The standard of karate competitors in Ards, Bangor & Holywood continues to grow. At the recent Karate Northern Ireland Championships held in Dungiven Leisure Centre over thirty athletes from the Mizukara Karate clubs were in the hunt for medals. Their supporters were not disappointed as the team returned at the top of the medal table with fourteen golds, ten silver and twelve bronze medals.
First up in the morning were the team kata (patterns) events. Mizukara students took gold and silver in the under age 14 event. Team members were Helena Stitt, Bella Cordner, Oliver Prohaszka, Harrison Stitt and Dylan McBride. In the Senior Team kata Mizukara competitors took gold and bronze. The elite trio of Levi Kane, Anna McCormick taking the title home just in front of their delighted teammates, Angela McEvilly, Ben Ritchie and Victoria Magreehan. In the team kumite (sparring) Mizukara lifted the under age 12 title with Niamh Parker, Cooper McEvilly, Bella Cordner and Helena Stitt. They then added the under age 14 title via Caleb Orchin, Dylan McBride and Harrison Stitt. Mizukara under age 16 students Abigail Cordner, Robyn McMaster and Freya Grindle then added a silver in their team kumite event.
In the individual events brother and sister duo Harrison and Helena Stitt shone. Both took gold medals in their respective kata and kumite events. More kata gold medals were won by the following students: Sydney Murdoch, a gold in her first ever competition, Bella Cordner Ben Ritchie, Angela McEvilly and the in the senior event, by Levi Kane. A final gold was added to the tally by Megan Benson in her individual kumite. Megan was delighted as this is her third Northern Ireland kumite title. The team’s tally of silver medals was added to individually by Dylan McBride both in his individual kata and kumite, by Megan in her kata, by newcomers Lewis Grindle, Niamh Greer, Caleb Orchin and Ewa Mazur in their individual kata. The final two silvers came from up-and-coming star Oliver Prohaszka and Amy Adair also in their respective kata events.
The team’s tally of bronze medals in kumite were for Freya Grindle, Niamh and Noah Parker. This was added to in kata by Anna McCormick, Kath Stephenson, Joel Orchin, Lucy Spence, Ethan Calwell, Abigail Cordner, Freya Grindle. On the day there were also excellent performances from Rachel Benson, Rory Fischaber, Heidi Magreehan, Tyler McBride, Sophie-Rose O’Mara, Alicia Laines, Jonah McMaster, Oliver Mazur, Chloe Spence and Robyn McMaster. As a result of these superb results the following athletes were invited to join the Northern Ireland Squad: Bella Cordner, Helena Stitt and Megan Benson. Our sincerest congratulations to not just them, but to all our competitors. Coach David Brashaw added “Our coaching team are delighted with these results. Right across our squad, from competition newbies to our world class athletes everyone gave it their best. So many highlights to note from our squad. Three outstanding moments for me were the final of the boys kumite between Dylan McBride and Harrison Stitt, the senior team kata gold from Anna McCormick, Amy Adair & Levi Kane and the girls team kumite final from Helena Stitt, Cooper McEvilly and Niamh Parker. Al in al a fantastic day for our students.”
