Congrats to all the Florida Judoka that took part in
the 2008 Senior Nationals at Virginia Beach Convention
Center, VA.

Special congrats to the following Florida Judoka or Former Florida Judoka (sorry
if I missed anyone that I did not list):

Men’s 90kg
2nd, Brian Olson (Boulder, Colo. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the
Olympic Training Center)[Formerly from Florida]

Men’s 100kg
5th, Rene Capo (Naperville, Ill. / Cohen’s Judo)[Formerly from Florida]

Men’s +100kg
2nd, Anthony Turner Jr. (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North
Miami)


(See complete Day 1 Senior Nationals Results Below)

Found at
http://www.usjudo.org/2008SeniorNationalsDay1Results.asp
____________________________________________________


St. Leger Beats World Medalist Olson on First Day of Senior Nationals


(Virginia Beach, Va.) – Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn,
N.Y. / NYAC / Legrossports) made it clear that the
Olympic comeback of former World medalist Brian Olson
(Boulder, Colo. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training
Site at the Olympic Training Center) isn’t a foregone
conclusion when he threw Olson for ippon (instant win)
in the first minute of their 90kg final at the USA
Judo Senior National Championships on Friday.

The Senior Nationals, which continue on Saturday at
the Virginia Beach Convention Center with the men’s
and women’s light and Open divisions, are the final
opportunity for athletes to qualify for the 2008 U.S.
Olympic Team Trials for Judo, June 13-14 in Las Vegas.

Olson, a three-time Olympian who returned from his
2004 retirement six months ago, struggled throughout
the day, narrowly advancing to the finals after
semifinal win by a late yuko (quarter point) over 2007
National Champion Rick Hawn (Wakefield, Mass. / USA
Judo National Team FORCE).

St. Leger now has defeated Olson twice after winning
their last match at the Rendez-Vous Canada in October.


“I wasn’t worried,” St. Leger said. “I had a little
confidence going in because I’d beaten him before, but
I knew it was still going to be tough because he
remembers that match too.”

The win moves St. Leger into the #1 seed heading into
the Trials.

“It’s a great confidence booster going into Trials,”
said St. Leger. “It feels good to win, but I also know
I’ll be training as hard as everyone else between now
and then, if not harder.”

Reigning World silver medalist Ronda Rousey
(Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team
FORCE) won her second consecutive title in the 70kg
division and fifth overall with her win over Tomoyo
Yoshinaga (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National
Training Site at San Jose State University).

In a match in which Rousey appeared to be working on
strategy and techniques, she led by two yukos before
finishing Yoshinaga off with a pin.

Aaron Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen’s
Judo) won his fourth Senior National title in the 81kg
division with a victory in the finals over Harry St.
Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC / Legrossports).

Jonathan Leonhardt (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo
National Training Site at San Jose State University)
produced both one of the day’s biggest smiles and
upsets when he won by a penalty in the last minute
against top seed Anthony Turner (Miami, Fla. / USA
Judo National Training Site at North Miami) in the
men’s heavyweight division. The win marked the first
+100kg National title for Leonhardt, a 2006 Pan Am
Team member in the Open division.

Leonhardt’s SJSU teammate Janine Nakao (San Jose,
Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose
State University) led the 63kg final by a yuko before
throwing first-time finalist Paola Genao-Butler
(Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training
Site at the Olympic Training Center) for ippon two
minutes into the match.

The 2007 U.S. Open Champion in the 63kg division,
Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo
National Team FORCE) won the 78kg division after
moving up from 63kg in January when she threw 2004
Olympian Nikki Kubes (Fort Worth, Texas / Fort Worth
Judo) for a yuko.

Harrison, who defeated #2-ranked Nina Cutro-Kelly (San
Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo) earlier in the day to
advance to the final, has now won senior national
medals in three different divisions at the age of 17.

After returning to major competition for the first
time since he was named an Olympic Team alternate at
the 2004 Trials, Michael Barnes (San Jose, Calif. /
USA Judo National training Site at San Jose State
University) was the talk of the tournament when he
returned to his former 100kg division. In the finals,
however, two-time World Team member Djamaldin Aliev
(Greenwood Village, Colo. / Denver Judo / USA Judo
National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)
threw Barnes for ippon in the first minute and
advanced from being unseeded at the beginning of the
day to earning a likely third seed at the Trials in
June.

