The 2014 Mat-Su Judo Invitational, held Feb. 15 in Wasilla, featured a number of competitors from the Sterling Judo Club.
Alaska’s second largest Judo tournament featured five Judo clubs from Sterling, the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Anchorage, and had over 20 divisions and over 50 competitors.
Peyton Lawton won the seven- to eight-year-old boys open division. Nick McConnell placed third in the nine- to 10-year-old boys middle division, Kaliesha Hart finished second in the 11-12 year old girls light division, Jacob McConnell was third in the 11-12 year old boys middle division, Kianna Holland was third in the 12-14 year old girls light division, Jordan Merrill placed third in the 11-13 year old boys heavy exhibition event, and Paul McConnell took second in the senior men heavy division.
All mentioned competitors hail from the Sterling Judo Club.
5-6 year old light — 1. Nelson Haidyn, Mat-Su; 2. Tori Raynovic, Mat-Su; 3. Regan Campbell, Mat-Su.
7-8 coed middle — 1. Olijah Armstrong, Mountain View (MV); 2. Liam Rogers, Mat-Su; 3. Natalie Arneson, Mat-Su.
7-8 girls light — 1. Robyn Sutcliffe, Mat-Su; 2. Natalie Arneson, Mat-Su.
7-8 boys heavy — 1. Logan Arneson, Mat-Su; 2. Eby Fischer, Fireweed.
7-8 boys open — 1. Peyton Lawton, Sterling; 2. Trevor Dobbels, Anchorage (Anc).
8-10 boys open — 1. Landon Shooshanian, Anc; 2. Bailey Allison, Mat-Su.
9-10 girls light — 1. Sara Campbell, Mat-Su.
9-10 girls middle — 1. Kalie Ondelacy, Anc; 2. Mackenzie Campbell, Mat-Su.
9-10 girls open — 1 Amy Sutcliffe, Mat-Su; 2. Kalie Ondelacy, Anc; 3. Abbi Bridge, MV.
9-10 boys lights — 1. Gavin Mellon, MV; 2. Garrett Gaydos, MV.
9-10 boys middle — 1. Jeffrey Barnes, Mat-Su; 2. Isaiah Dempsey, Anc; 3. Nick McConnell, Sterling; 4. Garrett Gaydos, MV.
9-10 boys open — 1. Brock Case, Mat-Su; 2. Connor Green, Mat-Su.
11-12 girls light — 1. Abby Harvey, Fireweed; 2. Kaliesha Hart, Sterling; 3. Tommie Poorbaugh, Mat-Su.
11-12 boys middle — 1. Steven Sutcliffe, Mat-Su; 2. Carl Malagodi, MV; 3. Jacob McConnell.
11-12 boys open — 1. Dorian Mellon, MV; 2. Z Hanson, Mat-Su.
12-14 girls light — 1. Danielle Barnes, Mat-Su; 2. Megan Barnes, Mat-Su; 3. Kianna Holland, Sterling.
13-14 girls middle — 1. Mackenzie Harvey, Fireweed; 2. Rachel LaForest, Mat-Su.
11-13 boys heavy exhibition — 1. Dorian Mellon, MV; 2. Z Hanson, Mat-Su; 3. Jordan Merrill, Sterling.
15-16 boys light — 1. Leif Thurmond, Mat-Su; 2. Blake Poorbaugh, Mat-Su.
15-16 boys middle — 1. Dominic Waters, MV; 2. Blake Poorbaugh, Mat-Su.
14-16 boys heavy exhibition — 1. Jonathan Raynovic, Mat-Su; 2. Ione John Fategoai, MV.
Senior men light — 1. Lane LaForest, Mat-Su; 2. Harold Yutuc, MV; 3. Adiz Azimov, MV.
Senior men middle — 1. Joey Fategoai, MV; 2. Jonathan Raynovic, Mat-Su; 3. Brandon Nelson, Mat-Su.
Senior mne heavy — 1. Willy Rumbo, Mat-Su; 2. Paul McConnell, Sterling.
Best technique awards: Junior boys — Olijah Armstrong, MV. Junior girls — Abby Harvey, FJ. Senior men — Harold Yutuc, MV.
Overall team/Dojo champions — 1. Mat-Su Judo; 2. Mountain View Judo; 3. Anchorage Judo; 4. Fireweed Judo; 5. Sterling Judo Club.
