President’s Cup Results
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by Nicole Jomantas
(Irving, TX) – Nearly 250 gold medalists were crowned at one of the largest editions of the President’s Cup in history in Irving, Texas on Nov. 19.
2023 President's Cup Complete Results
Athletes from 26 nations and 100+ clubs competed in the one-day tournament which saw Cohen Brothers Judo Club claim the team title with 28 medals won by 41 athletes. European Judo Academy finished second with 23 medals, including eight golds. LA Judo Club finished third with 17 medals, including eight golds.
Three junior members of the club reached the top of the podium in the senior events.
A two-time Cadet and 2023 Junior World Team member, Harlee Hiller (Evanston, IL) moved up from 48 kg to 52 kg and won three straight golds in the cadet (U17), junior (U20) and senior events for the second year in a row after winning all three gold medals in 2022 as well. On a day that saw Hiller fight 13 matches, she went undefeated in each division, including four straight wins by ippon (instant win) in the senior competition. Two of those senior victories came against two-time Junior World Team member Jayne Loo (Mercer Island, WA / Budokan Judo Dojo-Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington) whom Hiller defeated in both the quarter-finals and the gold medal match.
Eighteen-year-old Danielle Pekler (Prairie View, IL) has had success in both the 57 kg and 63 kg divisions, winning silver at 63 kg at the 2022 Junior Pan Am-Oceania Championships and representing Team USA at 57 kg at the Cadet Worlds later that year. This year, Pekler fought in the 63 kg division in Dallas, taking both the senior and IJF-Junior titles with a combined six wins by ippon, including two victories over 16-year-old Dakota Hull (Northglenn, CO / Hyland Hills Judo Club) in the last two matches of the senior competition.
Aiden Cohen (Vernon Hills, IL), a member of the 2022 Cadet World Team, won gold in the senior 81 kg division at just 18 years old. Cohen won three straight matches by ippon to advance to the final qualification round where he bested two-time Senior National medalist Adrian Bernal (Clifton, NJ / Tech Judo) by a waza-ari (half point) in Golden Score (sudden death overtime). Bernal won his repechage round, setting up a final against Cohen who took his next win by ippon.
2023 President's Cup Action Photos#
149 photos
The President’s Cup also saw two of the top 60 kg athletes in the nation do battle again as 2023 Junior World teammates Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) and Joshua Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club) fought each other in the finals for the third time this year with 18-year-old Velazco and 20-year-old Yang splitting the titles.
Yang won gold at the 2023 Youth Nationals in June and Velazco took the Junior Olympic title in June. Velazco and Yang went to Golden Score in the final qualification match with Velazco taking the win by ippon. Yang came back through the repechage, but Velazco took their final win on penalties.
The middle of the three Yang brothers, 18-year-old Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club),swept both the senior and IJF-Junior 66 kg titles. In both divisions, Yang and Artur Tsakanian (ARM) won gold and silver, respectively, fighting five matches against each other on the day.
Fighting first in the senior event, Yang won both of his final matches against Tsakanian by ippon. In the IJF-Junior event, Yang won their first match in the final qualification round, but Tsakanian won their next round. In the final match, the two went to Golden Score with Yang winning by a waza-ari.
Twenty-year-old Anat Tsyrlin (Fair Lawn, NJ / Colton Brown Training Center) also swept both the senior and IJF-Junior gold medals, reaching the top of the podium in the 48 kg division. In the senior event, Tsyrlin defeated Kaycie Tanimoto (Fort Worth, TX / Chandler Judo Academy) by ippon in both of their finals matches in Tanimoto’s first weekend of competition since moving down from 52 kg to 48 kg.
In addition to Velazco and Pekler, two other members of the 2022 Junior World Team reached the top of the senior podium in Irving.
A bronze medalist at the Senior Nationals in May, Leana Nelson (Coventry, RI / Top Game Martial Arts) took gold in the 57 kg division, defeating Samara Abdumalik Kyzy (KGZ) in both of their final matches.
The 70 kg division featured a showdown between two former Junior World Team members. Isabella Garriga (Richardson, TX / Texas A&M Judo) won both of her matches against Carla Genao-Butler (Kenmore, WA / Seattle Dojo) – a 2011 Junior World Team member and two-time Senior Nationals silver medalist making a return to competition for the first time in Irving in nearly eight years.
Oleksii Lysenko (POL), a 2018 European U23 Championships bronze medalist, took gold medals in both the +100 kg and open divisions. In the +100 kg event, Lysenko defeated Polish teammate Artur Pujszo by ippon in both of their final matches.
In the open competition, Lysenko won the final qualification round against three-time Senior Nationals silver medalist Kedge Zawack (Denver, CO / Denver Judo) who also won silver earlier in the day in the 100 kg event. In the repechage, Zawack lost to Avtandili Bogveradze (GEO) by ippon, giving the Georgian his fourth straight repechage win after dropping his first match in the quarter-finals. In the finals, however, Lysenko came away victorious again to win his second gold medal of the day.
A two-time Senior Nationals silver medalist in the 90 kg event, Jesse Butler (Westminster, CO / Hyland Hills Judo) won the 100 kg title in Irving, defeating Zawack by ippon in both of their final matches.
