In the wee hours of March 23 three buses filled with athletes and coaches left Prince George for the BC Winter Games in Vernon where they would join more than 1,300 of BC’s best high performance athletes to compete on the provincial level during the four-day competition.
During the first day of competition the Judo athletes competed individually as everyone competes in their own weight category to earn a medal.
Athletes who represented Zone 8 in Judo include Maegan Grooten - Gold (48kg), Madeleine Schimann - Silver (48kg), Nevada Jones - Gold (57kg), Alandra Steiger - Gold (63kg), and Yannick Schimann - Bronze (50kg).
The next day saw the team competition.
“The team spirit of this event is unmatched and the energy on and off the mats is so supportive,” Rianne Grooten, mother of gold-medal winner Maegan, said.
The team competition saw each zone select three females and three males representing lightweight, medium weight, and heavyweight to create the team.
Under the leadership of coaches Nicole Willows and Branden Edwards, the Zone 8 team of Judokas brought home the gold medal for their efforts.
Zone 8 team includes Maegan Grooten, Madeleine Schimann, Nevada Jones, Alandra Steiger, Yannick Schimann, Olivia Beckett, Grayson Holliday, Jesse Hedstrom, Levi Cartwright, Georgia Mackenzie, Dax Norman, Alex Ezaki, and Craig Hunter.
