Estevan youth wins double gold at provincials

ESTEVAN — Dalton Short has added to his impressive collection of gold medals through the sport of jiu-jitsu.

Short is an 11-year-old member of the Estevan Combat Sports and Fitness. At the recent Copa Sask. provincial championship in Regina, he won gold in both gi and no gi for grey belts in the 10 and 11-year-old age group among competitors weighing 81-87 pounds. He has now won seven gold medals during his five years in the sport.

In Brazilian jiu-jitsu, gi sees both players wear a cotton kimono, which can be used to grip and defeat an opponent.

"You have baggy pants and stuff. And you wear a belt. So in gi you can grab on and you have grips to use," Dalton said.

No gi jiu-jitsu is when both competitors wear tight clothes that an opponent can't grab.

"You win by points or by submission, or by a decision," Short said.

He had two opponents in his age group and weight class, and he won all of his matches at provincials.

He says he's pretty strong with big legs, so jiu-jitsu proved to be perfect for him.

"Legs, they're like the strongest part of your body for tussling," he said. "I'm really good at it … I've always liked it and I've done it for a long time."

He credits his mother Marsha for getting him into the sport. He recalls he was playing baseball, but he left the sport because he didn't want to play any longer. At that point, his mother Marsha suggested jiu-jitsu.

"I tried it, and I've loved it ever since," he said.

His mother thought it would be something he would enjoy and good for his muscle development.

"I had other friends who were in the club as well," she said.

Short's coaches at Southeast Combat Sports and Fitness are Tyson King, Dallas Fonstad and Amber Burt. They're all really good coaches, he said, and he enjoys his time there.

He'll spend 90 minutes there on Tuesdays and 60 minutes on Sundays. They practise their techniques, and he'll stick around for the extra 30 minutes on Tuesdays for matches and open mat time.

The club has helped him improve as an athlete.

"I'm a lot better than I once was," he said proudly.

Estevan athletes won a total of 18 medals at Copa Sask., with four gold, five silver and nine bronze.

Octavia Hill won the gold medal in girls' no gi and silver in gi for eight and nine-year-old white belts in the 95-pound-plus weight class.

Roman Hill won a gold medal in boys' gi and bronze in no gi for white belts 10 and 11 years old in the 81-87-pound weight class.

Also competing at Copa Sask. were:

Leighton Petterson won silver in girls' no gi and was fourth in girls gi for eight and nine-year-old white belts weighing 75-80 pounds;

Bryson Lefort-Lynx won silver in boys gi for eight and nine-year-olds white belts, 60 pounds and below. He was fourth in no gi in the 61-67-pound weight class, as there wasn’t a 60-and-under weight class.

Hunter Griffin won silver in boys' no gi and was fifth in gi for white belts in the 12-13-year-old age group’s 135-pound weight class.

Nicole Grass won silver in masters women's gi and bronze in no gi for white belts in the 175-pound-plus weight class.

Oliver Wock won bronze in boys' gi and no gi for six to seven-year-old white belts weighting 62-68 pounds.

Theodore Wock won bronze in boys' no gi and was fifth in gi for eight and nine-year-old white belts weighing 61-67 pounds;

Liam Kwochka won bronze in the boys' gi and no gi for 12 and 13-year-old grey belts in the 117-125-pound weight class;

Amber Burt won bronze in both gi and no gi for the open women's blue belt class.

Soren Peterson was fourth in the boys' gi' and no gi for grey belts in the 12-13-year-old age group and weighing 117-125 pounds.