Nineteen-year-old Steven Boldbaatar (Bellevue, WA / Washington Judo Academy) won his first major senior titlewith a gold medal in the 73 kg division. After a win in the final qualification round against Steve Matanga (Portland, ME / Pedro’s Judo Center), Boldbaatar came up against Max Antoniou (Chicago, IL / Menomonee Judo Club) – the 2023 Senior Nationals bronze medalist whom Boldbaatar defeated in the opening round. Antoniou won five straight repechage matches before falling to Boldbaatar a second time in their final match.
A bronze medalist in the open division at the 2021 Senior Nationals, Ian Bouton (Garland, TX / Becerra Judo Club) won his first major senior title with gold in the 90 kg event, winning both of his final matches against Grant Johnson (Fond Du Lac / Club Olympian Judo), including a marathon final that went nearly eight minutes into Golden Score before Bouton won by ippon.
In the 78 kg division, Lotanna Onua (Atlanta, GA / Black Ice Judo / Waka Mu Sha) needed less than 30 seconds to win both of her final matches by ippon and claim her first major senior title. Onua defeated top seed Heidi Holz (Springfield, VA / High Noon) in the final qualification match. In the gold medal final, Onua fought Cara London (College Station, TX / Texas A&M Judo) for the second time after winning their first match in the semifinals.
The +78 kg division also saw a first-time President’s Cup Champion crowned when Leyen Zulueta (Dayton, OH) claimed gold. Zulueta advanced to the final qualification round, but dropped her match to seven-time Senior Nationals medalist. After a repechage win over Ana Olguin (Riverside, CA / Riverside Youth Judo Club), Zulueta came back to defeat Atkinson twice to win gold.
Senior medalists are as follows:
Senior Men’s 60 kg
1. Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
2. Joshua Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club)
3. David Vinner (Burbank, CA / LA Judo Club)
Senior Men’s 66 kg
1. Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club)
2. Artur Tsakanian (ARM)
3. Steven Salazar (Whittier, CA / Texas A&M Judo Team)
Senior Men’s 73 kg
1. Steven Boldbaatar (Bellevue, WA / Washington Judo Academy)
2. Max Antoniou (Chicago, IL / Menomonee Judo Club)
3. Steve Matanga (Portland, ME / Pedro’s Judo Center)
Senior Men’s 81 kg
1. Aiden Cohen (Vernon Hills, IL / Cohen Brothers Judo Club)
2. Adrian Bernal (Clifton, NJ / Tech Judo)
3. Ramon Hernandez Jr. (Pompton Lakes, NJ / North Jersey Judo)
Senior Men’s 90 kg
1. Ian Bouton (Garland, TX / Becerra Judo Club)
2. Grant Johnson (Fond Du Lac / Club Olympian Judo)
3. Sean Muriithi (Emeryville, CA/ Griffin Performance Judo)
Senior Men’s 100 kg
1. Jesse Butler (Westminster, CO / Hyland Hills Judo)
2. Kedge Zawack (Denver, CO / Denver Judo)
3. Matthieu Celerier (Coopersburg, PA / El Idrissi Academy)
Senior Men’s +100 kg
1. Oleksii Lysenko (POL)
2. Artur Pujszo (POL)
3. Avtandili Bogveradze (GEO)
Senior Men’s Open
1. Oleksii Lysenko (POL)
2. Avtandili Bogveradze (GEO)
3. Kedge Zawack (Denver, CO / Denver Judo)
Senior Women’s 48 kg
1. Anat Tsyrlin (Fair Lawn, NJ / Colton Brown Training Center)
2. Kaycie Tanimoto (Fort Worth, TX / Chandler Judo Academy)
3. Aimee Garcia (West Covina, CA / Mojica Judo Club)
Senior Women’s 52 kg
1. Harlee Hiller (Evanston, IL / Cohen Brothers)
2. Jayne Loo (Mercer Island, WA / Budokan Judo Dojo-Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington)
3. Valeriia Mamleeva (RUS)
Senior Women’s 57 kg
1. Leana Nelson (Coventry, RI / Top Game Martial Arts)
2. Samara Abudmalik Kyzy (KGZ)
3. Toni Pepia (Staten Island, NY / Staten Island Judo Jujitsu Dojo)
Senior Women’s 63 kg
1. Danielle Pekler (Prairie View, IL / Cohen Brothers Judo Club)
2. Dakota Hull (Northglenn, CO / Hyland Hills Judo)
3. Judy-May Du Preez (Cumming, GA / Supermaster Kim MAA)
Senior Women’s 70 kg
1. Isabella Garriga (Richmond, TX / Texas A&M Judo Team)
2. Carla Genao-Butler (Kenmore, WA / Seattle Dojo)
Senior Women’s 78 kg
1. Lotanna Onua (Atlanta, GA / Black Ice Judo / Waka Mu Sha)
2. Cara London (College Station, TX / Texas A&M Judo Team)
3. Heidi Holz (Springfield, VA / High Noon BJJ Team)
Senior Women’s +78 kg
1. Leyen Zulueta (Dayton, OH)
2. Anna Atkinson (Tacoma, WA / Ippon Judo Dojo)
3. Ana Olguin (Riverside, CA / Riverside Youth Judo Club)
