First, I would like to congratulate all the Florida Judoka that took part in
this event.

Second, special congrats to the Florida Judoka and former Florida Judoka (IF I
LEFT ANYONE OUT, I AM SORRY it is not my intentions to leave anyone out):

Women’s 48kg
1st, Jeanette Rodriguez ( Coral Springs , Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site
at North Miami & Ki-Itsu-Sai )

Men’s 73kg
5th, Bobby Lee ( Coral Springs , Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North
Miami & Ki-Itsu-Sai )

Men’s Open
3rd, Adler Volmar ( Coral Springs , Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at
North Miami & Ki-Itsu-Sai )

Men's Open
5th, John Fiege (NED/ Judo Ryu Jacksonville)


(See complete results below)


--- <USAjudonews@...> wrote:

Subject: Day 2 U.S. Open Results
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2007 20:35:12 -0600
From: <USAjudonews@...>

Found at
<http://www.usjudo.org/2007USOpenDay2Results.asp>

October 20, 2007

Reser, Rodriguez, Gotay and Swanson Win U.S. Open

( Duluth , Ga. ) – It was a case of podium déjà vu for
three Americans on Saturday as they each made return
trips to the top step of the podium at the U.S. Open,
a USA Judo Senior B-Level point tournament that serves
as one of the largest qualifiers for the 2008 U.S.
Olympic Team Trials for Judo.

Ryan Reser ( Colorado Springs , Colo. / USA Judo
National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center
) and Chuck Jefferson ( San Jose , Calif. / USA Judo
National Training Site at San Jose State University )
had one of the best-matched battles of the evening.

Both 73kg players were scoreless until Jefferson was
given a penalty for non-combattivity with 13 seconds
left in the match.

What at one point looked like a match headed to Golden
Score suddenly had a momentum shift as Jefferson had
only one or two attempts left at an attack before the
clock ran out. Determined to win, Jefferson went in
for a throw, but Reser double-legged him for a win by
ippon (instant win) with eight seconds in the match.



“There was no way I was going to let that go to Golden
Score,” Reser laughed after the match.

The win was redemption for the previous year when
Jefferson ousted Reser during the preliminary rounds
of the 2006 U.S. Open and it was the second
consecutive silver medal at the event for Jefferson .




“You know it’s always going to be a tough match with
Chuck. He’s explosive, powerful and I’ve learned
before that you can’t ever quit even at the end,” said
Reser, the current Pan Am Games Champion.

Just like in 2006, 17-year-old Jeanette Rodriguez (
Coral Springs , Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site
at North Miami / 48kg) was the youngest gold medalist
in an Olympic division. Unlike last year, however,
Rodriguez came in as the top seed and defending
Champion, considered nearly a favorite to repeat her
win from 2006.



Rodriguez won her first two matches by ippon to
advance to the gold medal match against Annie
Shiraishi ( Elk Grove , Calif. / East Bay Judo
Institute) who upset 2006 Paris Super World Cup
medalist Isabelle Latulippe (CAN) in the semifinals.



Shiraishi earned two penalties during the match, but
Rodriguez secured the lead when she threw Shiraishi
twice – first with an o soto gari (outer leg throw)
for a waza-ari (half-point) with two minutes remaining
and later with a double-leg for a koka (smallest
points) score.

Valerie Gotay (Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National
Training Site at Harlingen) won her third consecutive
57kg gold, but the win came in anticlimactic fashion
when she came out to the mat for her match against
2000 Olympic medalist Maria Pekli (AUS) only to be
named the automatic winner after Pekli withdrew from
the match.

Melinda Swanson ( Honolulu , Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)
won the fourth gold for the Americans, throwing
16-year-old Emily Lilly ( Camarillo , Calif. /
Sawtelle) for ippon in the first minute of their Open
division gold medal match.

Anna Palmer ( Colorado Springs , Colo. / USA Judo
National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
advanced to her first U.S. Open final in the 52kg
division, beating Renee Guggino (CAN) and Lolita
Dagher (CAN), both by ippon.

Palmer lacked the same attacking spark in her final
against Laurie Wiltshire (CAN), failing to produce
successful attacks and getting thrown for a yuko score
mid-way through the match.

The win, however, not only marks Palmer’s first U.S.
Open medal, but is expected to move the 21-year-old
into the #1 position on the Senior Elite National
Roster.

