By Dan Marshall

Island Top Team brings home gold medals from Richmond tournament

Apr 17, 2019 | 9:20 AM

RICHMOND — Island Top Team had an excellent showing at the Katana Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament at the Richmond Olympic Oval on Saturday.

Guillaume Leclerc, who travels from China to train with ITT, won the purple belt lightweight division with two submission victories.
 
Then he challenged four opponents in the purple belt absolute division, winning all but one match via submision.
 
Leclerc beat an opponent with a 100 pound weight advantage in the final.
 
Chris Merrill won his middleweight blue belt division with a speedy armbar finish to win gold.

He won three matches by submission in the blue belt absolute category where he also earned first place.  
 
Monica Bonczak earned two medals with gold in the blue belt weight division, and bronze in the absolute division.

In the super heavyweight blue belt division Jamie Gow won with a dominant points victory in the gold medal match.

Cal McDonald, who is a kids class instructor, took silver in his heavyweight brown belt division.
 
The ITT kids captured gold, silver, and bronze thanks to sisters Kiona and Sienna Miller.
 
In the overall team standings Island Top Team took second in the adult category.
 
ITT head instructor Rob Biernacki was proud to see his athletes take on and defeat larger and stronger opponents with superior technique.
 
 
dan@nanaimonewsnow.com
On twitter: @danmarshall77
 

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