Kentwood and Kentlake dominate judo tournament

April 11, 2009 7:08 pm
Calvin Lu
Calvin Lu

By Dick Barnes

Washington state Judo

The sport of judo, second only to soccer in world popularity, has been a varsity sport in Kent District High Schools for 50 years. At last week’s USA Judo Youth and Scholastic National Tournament teams in York, Penn., teams from Kentwood, Kentridge, and Kentlake High Schools competed.

The Kent High Schools have often produced top-notch talents in judo and this year was no exception. Of the Kent athletes, three came home with top medals and three others performed well enough to place within the top eight of their respective weight categories.

Matthew Degrate, a senior at Kentridge, dominated the mens 100 kilograms field scoring a succession of ippons (match ending scores) to capture the gold medal.

Kentwood senior Katie Stillings dominated the women’s over 78 kg field in a similar fashion to claim a second gold medal for the all-Kent squad.

Degrate’s co-captain at Kentridge, senior Fiona Kang, fell short of the final round in the women’s under 78kg field by the narrowest of margins, but then managed to come back in the consolation bracket to earn a third-place bronze medal.

Of the 10 Kent School District athletes entered in the tournament, six placed within the top eight of their respective weight and age divisions.

The annual USA Judo event is a national competition that attracts over 500 of the best youth judo athletes from all 50 states and is a selection venue for the USA Judo Jr. Pan Am and Jr. World teams.

Other athletes placing from Kent included Tyler Westover, a senior from Kentlake, fifth in the mens under 81kg; Calvin Lu a junior from Kentridge placing fifth mens under 90kg and Joseph Cordell, a senior from Kentridge taking seventh in the mens under 73kg.

Judo is offered as a varsity letter sport during the spring sports season in the Kent School District. The Kent schools, along with high schools in Enumclaw, Federal Way, Snohomish and Port Angeles form the Puget Sound High School Judo League and compete annually for a league championship trophy and state tournament honors.