Jenicek taking aim at judo senior nationals
May 20, 2008 04:30 AM David Grossman
Sports Reporter
It's not very often an athlete passes up an opportunity to defend a provincial high school championship — and one, barring a huge upset, that athlete is expected to win.
Then again, not everyone is like Nicole Jenicek.
Sixteen-year-old Jenicek called her choice a "wise one" in backing out of the Ontario high school judo final, which attracted a few hundred competitors to the Hershey Centre yesterday.
Just back from Berlin where she competed for Canada at a German invitational meet, Jenicek didn't fare well and got an eye-opener against some of the better Europeans.
Focusing now on competing in next Saturday's senior nationals in Quebec City, Jenicek wasn't second-guessing about competing in the high school final or the potential for injury.
She didn't want to push her luck.
Showing signs of fatigue, the Grade 10 student at Brampton's St. Thomas Aquinas got the backing from her coach, parents and representatives of the Judo Ontario High Performance Committee.
In the 57 kilos category, Jenicek is considered to be the No. 1 female in the country.
Having easily won at the Quebec Open in Quebec City, the Hatashita Invitational in Mississauga and the Royal Military College meet in Kingston this past year, Jenicek didn't need to prove anything.
She had accumulated enough points to retain the Judo Ontario No. 1 title and as well as a trip to Quebec City and also the junior nationals this summer, which are also in Mississauga.
"It's time to give someone else a chance to enjoy the glory of winning a high school meet," said Jenicek, with a great deal of candour before relinquishing her school title.
"I've accomplished a lot in the eight years since I started judo, I have some major goals to achieve — like winning at both the junior and senior nationals. At this level, I figured it was time to move on and let someone else get the same sense of enjoyment that I had last year."
Jenicek, who has a brown belt in the sport and received a $3,000 federal grant through Judo Canada, changed hats from competing to cheerleader and coach.
She offered up some coaching advice to youngsters at the meet and also coaxed on some of her schoolmates.
But Guelph's Megan Nagy beat Kaitie Dennis, Jenicek's schoolmate, in the final of the 57 kilos.
"When you're the best in your event in the country, you can pass up something like this and not lose anything," said Toro Judo Club coach Tony Kelly, referring to his prize athlete.
"Her knowledge of the sport is way up there and then add on a strong throwing technique. Competing against her, a match at this level can end in a matter of seconds and she comes out the winner."
Two of the top matches saw Jade Parsons and Dusan Sarenac qualify for the Canadian junior championships.
Parsons, from Orillia District, beat Raeanne McAlpine from Barton in Hamilton in the minus 50 kilos for girls while Sarenac, from Macdonald in Waterloo, eliminated Wesley Kelley of South Carleton in the boys' minus 90 kilos.
FONTE: Toronto Star - Ontario, CanadaIt's not very often an athlete passes up an opportunity to defend a provincial high school championship — and one, barring a huge upset, that athlete is expected to win.
Then again, not everyone is like Nicole Jenicek.
Sixteen-year-old Jenicek called her choice a "wise one" in backing out of the Ontario high school judo final, which attracted a few hundred competitors to the Hershey Centre yesterday.
Just back from Berlin where she competed for Canada at a German invitational meet, Jenicek didn't fare well and got an eye-opener against some of the better Europeans.
Focusing now on competing in next Saturday's senior nationals in Quebec City, Jenicek wasn't second-guessing about competing in the high school final or the potential for injury.
She didn't want to push her luck.
Showing signs of fatigue, the Grade 10 student at Brampton's St. Thomas Aquinas got the backing from her coach, parents and representatives of the Judo Ontario High Performance Committee.
In the 57 kilos category, Jenicek is considered to be the No. 1 female in the country.
Having easily won at the Quebec Open in Quebec City, the Hatashita Invitational in Mississauga and the Royal Military College meet in Kingston this past year, Jenicek didn't need to prove anything.
She had accumulated enough points to retain the Judo Ontario No. 1 title and as well as a trip to Quebec City and also the junior nationals this summer, which are also in Mississauga.
"It's time to give someone else a chance to enjoy the glory of winning a high school meet," said Jenicek, with a great deal of candour before relinquishing her school title.
"I've accomplished a lot in the eight years since I started judo, I have some major goals to achieve — like winning at both the junior and senior nationals. At this level, I figured it was time to move on and let someone else get the same sense of enjoyment that I had last year."
Jenicek, who has a brown belt in the sport and received a $3,000 federal grant through Judo Canada, changed hats from competing to cheerleader and coach.
She offered up some coaching advice to youngsters at the meet and also coaxed on some of her schoolmates.
But Guelph's Megan Nagy beat Kaitie Dennis, Jenicek's schoolmate, in the final of the 57 kilos.
"When you're the best in your event in the country, you can pass up something like this and not lose anything," said Toro Judo Club coach Tony Kelly, referring to his prize athlete.
"Her knowledge of the sport is way up there and then add on a strong throwing technique. Competing against her, a match at this level can end in a matter of seconds and she comes out the winner."
Two of the top matches saw Jade Parsons and Dusan Sarenac qualify for the Canadian junior championships.
Parsons, from Orillia District, beat Raeanne McAlpine from Barton in Hamilton in the minus 50 kilos for girls while Sarenac, from Macdonald in Waterloo, eliminated Wesley Kelley of South Carleton in the boys' minus 90 kilos.
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