The event, in its first year as an E-Level tournament, drew more than 450 competitors with top athletes from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Peru, Brazil and the Philippines.

Hometown athlete Radu Brestyan (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Training Site at Pedro’s Judo Center / Team FORCE) won five consecutive matches to take the men’s 73kg title, including to wins over Leonardo Allan (Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai Judo Club) who finished fifth at the 2006 U.S. Open.  

Brestyan, a former wrestler at Brown University, used his excellent matwork skills to defeat Allan, winning their first match with an armbar and the second by pinning the Brazilian.  Allan escaped Brestyan’s first attempt at a pin, but Brestyan persisted for the win.  

“I felt sharp today and think I was definitely on point.  I didn’t miss any opportunities and I took care of business,” Brestyan said. “I’ve learned you have to treat every tournament the same and just close your eyes and do your job.  I learned that the hard way last year, but it doesn’t matter how big the tournament is, you still need to go out there and get the job done.”

Justin Flores (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at Jason Morris Judo Center / San Shi) won the 66kg division, counting among his victories, two wins over 2006 Junior World Team member Jeremy Liggett (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at Jason Morris Judo Center).  

In Flores’ first match against Liggett, who moved up to 66kg last fall, the two athletes felt each other for most of the match.  With less than two minutes remaining, both players picked up the pace and Flores threw Liggett with an uchimata.  

After Flores defeated Ricky Brown (Clairton, Pa. / South Hills Judo) and Liggett picked up a win in the loser’s pool over Clifford Parris (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo), Liggett also fought Brown.  Down by a yuko midway through the match, Liggett threw Brown for a pair of waza-aris (half-point each) to close out the match with just over a minute remaining.

In their next match, both Flores and Liggett started the attacks early, but it wasn’t until the clock wound down to 15 seconds that Flores threw Liggett with another uchimata to win the division.

Athens Olympian Rick Hawn (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Training Site at Pedro’s Judo Center) moved up from 81kg to 90kg this week and winning the division.  After beating 2005 National Champion Dariusz Mikolajczak (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo) in the semifinals, Hawn fought Fred Jaskiewicz (CAN) three consecutive times, splitting the first two matches.  In the third, Jaskiewicz threw Hawn for a koka in the first minute, but Hawn got the throw for ippon (instant win) with an ippon seoi nage (shoulder throw).

Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at Jason Morris Judo Center / 60kg) won his division with three straight victories.  After a first-round bye and a second-round defeat of Nick O’Connell (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo), Kossor’s next match was against Ronnie Talledo (PER / Coral Springs, Fla. / Ki-Itsu-Sai), the 16-year-old who won the New York Open and placed second at the U.S. Open in 2006.  

Talledo was given a shido (penalty) for defensive posture early in the match that remained the only score for either athlete as Kossor won the match.  Talledo then lost to reigning Canadian National Champion Blake Tsuyuki.  When Tsuyuki moved up to fight Kossor, however, the American threw him for with a sode (sleeve throw) for ippon.  

U.S. Open Champion Travis Stevens (Glenville, N.Y. /USA Judo Naitonal Training Site at Jason Morris Judo Center / 81kg) lost his first match to Antoine Valois Fortier (CAN), but fought through his next five matches, which included wins over Fortier and 2006 Senior Nationals bronze medalist Yuko Sin (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at Jason Morris Judo Center).  

Stevens moved up to the final match against Harry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Starrett Judo).  Twenty seconds into the match, St. Leger threw Stevens who was injured during the process.  

Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Training Site at Pedro’s Judo Center / Team FORCE / +100kg), 2006 Senior Nationals bronze medalist, won his round-robin division with little difficulty.  

National Champion Kayla Harrison (Middletown, Ohio / Renshuden / 70kg) won both of her matches by ippon, choking Malinda Bridges (Coventry, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi) and then threw Mercedes Gaffney (Durham, N.H. / University of New Hampshire Judo Club) for ippon 35 seconds into the match.

Four-time National Champion Carrie Chandler (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at Jason Morris Judo Center) beat Tomoko Mori (CAN) in the first round and then beat 2006 Junior World Team member Hannah Martin (Burnt Hills, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at Jason Morris Judo Center) on points to advance to her final match against Maude Helen Benoit.   A win here would have particular significance for Chandler who lost twice in a best-of-three series at the 2006 Morris Cup.  Chandler went in for a throw, however, and sustained an injury, resulting in her withdrawal from the next match and finishing third overall.

In 2006, two-time Pan American Infantile Champion Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi) became the youngest athlete ever to be ranked on a USA Judo Senior Elite National Roster at age 12.   Bouyssou defeated each of her three opponents in the 44kg division, throwing teammate Madison Hatch (Lebanon, Conn.) for a yuko in her final match and then armbarring her for ippon.

Zebra Mats awarded senior elite gold medalists in divisions of at least four competitors with $250 in award money.