Palmer’s OTC teammate Taylor Takata (66kg) also used
his silver medal win to move himself into the #1
position on the roster after losing in the finals to
Sasha Mehmedovic (CAN).

Takata, who won his first three matches after a
first-round bye, last fought Mehmedovic at the 2006
Pan Ams when he lost in a nine-minute golden score
bout. This time, Takata found himself down by two
penalties when the Canadian threw him with a sode
(sleeve throw) for ippon in the final minute.

After winning the +100kg division yesterday, Yasutaka
Ohkawa (JPN) returned on Saturday to win the Open
division by a penalty in overtime against Nicolas
Bernard (FRA).

Sergio Pessoa, one of Canada ’s top lightweights, won
the 60kg division, throwing his teammate Serge
Zamotine for ippon in the first minute of the gold
medal final. The division was the only one of the day
without an American on the podium after top-ranked
Taraje Williams-Murray ( Bronx , N.Y. / NYAC / Spartak
Sports Club) withdrew prior to his bronze medal match
with Pan Am Champion Fraser Will (CAN).

Competition continues on Sunday with Master’s (over
30) and kata (forms) divisions

Complete results are as follows:



Women’s 48kg
1. Jeanette Rodriguez ( Coral Springs , Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site
at North Miami )
2. Ann Shiraishi ( Elk Grove , Calif. / East Bay Judo Institute)
3. Isabelle Latulippe (CAN)
3. Sayaka Matsumoto ( El Cerrito , Calif. / NYAC / East Bay Judo Institute)
5. Bianca Ockedahl (CAN)
5. Natalie Lafon ( Harlingen , Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at
Harlingen )



Women’s 52kg
1. Laurie Wiltshire (CAN)
2. Anna Palmer ( Colorado Springs , Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at
the Olympic Training Center )
3. Nicki Schultheis ( Glenville , N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the
Jason Morris Judo Center )
3. Tracy Nagai ( Bellevue , Wash. / Budokan Judo)
5. Lolita Dagher (CAN)
5. Renee Guggino (CAN)



Women’s 57kg
1. Valerie Gotay ( Harlingen , Texas / USA Judo National Training Site at
Harlingen )
2. Maria Pekli (AUS)
3. Carrie Chandler ( Glenville , N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site
at the Jason Morris Judo Center )
3. Jolianne Melancon (CAN)
5. Michelle Hagerty ( Colorado Springs , Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site
at the Olympic Training Center )
5. Jennifer Landry (CAN)



Women’s Open
1. Melinda Swanson ( Honolulu , Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)
2. Emily Lilly ( Camarillo , Calif. / Sawtelle)
3. Ashlie Martini ( Chicago , Ill. / Tohkon Judo)
3. Andie Bongert ( Dubuque , Iowa / Sioux City Judo Club)
5. Rhonda Morrell-Pruitt ( Centerville , Ohio )
5. Julie Longou (FRA)



Men’s 60kg
1. Sergio Pessoa (CAN)
2. Serge Zamotine (CAN)
3. Frazer Will (CAN)
3. Gonzalo Ibanez (CAN)
5. Taraje Williams-Murray ( Bronx , N.Y. / NYAC / Spartak Sports Club)
5. Aaron Kunihiro ( Wakefield , Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)



Men’s 66kg
1. Sasha Mehmedovic (CAN)
2. Taylor Takata ( Colorado Springs , Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at
the Olympic Training Center )
3. Jeremy Liggett ( Glenville , N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at
the Jason Morris Judo Center )
3. Nate Torra ( El Cerrito , Calif. / NYAC / East Bay
Judo Institute)
5. Michal Popiel (CAN)
5. Daniel Santos (BRA)



Men’s 73kg
1. Ryan Reser ( Colorado Springs , Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at
the Olympic Training Center )
2. Chuck Jefferson ( San Jose , Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San
Jose State University )
3. Radu Brestyan ( Wakefield , Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
3. Michael Eldred ( Fruitland , Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute)
5. Nick Delpopolo ( Glenville , N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at
the Jason Morris Judo Center )
5. Bobby Lee ( Coral Springs , Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North
Miami )


Men’s Open
1. Yasutaka Ohkawa (JPN)
2. Nicolas Bernard (FRA)
3. Adler Volmar ( Coral Springs , Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at
North Miami )
3. Daniel McCormick ( Wakefield , Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)
5. John Fiege (NED)
5. Andrew Pragnell (NZL)



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