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Massive medal haul for Nanaimo’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club

May 8, 2017 | 7:43 PM

BURNABY — The instructor of Nanaimo’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program at Island Top Team said it was an “unreal weekend.”

Rob Biernacki was referring to the CBJJF Provincial Championship held at BCIT on Saturday.

Island Top Team won its first ever team championship, the Nogi Adult Team Trophy. The club took home an impressive five gold medals at the adult portion of the event.

Umesh Thillaivasan competed up a weight class and took the advanced featherweight division with two victories. Chace Rosychuk had three wins in winning his intermediate featherweight division. In the medium heavyweight division Sean Wilton won the title with a pair of victories. He’s a masters athlete and defeated competitors 20-years younger than himself along the way.

Simarjit Kaur became the first female to win gold while representing Island Top Team when she took three matches to win the beginners division. Another gold medal went to Jamie Gow who captured the beginner heavyweight division with two victories. Other medals went to Parker Friesen who took silver and Cody Kirby who won a bronze.

About a year ago Biernacki started a kids program and two of those athletes had standout performances. In the pee wee white belt gi division Fraser Smith won gold, and Quaid Harrison earned a silver in the teen beginner nogi division.

Two other athletes with Island Top Team connections won championships at other events over the weekend as well. Matt Kwan captured the nogi open weight title at the Submission Series Pro championship in Edmonton and Kyle Boehm took the pro nogi sub only event at the Onnit Invitational in Texas.

Biernacki said the results are a huge boost to club morale with Island Top Team dealing with the fallout of a recent fire at their training facility.

They’ll be opening a new location in June.
 

dan.marshall@jpbg.ca

On twitter: @danmarshall77