join Vashkulat on the podium with a bronze
medal. Stromecki also fell to Higashi.
Seth Woosley (10) took a silver in the 9-10yrs. 50kg division and Jonah
Burt (15) from Upper Canada Judo Club (but fighting with the JMJC team)
also took silver in the 15-16yr-old 81kg weight class. Zach Burt (16)
also from Upper Canada won a bronze in the 17-19yrs. 73kg division
displaying excellent technique on the way. Burnt Hills High sophomore
Harrison Hatton (16) closed out the JMJC medal haul taking a bronze in
the 17-19yrs. 66kg division. JMJC associate instructor and Clifton Park
resident Billy Shanahan (40) went 3-2 on the day and finished without a
medal in a deep 73kg division where his opponents were twenty years
younger.
However, prodded by coach Jason Morris at mat side, Shanahan recorded
the throw of the day with a spectacular sode tsurikomi goshi (sleeve and
hip throw) drawing gasps and ovations from a hundred or so devotees of
the “gentle way” (judo). The Ocean States International was the third
leg of the Zebra Tour with the upcoming Burnt Hills’ Morris Cup IX the
fourth leg on May 8, 2010 when over 500 of North America’s Judo players
compete for cash and prizes at the BH-BL-HS gymnasium.
Photo Standing L to R: Harrison Hatton, Jon
Woosley, Bill Shanahan, Jake Stromecki, Kyle Vashkulat & Brad Bolen
Kneeling L to R: Angela Creutzberger, Christie Woosley, Natalie Lafon,
Cammi Kaichi, Nick Kossor, Hannah Martin & Laura Galib
Sitting L to R: Jack Hatton, Seth Woosley, Kiernan Shanahan, Kara Brown
& Cam Shanahan
JMJC Takes Silver at
Spartak Team Championships
Flushing, NY -
The Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) traveled to Flushing, NY over
the weekend to compete in the first annual elite male team competition
hosted by Spartak Sports Club. The JMJC drew a very strong Canadian Team
in the first round and went in to the final heavy weight round tied 3-3.
Kyle Vashkulat, playing up at heavyweight from his natural -100kg
category, stunned Vitaly Proska with a brilliant o ouchi gari (inner leg
throw) propelling the JMJC men to the second round against New York’s
Starrett Judo Club.
University at Albany junior and up-and-coming judo superstar Jake
Stromecki provided the key victory for the JMJC against Starrett and
pushed the JMJC to the finals against a team from the NYAC made up of
players from all over the east coast but featuring coach Jimmy Pedro’s
Team Force from Wakefield, Massachusetts. With Nick Kossor and Tony
Sangamino’s earning no-decisions against their opponents and an easy win
for Brad Bolen at 66kg the finals went to round six with the JMJC
trailing 2-1-2.
A win would have sent the event to the heavyweight round tied. The NYAC
countered with a mercenary Shintaro Higashi who substituted for a weaker
100kg player. Higashi is a much more experienced player, Nonetheless
Stromecki almost won the match outright on two occasions before being
scored on in the match’s final seconds assuring the JMJC a second place
finish.
JMJC founder Jason Morris summed up the day by saying, "Our guys fought
great and I really look forward to more team tournaments in the future.”
Said Coach, Jason Morris
Photo from L to R: Kyle
Vashkulat, Bill Shanahan, Jake Stromecki, Brad Bolen, Tony Sangimino,
Nick Kossor, Dave Aronov & Coach, Jason Morris
JMJC Open lll
The Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) and newly-formed JMJC Booster Club
sponsored the 3rd JMJC Open Sunday, March 7, 2010 at the Jason Morris
Judo Center in Glenville, NY. The event was a grassroots judo tournament
designed to promote the competitive side of judo by providing a safe and
inexpensive setting to learn tournament judo. The format opened with
2008 National Champ Nick Kossor leading a thorough warm-up before Jason
Morris (2008 Olympic Judo coach and 4x Olympian) taught a one-hour
clinic where some competition techniques were examined and studied by
all that registered.
Click the picture
above to see all the pictures from the event !
Click the picture
above to see all the pictures from the event !
Over 50 registered from all
parts of CT, MA, NY and Canada were joined by some of the best referees
from western New York and New York City. Participants were encouraged to
play as many matches as they liked and several had more than 10! “This
is a great antidote to those big tournaments where you travel, pay twice
as much and your kid plays two is on his way home with less than a
minute on the mat,” noted one experienced parent.
The matches started at 12noon and the non-stop action concluded at 4pm
with every judo player having as much judo as they wanted. Every Junior
player went home with a trophy given them by Jason Morris.
