Some of the Invermere Judo Club members have been busy competing on the weekends in March.
On March 7th and 8th, Emma and Graham Norquay went to Richmond, B.C. to compete in the Pacific International.
This tournament attracted judokas from all over Canada, the U.S. and Japan. Graham had some solid bouts, placing him in third, and Emma won certain fights that earned her points towards the BC Team.
On March 9th and 10th, they spent their days training with an eighth degree black belt from Japan and learning some amazing techniques.
On Friday, March 13th, the club had five competitors head up to the Edmonton International Tournament held at the West Edmonton Mall.
Darryl Stettler, an orange belt, found himself in a division with brown and black belts and placed third. Graham Norquay placed a proud third with nineteen competitors in his division.
Lenni Stich had an amazing performance, returning home with a gold.
MacKenzie DuBois, having brown and black belts in her division, fought extremely well. MacKenzie was able to use many of her techniques and gained great confidence in her abilities. We are very proud of her efforts.
Emma Norquay had a tough division and, although she did not place, again her solid performance earned her points towards the BC Team.
After one weekend off, the members found themselves on the mat again the following weekend.
Graham Norquay fought a very tough division in Calgary and gained valuable experience. Emma Norquay was in Richmond at a BC Team Training camp, which was the last event to qualify for the BC Team.
With all of Emma’s efforts, she has made the BC Team. In May, Emma will be in Saint-Jean-rue-Richelieu, competing at the Canadian Nationals — a wonderful experience to look forward to. We hope to see as many of you out on the tatami supporting Emma in her training.
This week’s column was written by Karen Sharp, Hermann Mauthner’s daugher, who is a 2nd degree Black Belt. To learn more about the Invermere Judo Club, visit invermerejudo.com or email invermerejudo@gmail.com.
