Hawaii athletes bring home 13 medals
Advertiser Staff
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Hawai'i Tenri's Mindy Chow was named Outstanding Female Competitor, Kaimana Lundquist received the Best Technique Award and Dane Pestano captured the Male Fighting Spirit Award at last weekend's USA Judo Youth and Scholastic National Championships in Spokane, Wash.
Nearly 400 athletes competed in the USA Judo Junior Point Tournament, which included top players between the ages of 5 and 19. Hawai'i judoka captured 13 medals.
Chow won the 52-kilogram (115 pounds) championship a year ago. The 15-year-old moved up two weight divisions this year and won the Juvenile B and IJF-Junior divisions at 139 pounds as well as the Open division.
After winning three matches by ippon (instant win) in the Juvenile B division Saturday, Chow won four matches to earn gold in the IJF-Junior division. That included victories over Kayla Chappell, a 2009 Senior World Team member.
Lundquist, from Waimānalo, had seven wins to earn the Juvenile B and IJF-Junior titles in the 154-pound division.
Pestano, also from Waimānalo, won the Juvenile B and IJF-Junior championships at 198 pounds-plus, upsetting two-time heavyweight Junior World Team member Colin Robinson.
Mindy Chow's sister, Chrissy, a Senior Nationals medalist in 2008, lost in the 126-pound final to Crystal Butts, who retained her 2009 title.
Hawai'i medalists:
Female IJF-Junior
57kg (126 pounds)2. Chrissy Chow (Honolulu/Hawai'i Tenri); 63kg1. Mindy Chow (Honolulu, Hawai'i Tenri); 70kg1. Kaimana Lundquist (Waimānalo/Hawai'i Tenri); Open1. Mindy Chow.
Male IJF-Junior
100kg (220 pounds)1. Dane Pestano (Waimānalo/Hawai'i Tenri).
Female Juvenile B
(Born 1994-1995)
63kg (139 pounds)1. Mindy Chow; 70kg1. Kaimana Lundquist.
Male Juvenile B
90kg (198 pounds-plus)1. Dane Pestano.
Female Juvenile A
(Born 1996-1997)
44kg (97 pounds)1. Teshya Alo (Honolulu/Kamehameha Judo Club); 53kg1. Cassidy Chandler (Honolulu/ Hawai'i Tenri).
Male Juvenile A
48kg (106 pounds)1. Noah Pineda-Abaya (Honolulu/Hawai'i Tenri).
Female Intermediate 2
(Born 1998-1999)
31kg (68 pounds)1. Teniya Alo (Honolulu/Kamehameha Judo Club)
Male Bantam 2
(Born 2003)
21kg (46 pounds)1. Javen Alo (Honolulu/Pearl City Hongwanji Judo)