Athletes Earn Direct Qualification for Junior and Cadet Worlds in San Jose
by Nicole Jomantas
2022 Cadet World Team direct qualifiers.
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Twenty-three athletes earned direct qualification positions on the 2022 Junior and Cadet World Championship Teams through their gold medal wins at the Junior Olympic Championships in San Jose, Calif.
The athletes who qualified to represent Team USA in San Jose will be joined by Wild Card qualifiers who earned positions based on their national rankings with the complete team to be announced in the coming weeks.
All 15 members of the Cadet World Team qualifiers will have the opportunity to compete at their first Cadet World Championships in Bosnia from Aug. 24-28.
Team members are as follows:
Women’s 44kg
Sarah Ann Calinaya (Covina, Calif. / Guerreros Judo), first-time Junior Olympic Champion
Women’s 48kg
Harlee Hiller* (Evanston, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo), No. 11 in Junior World Rankings
Women’s 52kg
Nicole Cancela* (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), No. 5 in Junior World Rankings
Women’s 57kg
Danielle Pekler (Prairie View, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo), 2022 Junior Pan Am silver medalist
Women’s 63kg
Emily Jaspe* (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), No. 1 in Cadet World Rankings
Women’s 70kg
Shavon Gonzalez* (West Palm Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), No. 1 in Cadet World Rankings
Women’s +70kg
Canna Rupp* (Oklahoma City, Okla. / USA Stars), 2021 Cadet Pan Am silver medalist
Men’s 50kg
David Leiva (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), No. 3 in Cadet World Rankings
Men’s 55kg
Javier Delgado (Miami, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), No. 11 in Cadet World Rankings
Men’s 60kg
Christopher Velazco* (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), No. 1 in Cadet World Rankings
Men’s 66kg
Bilegt Erdenetsogt (Albany, Calif. / Berkley Genco Judo), 2022 Youth Nationals silver medalist
Men’s 73kg
Kai Wallace (Murrieta, Calif. / LA Tenri)2022 Youth National Champion
Men’s 81kg
Aiden Cohen (Vernon Hills, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo), No. 3 in the Cadet World Rankings
Men’s 90kg
Petros Vithoulkas (Whitestone, N.Y. / International Judo Center), 2021 Junior Olympic bronze medalist
Men’s +90kg
Isaac Zucker (Palo Alto, Calif. / Tamayo Judo Club), First-time Junior Olympic Champion
The junior team qualifiers include six of the cadet qualifiers as well as returning Junior World Team members who will have the opportunity to compete in Guayaquil, Ecuador from Aug. 10-14:
Women’s 48kg
Harlee Hiller* (Evanston, Ill. / Cohen Brothers Judo), No. 11 in Junior World Rankings
Women’s 52kg
Nicole Cancela* (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
Women’s 57kg
Tasha Cancela (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 2021 Junior World Team member and No. 12 in Junior World Rankings
Women’s 63kg
Emily Jaspe* (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), No. 1 in Cadet World Rankings
Women’s 70kg
Shavon Gonzalez* (West Palm Beach, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), No. 1 in Cadet World Rankings
Women’s 78kg
Canna Rupp* (Oklahoma City, Okla. / USA Stars), 2021 Cadet Pan Am silver medalist
Women’s +78kg
Mia Delgado (South Elmonte, Calif. / Guerreros Judo), 2021 President’s Cup silver medalist
Men’s 60kg
Christopher Velazco* (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), No. 1 in Cadet World Rankings
Men’s 66kg
Isaiah Ramirez (Barstow, Calif. / Barstow PAL Judo), 2021 Junior World Team member and 2022 Senior Pan Am Team member
Men’s 73kg
Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, Fla. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 2022 Senior Pan Am Champion
Men’s 81kg
Nicolas Yonezuka (West Long Branch, N.J. / NYAC / Cranford Judo & Karate Center), 2021 Junior World Team member and 2022 Senior Pan Am Team member
Men’s 90kg
Alexander Knauf (Yorkville, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen Brothers), 2019 Cadet World Team member and two-time Senior National Champion
Men’s 100kg
Elias Sabin (Elk Grove, Calif. / Rocklin Judo), 2020 Junior Pan Am Team member
Men’s +100kg
Romeo Sangdee-Takeuchi (Lomita, Calif. / South Bay Judo), first-time Junior Olympic Champion
*Indicates qualifier for both Junior and Cadet World Teams.