Pedro’s Judo Claims a Spot on Jr. World Team
Pedro’s Judo Center (Wakefield, MA) athletes competed in Spokane, Washington this past weekend at the USA Judo Jr. Olympic Championships. Olympic Silver Medalist Travis Stevens coached the athletes at the event. John Silva, Devin Leggett, Katherinne Lieby, and Lewis Donnelly represented the junior team in the IJF (under 21 years old) division.
Silva for GOLD
John Silva of Saugus, MA (-90kg) went undefeated (4-0) beating number 1 seed Jeffrey Stout and earned himself a gold medal. Silva’s first place finish qualified him for the 2018 Jr. World Team which will take place this fall in Nassau, Bahamas.
Leggett for Silver & Bronze
Devin Leggett of Lynnfield, MA (-73kg) took home a silver medal in the domestic division with a 3-2 record for the day. On his way to earning his silver medal, Leggett beat the Number 1 seed Liam Wright. Leggett repeated his success in the international division, winning himself a bronze medal. This event was one of Leggett’s last junior tournaments and his best junior performance to date.
Lieby for Bronze
Katherinne Lieby of Wakefield, MA (-57kg) went into the event as the number 1 seed. After winning her first two matches, Lieby lost to the eventual gold medalist of the division. Lieby settled for a bronze medal.
Donnelly for Silver
Lewis Donnelly of Wakefield (-90kg) went 2-2 in the domestic division at the tournament. Donnelly, coming off a major injury over the past 2 months, lost to teammate and eventual goal medalist John Silva in the semi-final match. In the international division, however, Donnelly pushed through and came home with a silver medal.
Coach Travis Stevens commented, “Overall, it was a great weekend for our team. We understand that we can’t always be on the top of our game. Being able to put kids in the finals of a National Championships is a big deal… especially when they have to go through the number 1 seed to get there. There is still a lot of work to be done back at the dojo. All in all, I’m happy with the team and the way they represented Judo in New England.”
The Jr. Team at Pedro’s Judo Center now brings it’s focus on helping the senior players prepare for the World Championships coming this September.