Congrats to all the Floridian Judoka that competed in the 2006 Ladder
Tournament.


Special congrats to the following Floridian Judoka who placed:

Female 52kg
1st Jeanette Rodriguez (Margate, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training
Site & Ki-Itsu-Sai)

Female 57kg
1st Franchesca Durand (Coral Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National
Training Site & Ki-Itsu-Sai)

Male 66kg
3rd Cristian Garcia (North Miami, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training
Site & Ki-Itsu-Sai)

Male 73kg
3rd Jacques Alabre (Princeton, Fla. / Pinecrest)

Male 81kg
1st Bobby Lee (Lauderhill, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site &
Ki-Itsu-Sai)

Male 90kg
2nd Alex Maratos (Miami, Fla. / Miami Judo Academy)

Male +100kg
1st Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training
Site & Ki-Itsu-Sai)


(See complete writeup and results below from USA Judo)


--- USAJudoNews@... wrote:

From: USAJudoNews@...
Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 22:51:07 EDT
Subject: 2006 Ladder Tournament Results

September 3, 2006

2006 Ladder Tournament Results

(Harlingen, Texas) – Most of the judo players from
Saturday’s Fall Classic National Championships
returned Sunday to compete in the Ladder Tournament,
an event which provides athletes not on the roster
with a competition opportunity following the Classic
while rostered athletes often fight up a weight
division.

On Sunday athletes had the chance both to fight new
competitors as well as avenge losses from the Fall
Classic with several athletes taking titles on both
days in different divisions.

Junior World Team member Franchesca Durand (Coral
Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training
Site) added a gold medal in the 57kg division to her
Fall Classic title at 52kg. In the process, Durand
defeated 52kg Senior Nationals silver medalist Natalie
Lafon (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National
Training Site) for the second time in two days

Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo
National Training Site) fought up as well, competing
at 63kg after winning 57kg on Saturday.

Gotay’s toughest challenge in the division came from
Junior World Team member Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills,
N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center). Martin, who failed
to medal Saturday looked better at the Ladder, going
toe-to-toe with Gotay, a two-time National Champion at
57kg.

Neither athlete scored during the first three minutes
of the match before Gotay managed to throw Martin,
first for a yuko (quarter-point) and later for a
waza-ari (half-point) with 45 seconds left in the
match.

Katie Mocco (Scotia, N.Y. / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo
Center) also won a second title, fighting up from 70kg
to win 78kg.

Molly O’Rourke (El Cerrito, Calif. / East Bay Judo
Institute) and Junior World Team member Marina Shafir
(Albany, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center) fought on
Saturday with O’Rourke taking a decisive win.

As the two both fought in the +78kg division Sunday,
the fights were closer in the three-match series.

Shafir dominated the first match, throwing O’Rourke
for ippon (instant win) in the first minute. Shafir
looked like she would win gold after the second match
as she led by a waza-ari (half-point), yuko
(quarter-point) and a koka (smallest points) scored
off of a penalty committed by O’Rourke.

Then with just over a minute left O’Rourke caught
Shafir with an uchimata (inner thigh throw) for ippon.

O’Rourke continued her motivation in the next match,
winning by a yuko and forcing Shafir into a penalty as
the match wound down.

Jeanette Rodriguez (Margate, Fla. / North Miami USA
Judo National Training Site) was clearly disappointed
with Saturday’s results where she finished third,
including a loss by pin in the finals of the loser’s
pool to Ann Shiraishi (Elk Grove, Calif. / Okubu /
APOA Judo Club).

At the Ladder Rodriguez had another chance with
Shiraishi. Not just one chance, but three as the two
both fought up from 48kg to 52kg. After beating Tara
Clark (Hercules, Calif. / APOA / Okubu Judo Club), the
#4 junior at 52kg, Rodriguez then beat Junior Olympic
Champion Chrissy Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii
Tenri) before embarking on her best-of-three finals
series with Shiraishi.

In the first match, Rodriguez threw Shiraishi for
ippon. Shiraishi then dropped down to beat Clark in
the loser’s pool and move back up for another chance
with Rodriguez. This time Shiraishi, likely one of
the most improved female players during the past year,
led by a yuko and koka before pinning Rodriguez with
sankaku (triangle hold) to win the match.

Rodriguez, best known for her stand-up judo, then
threw Shiraishi for ippon with a rear leg throw to
win the division.

On the men’s side, Junior World Team member Jake
Larsen (Santa Rosa, Calif. / Redwood Coast Judo Club)
continued to be impressive after producing a win in
the 90kg division Saturday in his first trip to a
senior event. At the Ladder he moved up a weight
division to 100kg and still managed to win in a field
comprised entirely of true 100kg players who likely
had at least a 20lbs. advantage.

