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Russell, Halliday strike karate gold ————————————— By DAVID RUEHING Sports Writer —————————————- Jessica Russell and Sara Halliday won gold medals in the 1994 AAU National Karate Championships, held July 7-10 in Chicago. Russell and Halliday were part of a group from Harris Martial Arts competing in the national tournament. Russell, 17-years won two gold medals She was the National Kata Champion in female intermediate and the National Kumite Champion in qualifying for the Junior Olympic Games, which will be held July 27-Aug. 6 in Cocoa Beach, Fla. Russell went through the American Coaches Effectiveness Program to become an AAU certified coach. "She’s an athlete, pure and simple," said John Harris, chief instructor at Harris Martial Arts. "She has the unique ability to train, and that’s what it takes, more training than anything. She has a lot of determination, and that drives her." Halliday, 11-years and competing in her first national tournament, became the National Kate Champion. "She’s really good," Harris said. "This was her first nationals and her second competition. She did the same at state. She spent three months sitting on the sidelines, watching her brother, and when she finally decided to join she knew what we were doing." Halliday is just a beginner, and in order to advance to the Junior Olympics an athlete must be at least intermediate. "I expect her to be going someday," Harris said. Harris said about 28 athletes from Harris Martial Arts competed. To advance to the Junior Olympics, an athlete had to place in the top eight at nationals. "We had quite a few place and qualify for the Junior Olympic Games," Harris said. "Competition this year was fierce. There were 3,000 competitors, the most there’s ever been. Others shining at nationals 4 were Trent Emory, who won the silver in Kumite and bronze in Kate and qualified for the Junior Olympics, Elizabeth Irish, who won the bronze in Kumite and was fourth in Kate and qualified for the Junior Olympics, and Kyle Modell was a silver medalist in Kata. "Elizabeth has been with us since the beginning," Harris said. Last year was her first national competition, and she was kind of overwhelmed. She was 12 at the time, and now she’s 13 and has a few more tournaments under her belt. This year she was a veteran and finally got a medal to take home with her." Austin Yates and Ronald Brashear became ACEP Level 2 Certified and AAU National Certified Referees. Earnest Smith was fourth in Kumite, Katie Modell was fourth in Kata, Jazmin Falcon was fourth in Kata and Kumite and qualified for the Junior Olympics, and Jennifer Purser was fourth in Kata and Kumite and qualified for the Junior Olympics. John Harris Jr. was fourth in Kata and seventh in Kumite and qualified for the Junior Olympics, Melissa Buchacher was fourth in Kumite, Thomas Bingham was fourth in Kata, Joe Moore was fifth in Kumite and qualified for the Junior Olympics, James Comeford was sixth in Kata and Kyle Plnkham was sixth in Kate. Stephanie Yates was sixth in kumite and qualified for the Junior Olympics, J.D. Rhodes was eighth in Kumite and qualified for the Junior Olympics, Karin Gauvey was seventh in Kumite and qualified for the Junior Olympics, Matthew Love was seventh in Kate, Michael Moritz was seventh in Kate and eighth in Kumite, and Thomas Eagle was eighth in Kata. |
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