Magnolia Karate Academy competitors won 31 first, second, third and fourth place medals in the annual Invitational Ryobu-Kai Northwest Classic in Portland, Ore., on Feb. 29.
John Kelly won double gold with first place finishes in both kata (forms) and kumite (sparring). Other gold medalists were Cole McCullough with a first in kata and second in kumite, Warren Woodward with a first in kata and a third in kumite, Keane Collins with a first in kumite and a third in kata, and David Bruce-Rennick with a first in kumite.
Jackie Pearson placed second in both kata and kumite. Camaira Metz won the silver in kata, and Zack Ehrlich and Becca Stewart placed second in kumite.
Third and fourth place medalists were Torrey Gray, Julieanna Lee, Kazunari Takeshige, Rachel Horton, Joshua Pearson, Jefferson Lee, Yusuke Shimizu, Brook Fitch, Johnny Ochsner, Pauli Lasorella, Nick Lasorella, Keane Collins, Elisabeth Pearson and Cecily Johnston.
The annual four-state goodwill tournament is sponsored by Northwest Japan Karate-Do Ryobu Kai. The Magnolia dojo fielded 44 competitors and brought home the school trophy for top participation.
Sensei (teacher) Michael O'Donnell founded Magnolia Karate Academy in 2000. O'Donnell has trained in Hayashi Ha Shito-Ryu Karate for more than 22 years. During his competitive career, he placed first in several team and individual kumite (fighting) championships, including the Osaka City Championships, Osaka Prefecture Championships, and All-Japan Championships. In the USA he placed first in the West Coast AAU sanctioned Championships before graduating from the University of Washington.
While in Osaka, O'Donnell taught in a private secondary school, specializing in sports training.
The Magnolia Karate Academy is located in the Village at 2428 32nd Ave. W.
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