Yonezuka Gets His Gold at Senior Pan Ams
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by Bill Kellick
After finishing fifth the last two years, 2024 Olympian Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, N.J. / NYAC / Cranford JKC) finally earned his much sought-after gold medal on Friday at the Senior Pan American-Oceania Championships in Santiago, Chile. Yonezuka's win paced a five-medal performance by Team USA as they finished third in the team standings behind Brazil and Canada.
Yonezuka's 2024 Olympic teammates Maria Laborde (Kenosha, Wis. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center / 48 kg) and John Jayne (Chicago, Ill. / 90 kg) also captured medals along with Mariah Holguin (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo / 57 kg) and Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / L.A. Judo).
Three straight victories by ippon (instant win) propelled the 21-year-old Yonezuka into the 73 kg finals. He defeated Fernando Salazar (CHI) in the round of 16, Andres Sandoval (COL) in the quarterfinals and Ulises Mendez (MEX) in the semifinals.
In the finals, Yonezuka faced three-time Senior Pan Am Champion and Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Daniel Cargnin (BRA). In a closely contested match, Yonezuka was able to pin Cargnin to pull out the victory.
I've been thinking about this result for six months now. I made it my goal this year to become Pan American Champion.
With three straight bronze medals coming into this year's event, Laborde upgraded to silver in Santiago. She posted back-to-back wins by penalty over Marie-Lune Turmel (CAN) in the quarterfinals and over defending silver medalist Erika Lasso (COL) in the semifinals. Penalties, however, were Laborde's downfall in the finals against Natasha Ferreira (BRA) as she incurred her third and disqualifying penalty to give the title to Ferreira.
Also reaching the second step of the podium was Holguin in the women's 57 kg competition. It was Holguin's highest finish yet at the event, building on her bronze medals from 2022 and 2024. The 24-year-old reached the finals with wins by ippon over Elizabeth Segura (CHI) in the round of 16 and over Lian Benavides (CUB) in the semifinals, and by yuko (quarter-point) over Astrid Gavidia (ECU) in the quarterfinals. However, like Laborde, Holguin picked up three penalties in the finals to award the gold medal to Shirlen Nascimento (BRA).
The 17-year-old Yang, the youngest member of the U.S. team, was competing in his first Senior Pan American-Oceania Championships and looked comfortable in the spotlight. The reigning cadet world champion won his opening match by ippon over Marcos Cola Gonzalez (DOM) before losing by waza-ari (half point) to countryman David Terao (Falls Church, Va.). In that quarterfinal match against Terao, both players suffered cuts due to an inadvertent clash of their heads and both would finish the competition sporting head bandages.
In the repechage round, Yang would rebound with a win by yuko over Jairo Moreno (ESA) and then defeat Arath Juarez (MEX) by waza-ari in the bronze medal contest to claim his first Senior Pan Am medal.
For Jayne, his bronze medal marked his fourth straight medal at the event to go along with a silver and two other bronze. After winning his opening match by yuko over Naysdel Cardoso (CUB), Jayne was relegated to the repechage after losing by penalty to Medrickson Del Orbe Cortorreal (DOM) in the quarterfinals. He regrouped with a win by ippon over Guillaume Gaulin (CAN) and another ippon victory over two-time Grand Slam bronze medalist Giovani Ferreira (BRA) in the bronze medal match.
It was a tough day. The first two matches were really quite hard. Competition is never easy and today I was definitely reminded of that. By the end, I felt like I was back to myself.
Top eight and U.S. results are as follows:
Men’s 60 kg
1. Michel Augusto (BRA)
2. Jonathan Charon (CUB)
3. Jhonathan Benevides (ECU)
3. Jonathan Yang (Los Angeles, Calif. / USA Judo National Resident Team / L.A. Judo)
5. David Terao (Falls Church, Va.)
5. Arath Juarez (MEX)
7. Johan Rojas (COL)
7. Jairo Moreno (ESA)
Women’s 48 kg
1. Natasha Ferreira (BRA)
2. Maria Celia Laborde (Kenosha, Wis. / NYAC / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center)
3. Mary Dee Vargas Ley (CHI)
3. Laura Vasquez (ECU)
5. Edna Carrillo (MEX)
5. Erika Lasso (COL)
7. Marie-Lune Turmel (CAN)
7. Mikaela Rojas (ARG)
Men’s 66 kg
1. Ronald Lima (BRA)
2. Diego Calix (ESA)
3. Julien Frascadore (CAN)
3. Lenin Preciado (ECU)
5. Joaquin Tovagliari (ARG)
5. Robin Jara (MEX)
7. Tatalong Hannarong (NZL)
7. Orlando Polanco (CUB)
Also Competed: Ari Berliner (Cumming, Ga. / NYAC / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1
