Members of the Balmoral Judo Club were on the road in late January and early February, earning podium finishes at two major tournaments.
From Jan. 22–25, a small group traveled to Regina to compete in the 2026 Saskatchewan Open. Phoenix Wakeham competed in the U10 division, while Raeghan Wakeham captured bronze in the U14 female novice -44 kg category. Chase Wakeham added a silver medal in the senior men’s novice -81 kg division.
Closer to home, Balmoral athletes returned to competition on Feb. 7 at the Inner City Open Judo Tournament in Winnipeg, where several club members reached the podium.
Ryker Rutledge won gold in the U12 male Group 6 division, with Austin MacDonald earning bronze in the same category. Maverick Patton claimed gold in U12 male Group 3, while Momchil Jongstra finished with bronze. Leo Patton placed fourth in U12 male Group 2.
In older divisions, Allison Mushaluk took silver in the U16 female +71 kg category, Nate Panchuk earned silver in U18 male -81 kg, and Marc James captured gold in senior men’s novice +100 kg. Panchuk also volunteered as a referee during the tournament.
Club coaches said all athletes performed well and were pleased with the overall effort and results.
The club’s next competition will be the Balmoral Open, scheduled for March 28 at College Stonewall Collegiate.
