2022 Junior Pan Am Results

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by Nicole Jomantas

Danielle Pekler (far left) and Emily Jaspe (second from right) won silver and bronze in the women's 63kg event. 

 

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The U.S. team brought home 11 medals from the Junior Pan American and Oceania Championships on Sunday, following the 12 medal haul at the cadet event on Saturday for 23 total medals by the 25-athlete squad.

Junior Pan American and Oceania Results

Team USA trailed only Brazil (16) in the overall medal count. Mexico and Canada ended the event with seven medals each.

The U.S. women secured seven podium finishes, taking medals in six of the seven weight categories.

First-time team members Danielle Pekler (Evanston, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo) and Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) scored a double podium finish for Team USA In the 63kg event.

Sixteen-year-old Pekler got off to a solid start, throwing Kyara Arevalo (CHI) for ippon (instant win) off the grip in the quarter-finals. In the semis, Callie Render (CAN) led by a waza-ari (half point) score, but Pekler threw the Canadian twice, first scoring a waza-ari to tie and ending with an ippon. In the finals, Pekler took on Maria Diniz (BRA) – a top-five finisher at the 2019 Cadet World Championships – and ended the day with a silver medal after Diniz threw her for ippon in the second minute.

Jaspe won her second medal of the weekend with a bronze after claiming gold in the cadet event on Saturday. Although she was caught in the quarter-finals by Fiona Cuneo (ARG) with a throw for ippon, Jaspe won her next three bouts to return to the podium. The 15-year-old threw Eillynn Lopez (PER) for ippon in 14 seconds in the first round of the repechage and caught Constanza Perez (CHI) with a waza-ari throw in the second minute of her next match. Fighting Render for the second time in the weekend, Jaspe threw the Canadian for ippon to take bronze.

In addition to Jaspe, four other U.S. women won both junior and cadet medals over the weekend.

Nicole Cancela (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) added a junior silver medal to her cadet gold in the 52kg event. The 17-year-old opened with a rematch of her semifinal in the cadet event against Romina Baltazar Minan (PER), taking the win by three penalties. In the semifinals, Cancela threw Renata Ortiz (MEX) for ippon in the first minute. The final match saw Cancela, who won the 2021 junior title, take on Noemi Huayhuameza Orneta (PER) who won gold at the 2020 Junior Pan Ams. Neither athlete scored during regulation and each player had a penalty on the board going into Golden Score (sudden death overtime). Cancela was given a second penalty early in the period and both athletes were given stalling penalties in the second minute which ended the bout for Cancela.

Cancela’s older sister, 19-year-old Tasha Cancela (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), also won a silver medal, placing second in the 57kg event. The older Cancela secured her second career medal at the event after winning her opening matches by waza-ari throws over Jorgelina Macchiavello (ARG) and Corinna Espadas (MEX). In the finals, however, Cancela lost by three penalties in Golden Score to Bianca Rosa (BRA) who won the 57kg cadet title as well.

Fifteen-year-old Harlee Hiller (Evanston, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo) and 14-year-old Daniela Diaz-Negrete (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Chief Pride Judo Club) both won silvers in the junior event, equaling their cadet finishes.

In the 48kg quarter-finals, Hiller and two-time Cadet Pan Am Champion Ilse Martinez (MEX) had two penalties each going into Golden Score where Hiller threw Martinez for ippon. In the semis, Hiller threw Mikaela Rojas (ARG), a top-five finisher at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, for a waza-ari and moved straight into a pin to clinch the win. In the finals, Hiller faced Alexia Nasciemnto (BRA), a top-five finisher at the 2019 Cadet Worlds, and was caught for a waza-ari early in the match and then given three penalties to finish with a silver.

Diaz-Negrete won her +78kg semifinal against Idania Ambulay (PER) by three penalties, but fell short of gold when she was thrown for ippon by 2021 Pan Am Junior bronze medalist Luana Oliveira (BRA).

Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) followed her cadet bronze medal in the 70kg division with a junior bronze. After a loss by three penalties to Laurence Biron (CAN), Gonzalez ended with three straight wins. The 15-year-old threw Jade Ulloa (CHI) and Fernanda Robledo (MEX) each for ippon to advance to the finals where she threw Giovana Galkowski (BRA) for a waza-ari and jumped into a pin.

On the men’s side, Alexander Knauf (Yorkville, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen Brothers Judo Club) and Christian Konoval (Rockport, Texas / NYAC) won silver medals in the 90kg and +100kg events, respectively.

Twenty-year-old Knauff threw Danny Vojnikovich (AUS) for ippon during the first exchange of their semifinal bout to advance to the finals where he was choked by Guilherme Morais (BRA). The silver medal is the second podium at the event for Knauff who won bronze in 2021.

A two-time Junior World Team member, this would mark Konoval’s first Junior Pan Ams, but the 18-year-old’s success on the senior circuit also allowed him to qualify for the Senior Pan American and Oceania Championships from April 15-16 in Lima. Konoval drew the gold medalist in the +90kg cadet event, Vitor Fagundes (BRA), in the semis and threw the Brazilian for ippon in the second minute. In the finals, Konoval fought John Messe Bessong Jr. (CAN), the +90kg cadet silver medalist from Saturday, and was thrown for a waza-ari. Konoval was unable to score in the remainder of the match and ended the day with a silver medal.

Seventeen-year-old Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / LA Judo Club) won bronze in the 66kg cadet event on Saturday and returned for a second bronze as a junior on Sunday. Yang won his first bout by three penalties, defeating Jad Reda (AUS) in the opening round. In the second round, Julio Cesar Cusi Huachaca (PER) had two penalties to Yang’s one in regulation with Yang picking up a throw for waza-ari in Golden Score. In the semifinals, Yang had two penalties and Marcelo Vincentini (PAR) had one before Vincentini threw Yang for ippon. In the finals, Franco Milko Baltazar (PER) threw Yang for a waza-ari score and Yang replied with a waza-ari throw of this own. With the score tied in Golden Score, Baltazar was given his third penalty and Yang took the match.

