Kokoro Judo acquitted itself well at provincials from April 5 to 6 in Prince George.
All told 22 competitors from 100 Mile House competed during the games bringing home several medals including three gold, two silver and three bronze. Kokoro sensei Ian Briggs said he felt all his students had a super weekend of competition.
“I was super pleased I think (the team) placed pretty good. We were right around eleventh place out of the 25 clubs that were there,” Briggs remarked.
When all was said and done Andrea Neidert, Maximillian Springmann and Myah Mason took gold, Ian Sisson and Nabil Louraid won silver and Mike Gibbs, Tai St Pierre and Tyson Dean all brought home bronze. Briggs made sure to have his more competitive students such as Mason also compete at the age level above their own so they could gain some experience competing against more seasoned judoka.
Others, however, competed in already competitive categories.
“There were people like Diana Kozokova, our immigrant from Ukraine, she had 15 people in her division and she actually won more matches than anyone else on our whole team and didn’t medal,” Briggs said. “She worked super hard but there were just too many people in her division so she couldn’t get to the top. She finished fourth which is pretty good for the provincials.”
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Springmann has been a member of Kokoro Judo for close to seven years now, three years competitively. For the last two years he’s been going to every competition he can to test his skills and attends a regional training practice every weekend in Prince George or on the Lower Mainland.
“It gets a little overwhelming but after a while, you get into the rhythm and enjoy it,” Springmann, 16, said.
When asked why he enjoys competing in judo Springmann said that, as a kid, his answer would have been winning medals. While claiming gold still makes him happy, he explained it is the people he meets and the friends he makes that have kept him in the sport.
At provincials this year Springmann said his personal highlight was beating another athlete whom he lost against last year. Winning gold was an added bonus, he noted.
“It’s a little surreal because you’re standing there thinking ‘did I just do that?’ It is hard to describe without being there yourself but I hope I keep doing that in the future,” Springmann said.
Springmann also enjoyed watching his fellow 100 Mile House judoka compete, noting a lot of the age categories below his U18 under 81 kilograms male category were super competitive this year. During provincials, he also refereed a couple of matches for the little kids.
While everyone who competes in the U8, U10 and U12 categories all receive a medal, Briggs observed his students still placed extremely well. Saumil Patel and Hanan Louraid both took first, Sawyer Vinje and Eric Lundsbye both placed second and Aarav Patel and Odin Borge both finished third in their respective age categories.
Briggs said that to get into nationals judoka are judged based on their performances throughout the year, not at how they did at provincials. Springmann is the only member of the club who will be competing in nationals this year in Montreal with Briggs travelling with him to support him.
Springmann is excited to have the chance to compete at the national level, noting he’s been training for this moment for years. Thanks to his hard work his trip to Montreal will be covered by a sponsor. Nationals this year take place from May 23 to 26.
“I’m ecstatic. This is definitely going to be the largest tournament I’ve gone to in my entire life,” Springmann remarked. “I’m going to give it my best shot. I’m definitely feeling confident, especially when I’ve been training for six to seven months constantly dedicated to that.
“I’ve had friends bug me saying I should join rugby or these other sports and I’d really love to but judo is just such an amazing sport and it’s a time investment to get to nationals.”