The Golden State Open results
August 2 7, 2006
Golden State Open Results
The Golden State Open was held Aug. 27 at Los Osos High School, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. with 115 athletes competing in the Senior Elite division.
Competing in the largest division of the day, Harry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo) won four matches after a first round bye to win his first point event of the year at 81kg. Following a second round win over San Jose State's Jose Bencosme (San Jose, Calif.), St. Leger picked up two more matches before beating 2000 Paralympic gold medalist Scott Moore (Englewood, Colo. / Denver Judo) in the final.
Bencosme, who advanced through the loser's bracket, then defeated Moore in the silver medal match to finish second overall.
St. Leger's twin brother Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo), this year's National Champion, also went 4-0 to win his division, beating Atsushi Yoshinaga (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University) in the final.
Justin Flores (Palo Alto, Calif. / San Shi Judo), 2005 World Team member and National Champion, fought up at 73kg for this event, going 4-0 to win the division with a final round defeat of Adam Cervenka (CZE / Hollywood, Calif. / Nanka / Tenri).
In the absence of Flores, 2006 High School National Champion Ross Nakamura (Mission Hills, Calif. / Valley Judo) took home the 66kg title. En route, the 16-year-old had a rematch of his first-round Junior World Trials match with a second win over Jeff Fong (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University), a fifth place finisher at this year's Senior Nationals.
A Pan American Infantile Champion last year, 14-year-old Kyle Taketa (Torrance, Calif. / Gardena Judo) moved up two weight divisions from 40kg to 53kg to win the Triple Crown on the junior circuit in July and won his first senior event this weekend in a round-robin 55kg division.
Another 2005 Pan American Infantile Champion, Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo) gave up more than 20lbs. to her competitors, weighing in at only 34kg, but still taking the 44kg title to win in her first senior event. Having just turned 12-years-old in June, Bouyssou is believed to be the youngest athlete to win a senior USA Judo event in more than 30 years.
Heidi Moore (Englewood, Colo. / Denver Judo), a 2005 World Team member, won the heavyweight division, winning each of her three matches by ippon (instant win).
In the 70kg division, Tomoyo Yoshinaga (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University) won each of her four matches by ippon to take the title and help San Jose become the highest ranking team at the event with five medalists.
Spirit of the Eagle Awards were presented following the tournament to Harry and Garry St. Leger, Scott and Heidi Moore and the Mayo Quanchi Judo Club.
Complete results are as follows:
Women's 44kg
1. Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi)
2. Maddyson Post (Livermore, Calif. / Amador)
3. Sandra Chevalier (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi)
Women's 48kg
1. Brenna Clark (Hercules, Calif. / Okubo)
2. Tina Thomas (Los Angeles, Calif. / Nanka / Mojica)
Women's 52kg
1. Sueheidi Vargas (La Puente, Calif. / Guerreros)
2. Rachelle Budnick (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Grand Rapids Judo)
Women's 57kg
1. Meagan Higgins (Livermore, Calif. / Amador)
2. Wendy Scholz (Northfield, Minn. / Judo America - Iowa City)
3. Natalie Budnick (Grand Rapids, Mich. / Grand Rapids Judo)
Women's 63kg
1. Janine Nakao (Marina, Calif. / Bojuka Ryu)
2. Natalia Mitura (Coventry, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi)
3. Natalie Laursen (Livermore, Calif. / Amador)
Women's 70kg
1. Tomoyo Yoshinaga (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University)
2. Emily Lilly (Camarillo, Calif. / Nanka / Sawtelle)
3. Jessica Lockfeld (Denver, Colo. / Denver Judo)
Women's 78kg
1. Sasha Liege (Huntingon Beach, Calif. / Nanka / Mojica)
2. Angela Marino (Santa Rosa, Calif. / Middletown Judo)
3. Oronica Juarez (Fresno, Calif. / Fresno)
Women's +78kg
1. Heidi Moore (Englewood, Colo. / Denver Judo)
2. Amy Stevens (Sebastapol, Calif. / Santa Rosa)
3. Constance Romero (Santa Rosa, Calif. / Santa Rosa)
Men's 55kg
1. Kyle Taketa (Torrance, Calif. / Nanka / Gardena)
2. Aaron Fukuhara (Torrance, Calif. / Nanka / Gardena)
3. Christopher Oba (Torrance, Calif. / Nanka / Gardena)
Men's 60kg
1. Nicholas Nakamura (Walnut, Calif. / Nanka / West Covina)
2. Nicolas O'Connell (Cranston, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi)
3. Frank Sanchez (West Covina, Calif. / Guerreros)
Men's 66kg
1. Ross Nakamura (Mission Hills, Calif. / Valley Judo)
2. Jeff Fong (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University)
3. Alfred Raymond (Providence, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi)
Men's 73kg
1. Justin Flores (Palo Alto, Calif. / San Shi)
2. Adam Cervenka (CZE / Hollywood, Calif. / Nanka / Tenri)
3. Khacmatur Arakelyan (North Hollywood, Calif. / Hayastan)
Men's 81kg
1. Harry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo)
2. Jose Bencosme (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University)
3. Scott Moore (Englewood, Colo. / Denver Judo)
Men's 90kg
1. Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo)
2. Atsushi Yoshinaga (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University)
3. Tony Comfort (Hawhorne. Calif. / Nanka / LACC)
Men's 100kg
1. Derek Alef (Goleta, Calif. / Santa Ynez Valley)
2. Tony Sangimino (Burlingame, Calif. / Cahill's Judo)
3. Chris Lopez (Azusa, Calif. / Guerreros)
Men's +100kg
1. Joseph Sapp (Sebastspol, Calif. / Santa Rosa)
2. Conor Driscoll (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose State University)
3. Terrell Byrd (Tucson, Ariz. / Tucson)
Results by Organization
Point System:
Place won Point Value
1 5
2 3
3 1
Organization nameTotal# 1 # 2 # 3
1. San Jose State University 17 1 4 0
2. Mayo Quanchi 13 1 2 2
3. Starrett Judo 10 2 0 0
4. Amador 9 1 1 1
4. Nanka Gardena 9 1 1 1
4. Santa Rosa 9 1 1 1
5. Nanka Mojica 8 1 1 0
6. Guerreros 7 1 0 2
6. Denver Judo 7 1 0 2
7. Okubo 5 1 0 0
7. Valley Judo 5 1 0 0
7. San Shi 5 1 0 0
7. Santa Ynez Valley 5 1 0 0
7. Nanka-West Covina 5 1 0 0
7. Bojuka Ryu 5 1 0 0
8. Grand Rapids Judo 4 0 1 1
9. Nanka-Tenri 3 0 1 0
9. Nanka-Sawtelle 3 0 1 0
9. Middletown Judo 3 0 1 0
9. Cahill's Judo 3 0 1 0
9. Judo America - Iowa City 3 0 1 0
10. Hayastan 1 0 0 1
10. Fresno 1 0 0 1
10. Tucson1 0 0 1
10. Nanka-LACC 1 0 0 1