Comprised of students from Castlegar and Nelson, Kootenay Jiu Jitsu Academy brought home a second place trophy in the Kids Gi division of the 2015 Western Canadian BJJ Championships in Penticton July 4.
Led by coaches Ken Postnikoff (Castlegar) and Brent James (Nelson), the Kootenay kids won the trophy despite being one of the smaller teams in the tournament.
Gold medals were won by Jaden Whitefield, Mika Whitefield, August Whitefield, and Dylan McDonald, with Hazel McDonald and Connor Nelson winning silver medals.
The Kootenay adults also had a strong showing with gold medal finishes by Josh Goldsbury, Shaine Martini, Damien John, and Ben Carson, a double-silver medal performance by Dan Cosens, and coach Ken Postnikoff finishing second in the Advanced Heavyweight division.