Battlehill students’ belting successes
BATTLEHILL Judo Club put on spectacular floor shows at three top competitions - returning home from all of them with medals.
Firstly, Butokokan Judo Club hosted the fourth event of the North East Judo Grand Prix circuit at Newbiggin Sports Centre.
North Tyneside-based Battlehill had 10 entrants who joined 150 other students from around the region - chalking up an impressive five gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
Golds were won by Josh Stoneman, Josh McKeown, Jenni Francis, Ellie Hutton and Charlie Hutton.
Luke Anderson claimed the silver and bronze medals were secured by Daniel Dizyee and Shaylin Burn. Kate Sturrock was a runner-up.
The second event Battlehill entered was Kendal Judo Club’s Graded Competition.
Burn took part in several good contests to secure a bronze medal.
Stoneman, 14, won three fights in the junior category to secure gold, then took a huge step up to enter the senior competition - winning a bronze medal. Eighteen-year-old Kieran Tweedy entered the senior black belt category, beating a second dan and losing to a third dan black belt to clinch a silver medal.
Luca Ferrara, who joined the club from Italy, won all his contests with ippon (maximum score) to secure the gold.
Representing Seghill Judo Club, Saffron Gadema sealed silver in the senior ladies’ competition and Brady Lim won three from three contests in the juniors for gold and then gained a seniors’ bronze.
The third competition involved a long trip to Hertforshire, where Joe Flaherty celebrated a silver medal in the under-50kg category at the British Judo Association’s Northern Home Counties Minors Competition at the University of Hertfordshire.
Three Battlehill students also travelled to Cardiff to attend the British Judo Association’s British Minors Championships, hosted by Welsh Judo. The event, staged in Cardiff, is the national championships for boys and girls born in 2006 and 2007.
Hutton fought in the boys’ under27kg event, securing the first bronze medal of the day.
Flaherty also won a bronze from a pool of five judoka in the boys’ under-50kg event.
Jenni Francis enjoyed a fantastic event, fighting six contests and winning four with ippon and losing just oncet to finish with an excellent silver medal.
Club spokesman Malcolm Young said: “This is the first time all three judoka have competed at this national level and to return with a medal each was a fantastic achievement.”
THOMAS Elliott of Nuns Moor Judo Cub and Lewis Donnelly of Ouston JC gained their junior black belts at the British Busen Judo Association’s annual junior grading event at Newcastle’s Benfield Sports Centre.
The pair had to complete a weekend training and grading course which included health and safety, coaching and demonstrating nage no kata and katame no kata as well as contest and intensive training.
BBJA Master Steve Makin said: “I was very pleased to present Thomas and Lewis with their junior black belts.
“They have put in a lot of hard work and shown dedication over the years to reach the standard of junior black belt.”