Big Medal Haul at the EKF Nationals

The JKS England Squad competed at the EKF National Championships in Sheffield over the weekend of 16th & 17th April.  We picked up our highest medal haul at this event in our five years of competing there, with 22 medal positions collected this time.

There were several noticeable performances.  Leading the way were Johann Santos and David Lister who both collected Gold medals, Johann in Junior Male Kata and David in Cadet Male Kumite -70Kg.  Both looked very assured and confident.  There were also excellent performances from Lee Lamb and Ashley Scott-Heald who took Silver medals in Senior Male Kata and Senior Female Kumite -61Kg respectively.  Lee had won every round prior to the final 5-0 and Ashley scored a spectacular timing Ura-Mawashi Geri on her route to the final.

Amber Bannister collected a fantastic five medals over the weekend.  Two individual Kumite medals, an individual Kata medal and also Team Kata and Team Kumite.  A brilliant all-round example.

There were so many impressive performances over all age ranges that there are too many to mention but with ten Silver medals we were surely close to being top of the medal table...if only we could convert Silver to Gold.  That is next years challenge!

In the meantime, the Squad are next in action at the BKF Home Nations in May as they strive to get themselves picked for the team to compete at the JKS World Championships in September.

All the results are listed below.

Gold
Junior Male Kata - Johann Santos
Cadet Male -70KG Kumite – David Lister

Silver
Senior Female -61KG Kumite – Ashley Scott-Heald
Senior Male Kata - Lee Lamb
Junior Female -59KG Kumite - Laura Mackintosh
Junior Female -53KG Kumite - Amber Bannister
Cadet Female -54KG Kumite – Sarah Howarth
12-13 Male Kumite +55Kg - Isaac Mitchell
Disability Kata - Alistair Milburn
Senior Female Team Kumite - Tanya Handley, Ashley-Scott Heald & Hannah Cain
12-13 Male Team Kumite - Joe Hird, Harry Hardcastle & Isaac Mitchell
12-13 Female Team Kumite - Amy Tegetmieir, Alice Whittington, Grace Baron & Georgia Freer

Bronze
Senior Male -60Kg Kumite – Joe Bulmer
Junior Female Open Weight Kumite - Amber Bannister
Junior Female Kata - Amber Bannister
Junior Female Kata – Lacie Stembridge
Cadet Male Kata - Rowan Reeve
10-11 Male Kumite +37.5Kg - Seb Mitchell
Senior Male Team Kata - Johann Santos, Lee Lamb & Jordan Weatherley
Junior Female Team Kumite - Amber Bannister & Laura Mackintosh
Cadet/Junior Female Team Kata - Sarah Howarth, Lacie Stembridge & Amber Bannister
10-13 Mixed Team Kata - Jessica Maitland, Rowan Reeve & James Harrison