Among the other players making returns to competition
also was three-time Senior National Champion Nanoushka
St. Pre (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Legrossports) who defeated
2007 U.S. Open Champion Heidi Moore (Englewood, Colo.
/ Denver Judo) in the +78kg final.

Competition continues on Saturday at the Virginia
Beach Convention Center with the men’s and women’s
light and Open divisions.

Complete (Day 1) results are as follows:


Women 63kg

1. Janine Nakao (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National
Training Site at San Jose State University)

2. Paola Genao-Butler (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA
Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training
Center)

3. Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / USA Judo
National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo
Center)

3. Ashlie Martini (Chicago, Ill. / Tohkon / Victorious
Judo)

5. Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo
National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)


5. Anastasia Krivosta (Smithtown, N.Y. / Smithtown
YMCA)



Women’s 70kg

1. Ronda Rousey (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo
National Team FORCE)

2. Tomoyo Yoshinaga (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo
National Training Site at San Jose State University)

3. Jaclyn Feuerschwenger (Linden, N.J. / Cranford
Judo)

3. Katie Sell (Harlingen, Texas / USA Judo National
Training Site at Harlingen)

5. Jennifer Tutass (El Cerrito, Calif. / Cunningham’s
Judo)

5. Natalie Laursen (Livermore, Calif. / Amador Judo)



Women’s 78kg

1. Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo
National Team FORCE)

2. Nikki Kubes (Fort Worth, Texas / Fort Worth Judo)

3. Katie Mocco (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo
National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo
Center)

3. Molly O’Rourke (El Cerrito, Calif. / East Bay Judo
Institute)

5. Nina Cutro-Kelly (San Antonio, Texas / Universal
Judo)

5. Lorey Edwards (Lorain, Ohio / Chu To Bu)


Women’s +78 kg

1. Nanoushka St. Pre (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Legrossports)

2. Heidi Moore (Englewood, Colo. / Denver Judo)

3. Melinda Swanson (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

3. Toni Geiger (Dumont, N.J. / Tech Judo)

5. Janelle Snider (Latham, N.Y. / USA Judo National
Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

5. Andi Bongert (Dubuque, Iowa / Sioux City Judo)


Men’s 81kg

1. Aaron Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen’s
Judo)

2. Harry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC /
Legrossports)

3. Jose Bencosme (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National
Training Site at San Jose State University)

3. Ross MacBaisey (Atlanta, Ga. / Emory Judo)

5. Lucas Mignogna (Golden, Colo. / Northglenn Judo)

5. Danny Satinsky (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Cohen’s Judo)


Men’s 90kg

1. Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC /
Legrossports)

2. Brian Olson (Boulder, Colo. / NYAC / USA Judo
National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)


3. Rick Hawn (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National
Team FORCE)

3. David Ellis (Roselle Park, N.J. / Cranford Judo)

5. Jacob Larsen (Santa Rosa, Calif. / Redwood Coast
Judo Club)

5. Landry Ambouroue (Richland, Texas / Ruben Martin
Judo Training Center)



Men’s 100kg

1. Djamaldin Aliev (Greenwood Village, Colo. / Denver
Judo / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic
Training Center)

2. Michael Barnes (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo
National Training Site at San Jose State University)

3. Brian Picklo (Mustang, Okla. / USA Stars)

3. Dariusz Mikolajczak (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC /
Legrossports)

5. Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National
Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

5. Rene Capo (Naperville, Ill. / Cohen’s Judo)



Men’s +100kg

1. Jonathan Leonhardt (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo
National Training Site at San Jose State University)

2. Anthony Turner (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National
Training Site at North Miami)

3. Michael Prieditis (Fayetteville, N.C.)

3. Derek Alef (Santa Barbara, Calif. / Santa Ynez
Judo)

5. Vinnie Mancuso (Paramus, N.J. / Camal Judo)

5. Matthew Walker (Tacoma, Wash. / Budokan Judo)