Cadets Secure 12 Medals at Pan Am Championships
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by Bill Kellick
(Colorado Springs, CO) – The U.S. team won 12 medals, including two golds, at the Cadet Pan American Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Tuesday, improving on their 10-medal performance last year.
The top U17 athletes in the nation competed against athletes from 13 other countries and finished third in the medal standings behind Brazil and Canada.
Sebastian Teran (Pompano Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 55 kg) and Judah Harris (Kenly, N.C. / El Toro Judo Club / +90 kg) both won gold medals for their respective divisions.
Teran was participating in his second Cadet Pan American Championships, having won a bronze medal last year and entering the competition as world No. 1 at 55kg. Teran upgraded to gold on Tuesday, winning three straight matches over Juan Soriano (ECU), Juan Alamo Torres (ARG) and Gabrieli Makhatadzk (CAN).
"They were all hard matches," said Teran. "It shows all my hard work every day in the dojo, the extra hours."
Competing in his first Cadet Pan American Championships, Harris opened the tournament with a victory by ippon (instant win) over Martin Zamaniego (ECU). In the next round, he scored three yukos (partial points) to defeat Jose Paulo Pereira (BRA) and then came back to defeat Pereira again in the final by ippon.
"I feel amazing," Harris said after receiving his gold medal. "The hard work finally paid off. The amount of hours I put into this has been crazy. The competition was rough; there were a lot of great people."
Silver medalists on Friday were Chrystal Monthe Noussi (Fort Worth, Texas / Fort Worth Judo Club / 70 kg), Nicholas Zadvinskiy (Staten Island, N.Y. / Cranford JKC / 90 kg), Daniel Lima (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 66 kg), Jannaco Searcy (Atlanta, Ga. / Black Ice Judo / 50 kg) and Rhadi Ferguson, Jr. (Tampa, Fla. / High Noon Judo / +78 kg).
Monthe Noussi defeated Maria Becerra (ECU) in the quarterfinals by scoring two waza-aris (half-point) throws, and Ariadna Yarey Chavez Medina (MEX) in the semifinals by yuko, before losing by yuko to Clarisse Vallim (BRA) in the finals of the women's 70 kg competition.
Zadvinskiy won silver after finishing fourth last year. He reached the finals of the men's 90 kg division by scoring victories via ippon over Javier Suaza (COL) and Mir-Maleek Ismayilov (CAN). In the finals, Heitor Sousa (BRA) scored two waza-aris to take the gold medal.
Competing in his first Cadet Pan American Championship, Lima strung together three straight wins to make the men's 66 kg final. He scored a win by ippon over Zamora Moctezuma Alberto (MEX), a win by waza-ari over Hector Mieres (PER) in the quarterfinals, and a win by yuko over Adrian Lapaix Ramirez (DOM) in the semifinals. Lima fell by ippon to Anes Mati (CAN) in the gold medal match.
Searcy earned his first Pan Am Championship medal by reaching the men's 50 kg final with victories over Emilio Nunez (CHI) by ippon and over Giorgi Kurashvili (CAN) by yuko. He lost to world No. 1 Arthur Bonato (BRA) by ippon in the final.
Ferguson, the daughter of 2004 Olympian Rhadi Ferguson, notched back-to-back wins by yuko over Brisley Ordonez (ECU) and Emiliya Aliyeva (CAN) to reach the final of the women's +70 kg division. In the gold medal match, she lost to Caroline Ohonishi (BRA) after picking up her third and disqualifying shido (penalty).
U.S. bronze medalists on the day were Aubrey Genereux (Port Saint Lucie, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 57 kg), Shota Kundukhashvili (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Caucasas Judo / 81 kg), Taylor Do Carmo (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 50 kg), Taras Petrovskiy (Bothell, Wash. / Washington Judo Academy / 90 kg) and Lily Infantado (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Chief Pride Judo Club / 44 kg). Do Carmo, Petrovskiy and Infantado were all fighting in their first Cadet Pan American Championships.
Three-time team member and 2024 bronze medalist Genereux won her second bronze medal in a new weight division, the women's 57 kg. She defeated Silvana Donayre (PER) by ippon in the bronze medal contest. Kundukhashvili, competing on his second Cadet Pan American Championship team, beat Ulises Calle (ARG) by ippon to claim bronze in the men's 81 kg competition. Do Carmo notched a bronze in his first Pan Am Championship with an ippon win over Emilio Nunez (CHI) in the men's 50 kg class. Petrovskiy won by ippon over Mir-Maleek Ismayilov (CAN) to take the bronze medal in the men's 90 kg division, and Infantado defeated Nahiara Rasgido (ARG) with an ippon throw in the bronze-medal match of the women's 44 kg competition.
Competition in Guayaquil continues on Wednesday with the Junior (U20) Pan American Championships.
