Former wrestler Jason Morris named to coach 2005 U.S. World Championships Judo Team
<< Back to Articles
USA Judo and other sources ()
06/08/2005
Glenville, NY based Jason Morris Judo Club (JMJC) owner/operator, Jason Morris has been named by USA Judo as the head coach of its world team that will compete September 8-11, 2005 in Cairo, Egypt. Morris is a former wrestler who was a NCAA All-American for Syracuse University. He placed fifth in the 1989 NCAA Championships at 167 pounds for the Orangeman. Morris was also a high school wrestling star from the Albany, N.Y. area Morris is fresh off being the head coach for the US team at the Pan Am Judo championships where the US squad won 10 total medals including 4 gold. Four members of the 14 member US team already train with Morris at the JMJC, Carrie Chandler (52kg), Aaron Cohen (81kg), Katie Mocco (70kg) and Ronda Rousey (63kg). "It's just going to be great to have our personal coach with us at the worlds" said one of the JMJC's stars, Carrie Chandler. Morris has competed in five worlds himself including winning a bronze in 1993 and never finishing lower than Ninth, which came in 1991. Morris also is a 4x Olympian and 1992 Olympic silver medalist. He will look to draw on that experience to help the U.S. team improve on its 1-18 total match record at the last 2003 Worlds, which was the worst in its history. "I am honored to have this opportunity" said Morris. "This worlds will be a great building block for these athletes on the road to Beijing in 2008. I just hope to be able to help them prepare any way I can to give them the chance to perform to their potential." The 2005 USA Judo World Championships Team was selected at the World Team Trials in Virginia Beach last April and are listed below: Men: Weight, Name, Current Residence 60 kg: Taraje Williams-Murray, Bronx, New York 66 kg: Justin Flores, Menlo Park, Calif. 73 kg: Ryan Reser, Colorado Springs, Colo. 81 kg: Aaron Cohen, Glenville, New York 90 kg: Dariusz Mikolajczak, Brooklyn, New York 100kg: Rhadi Ferguson, Boca Raton, Florida +100 kg: Kirk Hoffmann, Colorado Springs, Colo. Women: Weight, Name, Current Residence 48 kg: Sayaka Matsumoto, Richmond, Calif. 52 kg: Carrie Chandler, Glenville, New York 57 kg: Valerie Gotay Temecula, Calif. 63 kg: Ronda Rousey, Glenville, New York 70 kg: Katie Mocco, Glenville, New York 78 kg: Molly O'Rourke, El Cerrito, Calif. +78 kg: Garlyne Celestin, Brooklyn, New York