GJC’s impressive medal haul included 13 golds across the weight and age groups over the two days of competition at Rotorua Energy Events Centre.
King was delighted with that and pleased to see more club members getting to out-of-town competitions.
“It was good to get a good-sized team away,” he said. “We’ve had a few years, with what’s gone on with Covid and flooding, where we haven’t been able to go away, (but) we’re starting to get the bigger teams going away again.”
Ella Kelso, Cleo Parkin and veteran Gary McKenzie were among the medals on Day 1 of the North Island champs.
Kelso won gold in the junior women’s under-78 kilograms and junior women’s open, and silver in the senior women’s u78kg.
“Ella’s aiming for the the New Zealand team later in the year for the Perth Oceania Open,” King said.
The Perth competition is the chance to gain international ranking points as Kelso looks to follow a similar path to that of GJC star and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Sydnee Andrews, who is training and competing in Europe in her bid to make the Paris Olympics.
Parkin, a member of the 2023 Tairāwhiti Rising Legends squad, won gold in the cadet women’s u63kg and silver in the cadet women’s open.
It underlined her progress as she looks to the Queensland open in Brisbane next month.
Parkin, Kelso, Amelia Gibb and Mitch Spriggs will be flying the GJC flag at the event.
McKenzie won the veteran men’s 40-49yrs u81kg division uncontested but dropped down to the 30-39yrs age group and won, beating a higher-graded Solomon Islands judoka for the title.
It was the turn of the younger age groups on Day 2 and GJC picked up a multitude of medals.
Gibb’s gold medals in the senior girls’ +63kg and senior girls’ open was among the highlights. Her brother Noah and sister Sarah also brought home medals.
Coach King was also impressed by Reef Mullooly, who, in his first away tournament, won the junior boys’ 45kg and junior boys’ open titles.
“He’s a good fighter,” King said.
Mullooly’s junior open gold led a GJC trifecta, with James McKenzie collecting silver and Malachi Whitley bronze.
Alex Mackay’s gold in the senior girls’ u63kg and silver behind Gibb in the senior girls’ open was another eye-catching performance.
King made special mention of “a few of our newbies”: Eva May Beets, Tanner Feisst — “he fought really well” — and Whitley, all of who won gold.
Several club members will be back in competition action at the New Zealand secondary and intermediate champs in Hamilton next month.
GJC results from North Island champsJames McKenzie — silver in junior boys’ 45kg; silver in junior boys’ open.
Tanner Feisst — gold in junior boys’ 28kg.
Reef Mullooly — gold in junior boys’ 45kg; gold in junior boys’ open.
Blake Pearse — bronze in senior boys’ 50kg.
Sarah Gibb — bronze in junior girls’ 28kg.
Noah Gibb — silver in junior boys 32kg.
Amelia Gibb — golf in senior girls’ +63kg; gold in senior girls’ open.
Alex Mackay — gold in senior girls’ u63kg; silver in senior girls’ open.
Harvey Parkin — silver in senior boys’ u40kg.
Eva May Beets — gold in junior girls’ +36kg; silver in junior girls’ open.
Malachi Whitley — gold in junior boys’ u36kg; bronze in junior boys’ open.
Gary McKenzie — gold (uncontested) in men’s 40-49yrs u81kg; gold in men’s 30-39yrs u81kg.
Cleo Parkin — gold in cadet women’s u63kg; silver in cadet women’s open.
Ella Kelso — gold in junior women’s u78kg; gold in junior women’s open; silver in senior women’s u78kg.
