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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, July 8, 2002

ISLE FILE
Hawai'i wins 32 judo medals

Advertiser Staff

Young judo players from Hawai'i won 32 medals, including 17 gold — a big increase from 2001 — yesterday and Saturday at the 39th annual U.S. Judo Federation Junior Nationals in Sacramento, Calif.

More than 750 teenage and younger players nationwide competed in 90 age/ weight/gender divisions at the Sacramento Convention Center.

Shingo Katsura of Pearl City Judo Club, who will be a junior at Moanalua High School this fall, moved up to the oldest male age group, Juvenile C (17-19 years), yesterday and won every match by ippon (throw) to take the gold medal in the 90 kg (198 pounds) division.

On Saturday, Katsura won silver in Juvenile B (15-16 years), his own age group. Earlier this year he placed fifth in the high school nationals.

"He looked really good today," said Neal Takamoto, an official at the tournament representing the 50th State Judo Association.

Sisters Melissa "Mindy" Chow and Chrissy Chow of Tenri Hawai'i Club each won golds and their brother, Daniel Chow, earned silver. Tenri led Hawai'i teams with seven golds and Salt Lake Judo Club players got five.

Hawai'i dominated the Boys Intermediate 2 (11-12 years) division, winning six golds.

Hawai'i's medals total was up by eight total and seven golds from last year. Only California got more.

Two other national competitions remain for young judo players this summer — the U.S. Judo Association and Junior Olympics later this month. The U.S. Junior Open, an international tournament, is next month.

Hawai'i will be host to the U.S. Judo Federation Junior Nationals in 2004. Daniel Fujikawa of Salt Lake Judo Club will be the tournament director.

Results in For the Record, Page C4.

• • •

RIFLERY

• Bronze for Tanoue: Kaimuki's Ryan Tanoue won two bronze medals Saturday at the World Shooting Championships at Lahti, Finland.

Tanoue, 19, placed third in the 10-meter air rifle, junior division, and helped the United States place third in junior team competition. It was Tanoue's first appearance at the world championships.

Tanoue, a 2001 St. Louis School graduate, was this year's NCAA men's air rifle champion as a freshman at the University of Nevada.

Tanoue was USA Shooting's Junior OIympics 3-position precision air rifle champion last year.

The world championships were sponsored by the International Shooting Sport Federation.

Matthew Rawlings of Texas and Alex Culbertson of Oregon were the other USA Junior Team members.