WKU Invitational Championships 2009

2009-05-03

The SKA Karate Team competed at the WKU Invitational Championships on Sunday 3rd May 2009. After less than an ideal start to the year the squad knuckled down and enjoyed a good couple of months of intensive training. Last year the squad topped the medal table at this competition with 9 golds, but given that so many squad members have graded etc , they thought it would be difficult to equal the success of last year. However, the squad were looking good leading up to the championships and the coaches were feeling very optimistic.

The team of 14 SKA athletes were all on form and they walked away with an incredible 12 golds, 4 silvers and 5 bronze medals. This was more than enough to top the medal table again this year, beating over 30 other clubs and associations! The SKA youngsters had got into a habit of making mistakes at competitions this year, but the change in training designed to eliminate this seems to have paid off. There was an increase in power and precision from all of the SKA competitors and with the eradication of errors it was a winning combination.

Another incredible statistic is that out of the 10 kata events they entered, the SKA Karate Team won gold in 9 of them! They won both the team kata events with the ‘a’ team taking gold in the advanced event and the newly formed beginners team also taking gold in the 4th kyu and below event. The only kumite team that the SKA entered narrowly missed out on gold, taking a well earned silver and the only 2 seniors who entered both won gold. Lots of the competitors were entered into multiple events but they proved to have the mental and physical stamina required to keep winning round after round.

Well done to everybody who competed for the SKA – you did your club, association, supporters, coaches and yourselves proud!! Results are listed below:

GOLD:
Lewis Holmes: 6th kyu and below, 9yrs and under, mixed kata.
Toni Shering: 5th – 4th kyu, 9yrs and under, mixed kata.
Michael Holmes: 3rd kyu and above, 9yrs and under, mixed kata.
Katie Pharo: 6th kyu and below, 10-15yrs, mixed kata.
Sian Barton: 3rd kyu and above, 10-15yrs, girls kata.
Rod Barton: 4th kyu and below, 16yrs+, mixed kata.
Clare Bonello: 3rd kyu and above, 16yrs+, female kata.
Chloe Pharo, Ellie Barton, Sian Barton: 3rd kyu and above, mixed team kata.
Toni Shering, Katie Pharo, Graeme Richardson: 4th kyu and below, mixed team kata.
Lewis Holmes: 10yrs and below shobu juruken.
Katie Pharo: 4th kyu and below, 10-12yrs, -45k, girls kumite.
Louise Hicks: 3rd kyu and above, 10-12yrs, 45k+, girls kumite.

SILVER:
Bethany Scoulding, Louise Hicks, Ryan Beavington: 3rd kyu and above, mixed team kata.
Toni Shering, Michael Holmes, Graeme Richardson: 9yrs and under, mixed team kumite.
Graeme Richardson: 4th kyu and below, 9yrs and under, boys kumite.
Chloe Pharo: 3rd kyu and above, 10-12yrs, -45k, girls kumite.

BRONZE:
Graeme Richardson: 6th kyu and below, 9yrs and under, mixed kata.
Bethany Scoulding: 3rd kyu and above, 10-15yrs, girls kata.
Chloe Pharo: 3rd kyu and above, 10-15yrs, girls kata.
Lewis Holmes, Michael Holmes, Edward Van Meerkerk: 3rd kyu and above, mixed team kata.
Toni Shering: 5th kyu and above, 9yrs and under, girls kumite.

Congratulations to the SKA Karate Team for this fantastic set of results; not one of them walked away empty handed! Coach Clare Bonello added, ‘I could not have been more proud with the effort, achievements and sporting attitude amongst the team. Thank you to Lisa and Rod who helped coach and thanks to Wendy and the WKU for hosting yet another flawlessy run competition.

Ooosshhhhaaaaa!!!!!!’

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