11 chosen for national karate team

Carly Morrissey | 26th November 2009

ELEVEN of the Mary Valley's karate kids have been selected into the national karate team.

Alana Connolly, five, takes first place in Kata in the under 6 division at the Australian Open International Full Contact Karate Championships at Manly.

Contributed

ELEVEN of the Mary Valley’s karate kids have been selected into the national karate team.

Sensei Steve Gorlick, a fifth degree black belt and world karate champion in 1995, said he was extremely proud of the Mary Valley Shotokan Karate Club fighters that competed in the Australian Open International Full Contact karate championships held in Manly, south of Brisbane over the weekend.

Sensei Steve Gorlick and Sensei Madonna Daley-Zacnic, a third Degree black belt, took 12 fighters to the championships run by the Australian Koshiki Karate Association. Sensei Gorlick said the kids were outstanding and won at every tournament they competed in.

“They’re a great bunch of kids, we’re like a family,” he said.

Before the competition the dedicated students were training five times a week, but that has now been scaled back to four.

The tournament was a try-out for the Australian team before they head to the Ozawa Cup to fight, in July 2010 at Las Vegas, America.

Competitors who placed first and second were granted automatic entry to the Australian team. Those placed third were chosen as reserves.

Alana Connolly placed first in Kata and third in Kumite in the Under 6 Division , her big sister Amelia also placed first in Kata and second in Kumite in the Under 9 Brown belt Division.

Ethan Tu’akoi placed first in full contact, second in Kumite and third in Kata, while Gus Nye placed first in Kata and first in Kumite. Izac Leacy placed second in Kumite and third in Kata and Kyle Gorlick placed second in full contact and third in Kumite. Michael Rayner placed first in full contact, Lepeka Tu’akoi placed second in Kumite and second in Kata, Ben Tobin placed second in the men’s full contact and Steve Connolly placed second in the men’s Kumite. Team captain Mitchell Connolly placed fourth in Kumite and fourth in Kata in the Under 14 black belt division.

Sensei Gorlick said Michael, Gus, Izac and Kyle came first, second, third and fourth in a division where they had to face each other.

Kyle Gorlick and Michael Rayner also fought for first place in the same full contact division.

Sensei Gorlick said he couldn’t be prouder of his students as they continued to do themselves and the Mary Valley proud.