Six Campbell River Judo Club fighters tested their skills against other Judo athletes from all over B.C. at the BC Winter Games held in Penticton recenlty.
Over two days of competition the local club was able to bring home three Gold medals and memories that will last a life time. When competing at the Games Campbell River athletes are part of a larger Island Zone team.
During the first day of competition Judo fighters square off to determine individual titles in their respective weight categories. Early in the day Anthony Henry fought his way to a Gold medal match in the -55kg division. Henry fell behind early when he was thrown in the first minute of the match however as the match neared its final moments he was able to keep his composure and throw his opponent and secure a hold down for the win.
The next division with Campbell River fighters was the -57kg womens including Jamiliya Wellard and Jordann Warner. This division was by far the largest female division of the day with eight athletes from all over the Province looking for Winter Games glory. Both Campbell River fighters came out strong with Warner and Wellard winning their first matches decisively. Warner then fell short against a more experienced fighter in her second fight while Wellard was able to keep her winning streak alive all the way to the Gold medal match. Warner was able to bounce back with another win but eventually had her second loss and came fourth just outside the medals. In the Gold medal match Wellard struggled to score early and found herself behind with only thirty seconds left on the clock, It looked like she was going to have to settle for Silver until with little time to work with she was able to take her adversary down and quickly lock on a hold down for the win.
Next up was the men’s -55kg division Campbell River was well represented with Jacob Doherty, Jacob Hicks and Quinn Golobar all eager to see how they matched up against the best in the province. In the first round of matches Golobar was able to secure a win while Hicks and Doherty came up short and where relegated to the B side of the pool. In his next match Golobar fell short to the eventual winner of the division. Golobar fought well but his opponent was able to maintain a slim lead all the way to the final bell. Meanwhile Doherty and Hicks fighting hard on the B side of the tournament started finding success, winning their next matches. With a win under his belt Hicks was setup to have a rematch with the fighter that sent him to the B side. The rematch ended in dramatic fashion with Hicks sending the other fighter soaring only ten seconds into the fight. Doherty also had two huge wins on the B side but eventually he and Hicks suffered their second losses and where eliminated. Golobar finished the day just outside of the medals in fourth place fighting extremely well all day.
Bryn Girvin who recently re-joined the Campbell River Judo Club after a couple year layoff, had a tough go in the Games; falling just short of a win in his opening match. Girvin continued to fight strong in his second match but came up short of a win and was eliminated.
On day two of the Games, the Judo competition turns from an individual sport to a team sport. All zones put forward five of their best fighters in five predetermined weight categories to square off for BC Judo supremacy. These five fighters then compete against other zones in the best out five matches. CRJC’s Wellard and Quinn Golobar were selected to represent Vancouver Island. The teams were very evenly matched and it always came down to the fifth and final fight to determine the winning team. After four extremely close rounds of combat Vancouver Island was crowned the Gold medal team.