Brendan Yakura of the Vernon Judo Club and archer Karleigh Meier each struck gold at the B.C. Winter Games in Mission.
Yakura, 13, was promoted to blue belt the night before the Games, and went on to win four matches, two against older brown belts. Yakura prepared for the Games by placing second at both the Vancouver International and the Steveston Pacific International events.
He trains once a week in Kelowna under the teachings of Kathy Hubble, a San Dan/Masters world champion and six-time national champion.
The coaches for Zone 2 Thompson Okanagan at the Winter Games were Kathy Hubble and Monica Gignac.
Also competing at the Games for Vernon Judo club was Dallin Houston, who was looking at medalling until he injured his knee. Kauner Jones faced stiff matches and finished fifth, while Haley Timmerman placed fourth in her division. Zone 2 placed fourth overall in judo.
Meanwhile, Karleigh Meier, 14, of Vernon pocketed two gold medals in archery at the Winter Games.
Meier took gold for the two-day aggregate where they combine the scores out of a possible 1,200 points, and another gold for head-to-head match play between the top four shooters.
Vernon’s Courtney MacDonald took silver in slopestyle skiing, not Elena Gaskell, as reported Wednesday. Results on the B.C. Games’ website were incorrect.
