Some Prince George judokas are taking their games to a higher level for the next two weeks.
The five athletes representing the Hart Judo Academy and Prince George Judo Club are competing at the Qubec Open in Montral this weekend and the Ontario Open in Whitby, Ont., Nov. 8-9.
In between the pair of tournaments, they'll also participate in a training camp to stay sharp.
"Team B.C. has between 20 and 25 athletes on it so Prince George is very well represented," said Team B.C. coach Aline Strasdin, who also serves as the head coach at the PGJC. "Some of the divisions at the Qubec Open are huge. In Kyle's [Wilkinson's] division there are 33 kids. The more matches they get means more experience and a higher level of development. They will see a lot of top players, including seniors."
As many as 850 judokas representing not only Canada, but the U.S., Brazil and Poland will be at the Qubec Open.
The Prince George contingent is comprised of medallists from the B.C. championships Oct. 18 in Abbotsford. The Qubec Open is the first time they'll compete at a tournament with such a high international presence.
The local athletes include Wilkinson (PGJC), who won the silver medal in the under-18 boys -60-kilogram division at the B.C. championships; Lavanna Laass (HJA), who nabbed silver in the senior women's -63kg division; Branden Edwards (PGJC), who took gold in the U16 boys -60kg class; Taylor Schaus (PGJC), who picked up bronze in the U18 boys -50kg division; and Kristen Yawney (PGJC), who brought home the silver medal in the U21 girls -70kg division.
"I'm using it to see who my competition is for the [2015] Canada Winter Games and see how my nerves hold up," said Laass, who earned a spot on B.C.'s 2015 Canada Winter Games team at a selection event in Abbotsford Oct. 18. "I'll see how I hold up emotionally and use it to prepare for the Games."
Edwards sees the Qubec Open and the Ontario Open as a stepping stone for other top-level tournaments.
"I want to get better for nationals and I also want to go to the Western Canada Summer Games next year," he said.
Because of Canada Winter Games spots being on the line in October, the athletes trained right up to the end of July, took August off and resumed sparring in September, including a high-level Team B.C. selection camp at the Northern Sport Centre.
Yawney and Grace Northrop (-52kg, HJA) also earned 2015 Games berths.
"I'm just happy it's over," said Northrop. "The training process [to qualify] was three years and we can now focus on representing Team B.C."
Laass said she almost let her nerves get the best of her, but she still pulled through with a win against her main rival from Burnaby.