Among his wins was an impressive defeat of Jonathan
Fuller (College Station, Texas / Texas A&M Judo Club),
throwing Fuller for a waza-ari and then pinning him
for ippon.

Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA
Judo National Training Site) and Taylor Takata
(Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National
Training Site) each picked up a second medal for the
weekend, winning the +100kg and 73kg divisions,
respectively.

Bobby Lee (Lauderhill, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo
National Training Site) matched last year’s 81kg
Ladder Tournament gold with a second one this year
after finishing second Saturday in the 73kg division.

In addition to going undefeated in four matches, Lee
also earned his third win this weekend over Nick
Delpopolo (Glenville, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo
Center). In the past few months the two have fought
in the finals of every junior competition the two have
entered with Delpopolo every match until the Junior
U.S. Open a month ago when Lee won in a Golden Score
match.

Saturday Lee won their loser’s pool match and would
produce two more wins at the Ladder to win the gold
medal while Delpopolo finished second.

Complete results are as follows:

Female 44kg
1. Margaret Drake (Saratoga Springs, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)


Female 48kg
1. Stephanie Baim (Dallas, Texas / Unattached)
2. Ashley Cameron (Garland, Texas / Becerra)


Female 52kg
1. Jeanette Rodriguez (Margate, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training
Site)
2. Ann Shiraishi (Elk Grove, Calif. / APOA / Okubu Judo Club)
3. Tara Clark (Hercules, Calif. / APOA / Okubu Judo Club)


Female 57kg
1. Franchesca Durand (Coral Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National
Training Site)
2. Danica Kamakana (Honolulu, Hawaii / Kamehameha Judo Club)
3. Paola Genao-Butler (Pasadena, Texas / Champion Judo Club)


Female 63kg
1. Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National Training Site)
2. Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)
3. Tessa Plana (Dallas, Texas / Dallas Judo)


Female 70kg
1. Jessica Wooldridge (Cedar Hill, Texas / Texas A & M Judo)
2. Michelle Kruse (Wichita, Kans. / Air Capital Judo Club)


Female 78kg
1. Katie Mocco (Scotia, N.Y. / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center)
2. Halee Shadden (Mineral Wells, Texas / Ruben Martin Judo Club)
3. Jane Lock (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo
National Training Site)


Female +78kg
1. Molly O'Rourke (El Cerrito, Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute)
2. Marina Shafir (Latham, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)


Male 60kg
1. Aaron Kunihiro (Covina, Calif. / Gardena Judo Club)
2. Arnold Toriumi (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)
3. Zachary Maes (Wheat Ridge, Col. / Northglenn Judo)


Male 66kg
1. Jeremy Liggett (Scotia, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)
2. AJ Silverman (Schenectady, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)
3. Cristian Garcia (North Miami, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training
Site)


Male 73kg
1. Taylor Takata (Harlingen, Texas / Harlingen USA Judo National Training Site)
2. Shane Simerly (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Olympic Training Center USA Judo
National Training Site)
3. Jacques Alabre (Princeton, Fla. / Pinecrest)


Male 81kg
1. Bobby Lee (Lauderhill, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training Site)
2. Nick Delpopolo (Glenville, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)
3. Lucas Mignogna (Golden, Colo. / Northglenn Judo Club)


Male 90kg
1. Victor Jean-Baptiste (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Pedro’s Judo Center)
2. Alex Maratos (Miami, Fla. / Miami Bay Judo Academy)
3. Yuko Sin (Glenville, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center)


Male 100kg
1. Jacob Larsen (Santa Rosa, Calif. / Redwood Coast Judo Club)
2. James Kannianen (Northglenn, Colo. / Northglenn Judo Club)
3. Jonathan Fuller (College Station, Texas / Texas A & M Judo Club)


Male +100kg
1. Adler Volmar (Coral Springs, Fla. / North Miami USA Judo National Training
Site)
2. David Bleeker (Pekin, Ill. / Canton Judo Club)
3. Micheal Rosenquist (Mustang, Okla. / USA Stars)


Male Open
1. David Bleeker (Pekin, Ill. / Canton Judo Club)
2. Mick Kaminsky (Marquette, Mich. / Unattached)



Results by State

Point System:

Place won | Point Value
1 5
2 3
3 1



STATE name |Total|# 1 |# 2 |# 3|
1. Florida 55 7 5 5
2. California 53 8 3 4
3. New York 51 6 6 3
4. Texas 44 6 3 5
5. Colorado 26 1 5 6
6. Hawaii 11 1 2 0
7. Minnesota 8 1 1 0
8. Virginia 6 0 2 0
8. Illinois 6 0 2 0
9. Utah 5 1 0 0
9. Canada 5 1 0 0
10. Kansas 3 0 1 0
10. New Jersey 3 0 1 0
11. Oklahoma 1 0 0 1
11. Massachusetts 1 0 0 1