Sep 24, 2006

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Sixteen-year-old Jeanette Rodriguez (Margate, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site) won her first senior international medal in the 48kg division on Saturday at the Rendez-Vous Canada, a Senior Elite B-Level Tournament, in Montreal.

Rodriguez beat Canadian Chantal Beausoleil and #2-ranked junior Brenna Clark (Hercules, Calif. / Okubo / APOA Judo Club) to advance to her semi-final match against Donna Robertson (GBR), a bronze medalist at the Belgium Ladies Open in February. After the conclusion of the five-minute match, they moved into a Golden Score (overtime) period where Robertson was handed a shido (penalty) for stalling which gave Rodriguez the win.

In the final, Rodriguez was overpowered by 2005 Moscow Super World Cup Champion Mayumi Takara (JPN) who threw her for two waza-aris (half-point) to win the match.

Rodriguez, a member of the USA Judo Elite U-23 Team, fought for a medal for the first time at this level in June at the Tre-Torri International in Italy where she finished fifth. Up next, Rodriguez will chase another medal at the Junior World Championships, Oct. 12-15 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

In other 48kg matches, six-time Senior National Champion Sayaka Matsumoto (El Cerrito, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute) went 2-2 on the day to finish seventh, losing in the second round to 2006 Pan American bronze medalist Glenda Miranda (ECU) by a waza-ari and later in the repechage to Leen Dom (BEL), this year’s Rome World Cup Champion.

Annie Shiraishi (Elk Grove, Calif. / Okubo / APOA Judo Institute) had similar difficulties, finishing with a 1-2 record after losses to Takara and Dom after beating Canadian Nationals bronze medalist Lolita Dagher in the first round.

Twenty-seven-year-old Stephanie Baim (Carrolton, Texas / Unattached) picked up her first international win since retiring nearly a decade ago. Baim threw her first opponent, Canadian Jade Parson (CAN) for ippon. In the second round, she threw Robertson with an o soto gari (major outer reaping) for a yuko, but was knocked unconscious on the landing. Robertson then armbarred a blacked out Baim to win the match.

The United States claimed four of the top six placings in the men’s heavyweight division with 2006 Senior National Champion Joel Brutus (New York City, N.Y. / NYAC) and 2005 U.S. Open Champion Anthony Turner (Miami, Fla. / IntoCombat) winning bronze medals in All-American final matches.

Brutus threw 2005 World Team member Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) for ippon (instant win) while Turner defeated former top-ranked player Daniel McCormick (Arlington, Texas / Bedford Kodokan Judo Club) by a waza-ari and other smaller scores.

Pan American bronze medalist Katie Mocco (Scotia, N.Y. / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center / 70kg) pinned Canadian Katy Bryant in her first match, but lost to 2002 Junior Worlds bronze medalist Yoshimi Shichijo (JPN) and dropped down to the repechage. In the bronze medal match, Mocco fought a familiar foe – Diana Chala (ECU). Chala defeated Mocco at the 2005 Pan Ams, but Mocco beat Chala in the quarter-finals of this year’s Pan Ams. Although Mocco received a waza-ari after Chala committed three penalties, she lost the match by a yuko (quarter-point) and koka (smallest points).

Rene Capo (Scotia, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), a 45-year-old 1988 and 1996 Olympian, continued his comeback with a fifth place finish at 100kg on Sunday, losing a tough final to Elco Van Der Geest (NED). Van Der Geest, who finished fifth at the Athens Olympic Games, was defeated earlier in the upset of the day by Scott Edward (CAN) who would finish second overall. Djamal Aliev (Centennial, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) also finished fifth, losing the bronze medal to Guillaume Cavalli (CAN).

Also competing in the 100kg division, Senior Nationals bronze medalist Adler Volmar (North Lauderdale, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site) failed to place after going 0-2 on the day. Myles Porter (Toledo, Ohio / Toledo-Maumee Judo Club), a fifth-place finisher at the 2006 World Blind Judo Championships, had a difficult draw, losing both of his matches, including a first round defeat by Van Der Geest.

In the 52kg division, Team USA was shut out of the placings as Anna Palmer (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site) and Natalie Lafon (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National Training Site) both went 1-2.

Complete results are as follows:

Women’s 48kg
1. Mayumi Takara (JPN)
2. Jeanette Rodriguez (Margate, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
3. Leen Dom (BEL)
3. Bianca Ockedahl (CAN)

Women’s 52kg
1. Aminata Sall (CAN)
2. Renee Guggino (CAN)
3. Monika Cabaj (POL)
3. Yoriko Yoshumura (JPN)

Women’s 70kg
1. Catherine Jacques (BEL)
2. Yoshimi Shichijo (JPN)
3. Diana Chala (ECU)
3. Kelita Zupancic (CAN)

5. Katie Mocco (Scotia, N.Y. / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center)

Men’s 100kg
1. Keith Morgan (CAN)
2. Scott Edwards (CAN)
3. Elco Van Der Geest (NED)
3. Guillaume Cavalli (CAN)

5. Rene Capo (Scotia, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)
5. Djamal Aliev

Men’s +100kg
1. Shinya Katabuchi (JPN)
2. Trevor McAlpine (CAN)
3. Joel Brutus (New York City, N.Y. / NYAC)
3. Anthony Turner (Miami, Fla. / IntoCombat)

5. Kirk Hoffmann (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo National Training Site)
5. Daniel McCormick (Arlington, Texas / Bedford Kodokan Judo Club)