Women’s 52 kg
1. Evelyn Beaton (CAN)
2. Jessica Pereira (BRA)
3. Agustina Lahiton (ARG)
3. Keisy Perafan (ARG)
5. Paulina Martinez (MEX)
5. Driulys Rivas (PER)
7. Francine Echevarria (PUR)
7. Jenna Schurr (Torrance, Calif.)
Men’s 73 kg
1. Jack Yonezuka (West Long Branch, N.J. / NYAC / Cranford JKC)
2. Daniel Cargnin (BRA)
3. Antonio Tornal (DOM)
3. Yanis Hachemi (CAN)
5. Justin Lemire (CAN)
5. Ulises Mendez (MEX)
7. Andres Sandoval (COL)
7. Ronal Gonzalez (PAN)
Women’s 57 kg
1. Shirlen Nascimento (BRA)
2. Mariah Holguin (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo)
3. Bianca Reis (BRA)
3. Tinka Easton (AUS)
5. Astrid Gavidia (ECU)
5. Lian Benavides (CUB)
7. Ana Rosa (DOM)
7. Marian Flores (PER)
Men’s 81 kg
1. Gabriel Falcao (BRA)
2. Keagan Young (CAN)
3. Agustin Gil (ARG)
3. Luan Almeida (BRA)
5. Gilberto Cardoso (MEX)
5. Johan Silot (Salem, Mass. / NYAC)
7. Franco Toscanini (CHI0
7. Antony Ramirez Bone (DOM)
Also Competed: Nick Yonezuka (West Long Branch, N.J. / NYAC / Cranford JKC), 0-1
Women’s 63 kg
1. Nauana Silva (BRA)
2. Catherine Beauchemin-Pinard (CAN)
3. Maylin Del Toro Carvajal (CUB)
3. Rafaela Silva (BRA)
5. Anriquelis Barrios (VEN)
5. Cindy Mera (COL)
7. Marcela Alfaro (CHI)
7. Laurence Biron (CAN)
Also Competed: Emily Jaspe (Hialeah, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai National Training Center), 0-1
Men’s 90 kg
1. Rafael Macedo (BRA)
2. Mariano Coto Bersier (ARG)
3. Medickson Del Orbe Cortorreal (DOM)
3. John Jayne (Chicago, Ill.)
5. Alexander Knauf (Yorkville, Ill. / NYAC)
5. Giovanni Ferreira (BRA)
7. Danny Vojnikovich (AUS)
7. Guillaume Gaulin (CAN)
Women’s 70 kg
1. Aoife Coughlan (AUS)
2. Celinda Corozo (ECU)
3. Luana Carvalho (BRA)
3. Eliana Aguiar (VEN)
5. Xsara Morales Falconi (PER)
5. Yilian Carvajal Ramos (CUB)
7. Katia Castillo (MEX)
7. Luisa Bonilla (COL)
Also Competed: Yasmin Alamin (Woodbridge, Va. / USA Judo National Resident Team / Sport Judo), 0-1; Melissa Myers (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-1
Men’s 100 kg
1. Leonardo Goncalves (BRA)
2. Robert Florentino (DOM)
3. Francisco Balanta (COL)
3. Ivo Dargoltz (ARG)
5. Thomas Briceno (CHI)
5. Jared Causse (Westminster, N.C. / Los Angeles Tenri Judo Dojo)
7. Angel Antonio Gini (PAR)
Women’s 78 kg
1. Brenda Olaya (COL)
2. Coralie Godbout (CAN)
3. Lianet Cardona (CUB)
3. Maria Swan (AUS)
5. Camila Figueroa (PER)
5. Beatriz Freitas (BRA)
7. Zunilda Chavez (VEN)
Also Competed: Nicole Stout (Schenectady, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-2
Men’s +100 kg
1. Andy Granda (CUB)
2. Rafael Buzacarini (BRA)
3. Jonathan Loynaz (CUB)
3. Francisco Solis (CHI)
5. Sergio Del Sol (MEX)
5. Jose Nova Alcantara (DOM)
Women’s +78 kg
1. Beatriz Souza (BRA)
2. Sydnee Andrews (NZL)
3. Naomis Elizarde Suarez (CUB)
3. Brigitte Carabali (COL)
5. Karra Hanna (BAH)
5. Izayana Marenco (NCA)
Also Competed: Jessica Alaynick (Scotia, N.Y. / Jason Morris Judo Center), 0-2
