Triple gold joy for club talent
BATTLEHILL Judo Club travelled to Erdington Academy in Birmingham to compete in the Bushi Judo Annual Championships.
Eight students from the Wallsend-based club took part, returning with three gold, two silver and three bronze medals – including a gong in the team event.
Jenni Francis was untouchable in the under-32kgs girls category, winning four fights by Ippon (maximum score) to secure the first gold of the day.
Daniel Dizyee and Joe Carroll were both contesting the boys’ under-45kgs event.
Dizyee won two of his four fights to win the bronze medal while Carroll showed a good return to form – prevailing in all four of his contests to clinch the gold medal.
Luke Anderson and Josh McKeown were in a large group of over 55kgs boys and were both underdogs competing against judoka up to 90kgs.
However, McKeown won all his contests and was narrowly defeated in the quarter-finals to return with a bronze.
Anderson also had a great day and won each contest to make it to the final, where he was also defeated by a strong 90kgs player.
Kieran Hardaker performed well in the esquire (15 to 17 years) category, returning with a bronze medal.
Kieran Tweedy experenced four hard contests in the senior men’s dan grade open and was only defeated by the gold-medal winner to secure an excellent silver.
Ellie Hutton competed in the under-50kgs girls’ category, winning four straight contests with superb judo to strike gold.
Four members of the squad were joined by judoka from Erdington Judo Club to make up a five-strong party for the team event.
Francis (under-32kgs), Mathew Mansfield (under-36kgs), Carroll (under-40kgs), Dizyee (under35kgs) and Hutton (under-50kgs) proved very strong and secured a well-deserved silver medal.
Battlehill Judo Club train on a Wednesday and Friday at St Aidans RC Primary School, Wallsend.
For further information on the club, visit www.bhjudo.com.