A three-time Cadet Pan Am Champion, Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / New York Athletic Club / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center) earned his second career medal in the junior category with a bronze. After throwing Franco Cruz (CHI) for waza-ari and ippon scores in the first minute of his opening match, Rodriguez was penalized for head driving in the quarter-finals against Munkhjin Batdorj (CAN). The 17 year old Senior Pan Am Team member rebounded with three straight wins, throwing Sebastian Otiniano Ramirez (PER) and Ryan Koenig (AUS) for ippon and pinning Mathias Coronel (ECU) in the bronze medal finals.

Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:

Men’s 60kg
1. Ryan Conceicao (BRA)
2. Henrique Silva (BRA)
3. Jose Quinta (MEX)
3. Eriberto De Aza (DOM)
5. Oscar Morato (COL)
5. Raphael Gaanan (CAN)
7. Arnold Prado Ramos (PER)
7. Joshua Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / LA Judo Club)

Men’s 66kg
1. Robin Jara (MEX)
2. Marcelo Vicentini (PAR)
3. Joao Jardim (BRA)
3. Jacob Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / LA Judo Club)
5. Julio Cusi Huachaca (PER)
5. Franco Milko Baltazar (PER)
7. Jordon Greenbank (AUS)
7. Cristopher Orellana (CHI)

Men’s 73kg
1. Gabriel Falcao (BRA)
2. Lasha Tsatsalashvili (CAN)
3. Munkhjin Batdorj (CAN)
3. Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / New York Athletic Club / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
5. Mathias Coronel (ECU)
5. Matteo Etchechury (ARG)
7. Ryan Koenig (AUS)
7. Jose Espinosa (MEX)

Men’s 81kg
1. Kauan Santos (BRA)
2. Diego Diaz (MEX)
3. Noah Nightingale (AUS)
3. David Popovici (CAN)
5. Juan Pablo Ruiz (COL)
5. Albis Jose Castro Matos (DOM)
7. Benjamin Galarreta (PER)
7. Javier Saavedra Bobadilla (PER)

Also Competed: Nick Yonezuka (West Long Beach, N.J. / NYAC / Cranford Judo), 0-1
Mikhail Ershov (Philadelphia, Pa. / Yawara Force), 0-1

Men’s 90kg
1. Guilherme Morais (BRA)
2. Alexander Knauf (Yorkville, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen Brothers Judo Club)
3. Danny Vojnikovich (AUS)
3. Angel Garcia (MEX)
5. Jeremy Olivares (MEX)
5. Leonardo Gutierrez (CHI)
7. Sebastian Benites (PER)

Men’s 100kg
1. Kayo Santos (BRA)
2. Nikola Petrovic (CAN)
3. Omar Silva (MEX)
3. Franco Arismendi (CHI)
5. Jose Mera (CHI)
5. Axel Nightingale (AUS)
7. Francisco Gonzalez (ARG)
7. Victor Bird (Walthill, Iowa / Sioux City Judo Club)

Men’s +100kg
1. John Messe Bessong Jr. (CAN)
2. Christian Konoval (Rockport, Texas / NYAC)
3. Vitor Fagundes (BRA)
3. Sung Min Lee (AUS)
5. Jose Ignacio Jara (CHI)
5. Elmer Orejuela (COL)

Women’s 48kg
1. Alexia Nascimento (BRA)
2. Harlee Hiller (Evanston, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo)
3. Mikaela Rojas (ARG)
3. Maryury Urena (COL)
5. Ilse Martinez (MEX)
5. Flor Zambrano (PER)
7. Gabriela Lopez (CHI)
7. Karla Valdebenito (CHI)

Women’s 52kg
1. Noemi Huayhuameza Orneta (PER)
2. Nicole Cancela (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Fernanda Santos (BRA)
3. Sheily Lopez (GUA)
5. Romina Baltazar Minan (PER)
5. Renata Ortiz (MEX)
7. Tatiana Galvez (CHI)
7. Camila Calderon (CHI)

Women’s 57kg
1. Bianca Rosa (BRA)
2. Tasha Cancela (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Astrid Gavidia (ECU)
3. Corinna Espadas (MEX)
5. Jorgelina Macchiavello (ARG)
5. Martina Moreno (CHI)
7. Aliya Koliaska (CAN)
7. Ryley Rametta (AUS)

Women’s 63kg
1. Maria Diniz (BRA)
2. Danielle Pekler (Evanston, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo)
3. Saya Middleton (AUS)

3. Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
5. Callie Render (CAN)
5. Fiona Cuneo (ARG)
7. Constanza Perez (CHI)
7. Kyara Arevalo (CHI)

Women’s 70kg
1. Luana Carvalho (BRA)
2. Brenda Olaya (COL)
3. Justine Simard (CAN)
3. Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
5. Laurence Biron (CAN)
5. Giovana Galkowski (BRA)
7. Fernanda Robledo (MEX)
7. Victoria Delvecchio (ARG)

Also Competed: Isabella Garriga (Richmond, Texas / Texas A&M Judo), 0-2

Women’s 78kg
1. Beatriz Freitas (BRA)
2. Eliza Ramos (BRA)
3. Jessica Gomez (MEX)
3. Maria Swan (AUS)
5. Adela Espinoza (CHI)
5. Crystal Acton (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo)

Women’s +78kg
1. Luana Oliveira (BRA)
2. Daniela Diaz-Negrete (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / Chief Pride Judo Club)
3. Jannessa Keays (CAN)

 

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