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Kathy Reynolds, a 15-year-old sophomore at Woodmore and member of the USA Karate National Team, is the first alternate for Junior Worlds Karate Championships to be held in Maleka, Malaysia.
Reynolds won the Bronze Medal at the Pan American Championships in Brazil after winning through the bracket until she was beaten by the eventual Gold Medalist from Mexico with a last second score. The loss knocked her into the Repecharge bracket where she went on to win the Bronze medal match 5-0 against a Chilean opponent.
Reynolds also earned a silver medal at the USA National Championships team trails in Arlington, which allowed her to advance to the Pan American Karate Championships Aug. 28-Sept. 5 in Fortaleza, the fourth largest city in Brazil. The 5-foot-3 Reynolds competed for the USA Karate Team's junior squad (ages 12-20) in the 14- and 15-year-old division.
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| Kathy Reynolds |
Behind Reynold’s effort, USA Karate finished second in the medal count with 31 out of 77 USA athletes medaling. The event was attended by over 500 elite athletes from 21 countries.
Reynolds and her family will leave for a three day journey to Malaysia on October 7 and Kathy will actually be competing on her birthday, Oct. 15. The family is beginning fundraising efforts to cover costs. The family received notice that a spot was open on the team from Jake Lease, Director of Member Services and Events for Karate USA.
“How awesome is that. Malaysia here we come,” mother Jennifer Reynolds wrote in an e-mail to The Press. “We are so pumped.”
Jennifer received e-mail about her daughter’s participation from Dick Grant, who is the Canadian National Team photographer and father of Canadian national champion Pat Grant. At the event will be among some of the world’s best, including Rafael Aghayev, who will be coaching a team from Azerbaijan. Grant said he saw Aghayev at the Junior Worlds a few years ago and now he is a three-time world cfhampion and seven-time European champion.
Kathy is becoming quite the world traveler, as well. Last Easter, she won a silver medal at the USA Open Karate Championships, an international tournament that was held in Las Vegas. In July, in Arlington, Texas, she competed in the USA National Championships and won her third national karate title.
Two years ago, at age 13, Kathy competed in El Salvador and won a gold medal at the Junior Pan American Karate Championships.
Kathy’s local sensei, or teacher, is Mike Jacobs of Shinsuikan Dojo in Genoa. Kathy is also coached by Dustin Baldis, who was recently named a USA National Coach of the Year. Baldis operates the Pennsylvania Shotokan Club (PSKC) near Pittsburgh and has been one of Kathy's instructors for the past year.
The Reynolds family has been holding fundraisers to help defray the cost of Kathy's trip to Brazil. McDonald's coupon cards can be purchased by contacting Mike Jacobs at 419-855-1400, and the Shinsuikan Dojo in Genoa is also taking donations.
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