Senior National Champions to be Named in Ontario

(Colorado Springs, CO) – Nearly 400 athletes will fight for titles at the USA Judo Senior National Championships in Ontario, CA on Saturday.

2024 Senior National Championships

Future Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles will compete for $1,500 in prize money and training grants for the first time ever in the 14 Senior Olympic and 16 Paralympic weight categories.

In addition to the senior elite and visually impaired events, athletes also will fight for titles in brown belt, veterans, novice and IJF-Junior categories.

Competition begins at the Ontario Convention Center at 8:15 a.m. with preliminary rounds. Gold medal finals will be held at 5 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for ages 13 and up and $10 for children 9-12. Children ages 8 and under are free.

The event comes on the heels of this week’s Senior World Championships where x athletes will follow the event in Abu Dhabi with fighting for gold on home soil, including:

• Ari Berliner (Schenectady, NY / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center / 66 kg), three-time Senior World Team member and three-time reigning Senior National Champion
• Nick Yonezuka (West Long Branch, NJ / NYAC / Cranford JKC / 81 kg), three-time Senior World Team member and 2021 Senior National Champion
• Kell Berliner (Schenectady, NY / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center / 81 kg), two-time Senior World Team member and two-time Senior National Champion
• Melissa Myers (Burnt Hills, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center / 70 kg), 2024 Senior World Team member and two-time Senior National Champion
• Chris Velazco (Coral Springs, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 60 kg), 2024 Senior World Team member and 2022 Senior National Champion

In addition to Myers and Ari Berliner, the following athletes will return to defend their 2023 Senior National titles:

• Alex Knauf (Yorkville, IL / NYAC / 90 kg), 2022 Senior World Team member and three-time Senior National Champion
• Nicole Stout (Schenectady, NY / Jason Morris Judo Center / 78 kg), two-time Senior World Team member and three-time Senior National Champion
• Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 81 kg), 2022 Senior Pan Am Champion and 2023 Senior National Champion
• Jenna Schurr (Torrance, CA / 52 kg), two-time Senior Pan Am Team member and 2023 Senior National Champion
• Joshua Yang (Los Angeles, CA / LA Judo Club / 60 kg), two-time Junior World Team member and 2023 Senior National Champion
• Johan Silot Suse (Salem, MA / NYAC / Pedro’s Judo Center / 81 kg), 2023 Junior World Team member and 2023 Senior National Champion
• Noran Elmahroukey (New Providence, NJ / NYAC / Colton Brown Training Center / 57 kg), 2018 Junior World Team member and 2023 Senior National Champion