Top eight and U.S. cadet results are as follows:
Men’s 50 kg
1. Arthur Bonato (BRA)
2. Jannaco Searcy (Atlanta, Ga. / Black Ice Judo)
3. Giorgi Kurashvili (CAN)
3. Taylor Do Carmo (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
5. Jesus Fabian Diaz Escareno (MEX)
5. Emilio Nunez (CHI)
Women’s 40 kg
1. Kiara Gomez (ECU)
2. Gabrielli Casola (BRA)
Men’s 55 kg
1. Sebastian Teran (Pompano Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
2. Gabrieli Makhatadze (CAN)
3. Cristian Marin (CRC)
3. Juan Alamo Torres (ARG)
5. Matthew Iglesias Rodriguez (PUR)
5. Sebastian Sugimoto (ARG)
7. Juan Soriano (ECU)
7. Mateo Arizmendi (PUR)
Women’s 44 kg
1. Dalia Benhamou (CAN)
2. Anna Clara Mendes (BRA)
3. Lily Infantado (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Chief Pride Judo Club)
3. Brisa Mercado (ARG)
5. Nahiara Rasgido (ARG)
5. Stephany Aldana (COL)
Also Competed: Clara Notopradono (San Gabriel, Calif. / Colton Brown Training Center), 0-2
Men’s 60 kg
1. Roman Semyrozum (CAN)
2. Amir Temirbaev (CAN)
3. Ricardo Manuel Teran Velazquez (MEX)
3. Rafael Falcao (BRA)
5. Arath Cruzalta Apodaca (MEX)
5. Ignacio Makaruk (ARG)
7. Piero Herrera (PER)
Women’s 48 kg
1. Giovanna Imhof (BRA)
2. Jordana Espin (ECU)
3. Paola Reyes Jimenez (PUR)
4. Zoe Element (CAN)
Also Competed: Amaris Bell (Pembroke Pines, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-2
Men’s 66 kg
1. Anes Mati (CAN)
2. Daniel Lima (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Bruno Sacilotto (BRA)
3. Thiago Carvallo (ARG)
5. Yesus Perea Vallve (PER)
5. Adrian Lapaix Ramirez (DOM)
7. Hector Mieres (PER)
7. Efrain Carillo Paredes (MEX)
Women’s 52 kg
1. Sofia Gonzalez Guillen (ECU)
2. Renata Vasquez (ECU)
3. Ahniia Grebennikova (CAN)
3. Jimena Morales Gamboa (CRC)
5. Negron Liany (PUR)
5. Ayinko Toloza (CHI)
7. Constanza Acosta Claudio (MEX)
7. Leiya Chiasson (CAN)
Also Competed: Madison Nguyen (Sunland, Calif. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo), 0-1
Men’s 73 kg
1. Nicolas Almeida (BRA)
2. Garcia Estrever Rafael (MEX)
3. Jasur Aliyev (CAN)
3. Valentin Pereyra (ARG)
5. Sascha Lievano (Berkeley, Calif. / Griffin Judo)
5. Franco Dianis Alvira (URU)
Women’s 57 kg
1. Nicole Daria Manaila (CAN)
2. Gabriela Pereira (BRA)
3. Aubrey Genereux (Port Saint Lucie, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Emma Tritton (CAN)
5. Silvana Donayre (PER)
5. Leonela Arevalo (ECU)
7. Valeria Vasquez Calderon (CRC)
Men’s 81 kg
1. Yago Mello (BRA)
2. Drake Gregory (CAN)
3. Alberto Montes (CRC)
3. Shota Kundukhashvili (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Caucasas Judo)
5. Ulises Calle (ARG)
Women’s 63 kg
1. Manuela Maia (BRA)
2. Victoria Summers (CAN)
3. Domenica Lozada (ECU)
3. Uma Jazmin Valdez (ARG)
5. Delfina Gonzalia (ARG)
Also Competed: Mckinley Wells (Justin, Texas / Chandler Judo Academy), 0-2
Men’s 90 kg
1. Heitor Sousa (BRA)
2. Nicholas Zadvinskiy (Staten Island, N.Y. / Cranford JKC)
3. Taras Petrovskiy (Bothell, Wash. / Washington Judo Academy)
3. Matthew Molchanov (CAN)
5. Mir-Maleek Ismayilov (CAN)
5. Mathias Estrada (CRC)
Women’s 70 kg
1. Clarisse Vallim (BRA)
2. Chrystal Monthe Noussi (Fort Worth, Texas / Fort Worth Judo Club)
3. Angelina Kioreskou (CAN)
3. Valentina Garro (ARG)
5. Ariadna Yarey Chavez Medina (MEX)
5. Prizzila Lam Diaz (PER)
Men’s +90 kg
1. Judah Harris (Kenly, N.C. / El Toro Judo Club
2. Jose Paulo Pereira (BRA)
Women’s +70 kg
1. Caroline Ohonishi (BRA)
2. Rhadi Ferguson (Tampa, Fla. / High Noon Judo)
3. Emiliya Aliyeva (CAN)
3. Ramos Garcia Caridad Del Carmen (MEX)
5. Olivia Wisniowski (CAN)
5. Brisley Ordonez (ECU)