This is the sort of event that the Booster Club was created to support,”
noted Kathie Kossor, the co-chair of the Booster Club. “The fact is that
we raised nearly $200 for future Booster Club efforts is only icing on
the cake.”
The JMJC Booster Club was founded to support the growth of grassroots
judo as taught by the Jason Morris Judo Center. Over time it is expected
that the Booster club will sponsor outreaches to underserved
communities, grassroots tournaments, intramural collegiate judo and
foster a greater understanding of our sport by the community at large.
In coming weeks the Booster Club will be soliciting memberships and
sponsoring numerous other fundraisers from chicken dinners, to bowling
events and garage sales. In meantime, be on the lookout for the Morris
Cup, May 8th and the next JMJC Open IV which will most likely be in
June.
Creutzberger & Ferrante
Take Gold
!!
Wakefield, MA - Union College freshman Angela Creutzberger (19) led
the way for the Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) winning a gold medal in
the 48kg weight class at Pedro's Challenge, the second leg of the annual
five-city "Zebra Tour".
Burnt Hills 6th grader Victoria Ferrante (12) also captured a gold in
the 11-12yrs 48kg division displaying standing techniques unusual in so
young an athlete.
Sarah Black (30) took her second Zebra Tour 63kg silver medal in as many
months. Black displayed a mastery of groundwork or newaza winning three
of her matches for ippon (full point) on the mat.
UAlbany Junior Hannah Martin (21) was a silver medalist in the 57kg
division and Natalie Lafon (29) won a silver in 52kg.
Leah Fisher (25) put in a strong performance to earn a silver medal in
the 70kg weight class. 32kg division.
Burnt Hills High Sophomore and JMJC newcomer Kara Brown (15) took a
silver in the Sr. Novice 52kg division and Christie Woosley (16) earned
a bronze in the 13-16yrs 70kg weight class.
The string performance by the JMJC ladies helps solidfy its reputation
as the elite training ground for the USA’s female judo athletes. Among
the men UAlbany Senior Jake Stromecki (20) secured a silver in the 100kg
division earning his first Zebra tour medal in a strong field of
seasoned competitors. Kiernan Shanahan (9) performed well taking a
silver moving up a class to the 11-12yrs. 32kg weight class to close out
the JMJC medal count.
While their JMJC teammates were competing in Massachusetts SCCC
students, Tony Sangimino (19) & Kyle Vashkulat (19) were competing for
the second-straight week in Europe at the Austrian Open in Vienna. Last
week the boys fought in their first French Open. Sangimino lost his
opening round to 2008 Olympic bronze medalist & 2007 World Champ Tiago
Camilo (BRA). Sangimino gave Camilo some trouble in the first half of
the match before getting caught with ouchi for ippon.
Vashkulat picked up his first European circuit win beating Zoltan Pentek
(HUN) in the first round by ippon then lost to 2004 Olympic bronze
medalist Ariel Zeevi (ISR). Kyle shocked Israel’s seasoned international
medalist with an array of techniques sharpened at JMJC’s Burnt Hills’
dojo before succumbing at the four minute mark. Sangimino and Vashkulat
have each given signs of extremely bright futures should they continue
to “Stay the Course and Do the Work” as Jason Morris implores them to
do.
Also, this week JMJC heralded the arrival Glenville, NY’s two
newest citizens as 1992 Olympic silver medalist and 2008 Olympic Team
Coach Jason Morris and his wife IJF A-Level Referee Teri Takemori
announced the birth of their twin daughters Randi Emiko and Danica Jaden
on Wednesday, February 10.
"First of all, I would like to thank everyone for thinking of us and
sending so many well wishes. Teri and I were twice blessed as two
perfect little angels came into our lives on Wednesday," Jason
crowed. "Teri is doing well and recovering nicely." Randi Emiko was
born at 1:35 p.m. and weighed in at 5 lbs., 7 oz. Danica Jaden was born
a minute later and weighed 6 lbs., 2 oz.
A 4x Olympian, Morris proposed to 8x Senior Nationals medalist Takemori
on NBC's Today Show in 1999 and the two were married on Dec. 30, 2000.
The twins are their first children.
Upcoming Events for the JMJC:
2010
March 7 - JMJC Open (JMJC Glenville, NY)
March 13 - Montreal Cup (Montreal, QC)
March 20 - Ocean States (Providence, RI)
May 8 - Morris Cup (Burnt Hills, NY)
May 9 - Morris Cup Mini Camp (JMJC Glenville, NY)
May 29-30 - Am Can (Buffalo, NY)