Locals shine at kickboxing tournament

By Ryan McCracken on December 10, 2018.

NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
Medicine Hat's Jesse Sandberg (left) and Calgary's Elias Toledo exchange blows during a match in Saturday's Southern Alberta Combative Arts kickboxing tournament.

Medicine Hat News

Kickboxers of all ages were out in full force for a tournament at Southern Alberta Combative Arts on Saturday.

Six members of the local club battled their way to gold while four more ended up the podium in an action packed day of bouts that featured athletes from across Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.

SACA’s Jaxin Notenbomer defeated Tyran Van Loon of Lethbridge’s Progressive Fighting Academy to take gold in the seven-to-eight-year-old division.

Medicine Hat’s Jesse Sandberg settled for silver after falling to Elias Toledo of Calgary’s Mike Miles Muay Thai in the boys seven-to-nine division, while Lethbridge’s Jax Hernandez took third.

Trinity Notenbomer took gold in the nine-to-12 division after defeating Diesel Van Ham in an all-SACA final. Lethbridge’s Kyra Gordon settled for third.

Trinity went on to win a second gold medal with a victory over Izzy Sebree of Strathmore’s The Fight Farm in the female 10-to-11 division.

SACA’s Shelby Reiling clinched gold in the female 15-plus division with a victory over Lethbridge’s Amy Lyczewski, while Hatter Maddy Flug took silver in the female 13-year-old class after falling to Strathmore’s Abby Sebree in the final.

A pair of SACA athletes took the men’s and women’s adult gold medals. Erika Miller took home the women’s god with a win over Lethbridge’s Amy Lyczenski and Tony Traper topped Lethbridge’s Janadara to take first in the men’s division, while SACA’s Rob Cameron took bronze.

Calgary’s Remy Rae defeated Ethan Stettner of Regina-based Ascendant Martial Arts to take the nine-to-12 boys gold medal — the lone division without a local podium finisher. Jasper Friesen took fourth.

The event also featured kickboxers from Regina’s Spices Fitness.