Lubbock Welcomes USA Judo Youth National Championships, March 18-19

2022 Senior National Champion Christian Konoval will be looking to defend his 2022 Youth National title in Lubbock. Photo Credit: Roy Nanjo.

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Nearly 500 athletes will compete at the USA Judo Youth National Championships in Lubbock, Texas this weekend with positions on the line for the 2023 Junior and Cadet Pan American Championship Teams.

2023 USA Judo Youth Nationals Live Stream and Results

The two-day tournament will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Lane.

Athletes ranging in age from 5 to 20 years old will compete in Lubbock with athletes hailing from 30 states, including more than 80 judoka from Texas.

Competition begins daily at 8:30 a.m. and will continue until approximately 6 p.m.

Tickets are available at the door. Admission is as follows:

One-Day Ticket
Age 13+: $12.00
Age 9-12: $10.00
Age 8 and Under: Free

Two-Day Ticket
Age 13+: $20.00
Age 9-12: $15.00
Age 8 and Under: Free

Competition schedule is as follows:

Saturday: Cadet, Intermediate and Bantam

Sunday: IJF-Junior, Juvenile and All Novice Categories

Athletes who win gold in each of the junior and cadet weight categories will earn automatic berths to the 2023 Junior and Cadet Pan Am Championships, Sept. 7-10 in Calgary, Canada.

Among the athletes to watch in Lubbock are the following members of the 2022 Junior and Cadet World Teams who are in contention to qualify for this year’s Junior and Cadet Pan Ams:

• Dominic Rodriguez (Lehigh Acres, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 73 kg), 2022 Senior Pan Am Champion and 2022 Senior World Team member
  
  
• Christian Konoval (Rockport, TX / NYAC / Colton Brown Judo Training Center / +100 kg), No. 4 in Junior World Rankings and 2022 Senior Pan Am bronze medalist
  
  
• Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, FL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 63 kg), No. 4 in Junior World Rankings and No. 2 in Cadet World Rankings
  
  
• Nicole Cancela (Coral Springs, FL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 52 kg), No. 1 in Cadet World Rankings and No. 9 in Junior World Rankings
  
  
• Shavon Gonzalez (West Palm Beach, FL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 70 kg), No. 1 in Cadet World Rankings and No. 14 in Junior World Rankings
  
  
• Christopher Velazco (Coral Springs, FL / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 60 kg), 2022 Junior World Team member and 2022 Senior National Champion
  
  
• Elias Sabin (Elk Grove, CA / Rocklin Judo / 100 kg), 2022 Junior World Team member and 2022 Junior Olympic Champion
  
  
• Amin Bakhtiyor (Fairfax, VA / Pedro’s Judo Center / 66 kg), 2022 Junior World Team member and 2022 Junior Olympic silver medalist
  
  
• Jayne Loo (Mercer Island, WA / Budokan Judo Dojo-Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Washington / 48 kg), 2022 Junior World Team member and 2022 Junior Olympic bronze medalist
  
  
• Anthony Farnot (Lehigh Acres, FL / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 73 kg), 2022 Cadet World Team member and No. 5 in Cadet World Rankings
  
  
• Kai Wallace (Murrieta, CA / Los Angeles Tenri Judo / 73 kg), 2022 Cadet World Team member and 2022 Youth National Champion
  
  
• Aren Balagezyan (Rego Park, NY / International Judo Center / 81 kg), 2022 Cadet World Team member and 2022 Youth National Champion
  
  
• Jayda Fulp (Fort Worth, TX / Chandler Judo Academy / 70 kg), 2022 Cadet World Team member and 2022 Junior Olympic silver medalist