The Karate BC Provincial Championships held at BCIT earlier this month showcased over 500 athletes from around the province.
The Zone 2 (Okanagan and Kootenays) Team coached by Chris Taneda, Mike Ditson, Darren Harpe and Owen Lloyd brought home 54 medals.
The Taneda Karate Dojo won 38 medals while seven medals went to Rodney Hobson Karate Academy.
Kelowna Tsuruoka Karate Club and Jushinkan Martial Arts each took three medals, Kamloops Renshikan Karate won 2 and Trail Traditional Karate earned one.
Taneda Karate Dojo was led by quadruple medal winner Tyler Marshall who won 3 Gold and one Bronze medal.
He captured the Gold Boys 16/17 Novice Kata and Kumite and then stepped up to the Intermediate Division and won Gold in Kumite and Bronze in Kata.
Taneda Karate Dojo double medallists were Will Wright for his gold in Boys 16/17 Elite Kumite and gold in Boys Intermediate Kata.
Cassidy Koenigbauer won gold in both Girl’s 16/17 Novice Kata and Kumite. Claire Boothe took gold in Elite Womens Kumite and Bronze in 18-20 Girls Kumite.
Ian Jones performed a gold medal Masters Men’s Kata and followed up with a Bronze in Masters Men’s Kumite.
Gurkamal Kaloty won gold in 12-13 Boys Advanced Kumite as well as a Bronze in 12-13 Boys Kata.
Jessica Michaud scored silver for Girl’s 10-11 Intermediate Kumite and a Bronze in her 10-11 Girls Kata. Katie Becker took the Bronze in 16-17 Girls Intermediate Kumite and Kata.
Rounding out double medal winners were Jodie Bartier and Rita Becker who both scored Bronze medals in Masters Womens Kumite and Masters Women’s Kata.
Also bringing home medals from the Taneda Karate Dojo were Emily Jones gold in 12-13 Girls Kata, Simarjit Kaloty who took silver in 8-9 Girls Kata, Janie Mills with her 8-9 girls Kumite silver, Ray Sebastian with a silver in masters men’s Kata, Takeshi Smith for his 12-13 Boys Kumite Silver, Taylor Hunter with a Silver in 16-17 Boys Kumite, Rhiannon Jones who picked up a Silver in 14-15 Elite Girls Kumite, Sukhresh Kaloty winning Silver in 18-20 Elite Boys Kumite, Sarah Watson with a Silver in 16-17 Elite Girls Kumite, Caleb Enns for a bronze in 12-13 Boys Kumite, Darian Lewis with a Bronze in Intermediate Mens Kata, Branden Tutkaluk winning Bronze in 7 and under Boys Kumite, Avneet Kaloty taking the Bronze in 16-17 Elite Girls Kumite, Brett Michaud scoring the 14-15 Elite Boys Kumite Bronze, Braden Sebastian winning Bronze in 16-17 Elite Boys Kumite and Jackson Tribe with a Bronze in 14-15 Elite Boys Kumite.
Earning a spot on the B.C. Squad competing for a spot on the B.C. Team were Taneda Karate Dojo athletes were Claire Boothe, Rhiannon Jones, Avneet Kaloty, Sukhresh Kaloty, Brett Michaud, Braden Sebastian, Jackson Tribe, Sarah Watson and Will Wright.
In addition to medals won in competition, Karate BC honoured Taneda Karate Dojo athlete Jessica Michaud with the Junior Sportsmanship Award and Mike Ditson with the Karate BC High Performance Coach of the Year award.