The season's just getting under way but already Moose Jaw's Meaghen Cullen is making her presence felt throughout the province.Cullen, a member of the Moose Jaw Judo Club, has taken part in two tournaments and has captured a total of four medals.
She was one of 13 members of the local club who took part in a tournament in Watrous on the weekend where she went undefeated in the juvnile girls' under-52 kg. division to win the gold. She also competed in the junior women's under-48 division and placed second.
In all Moose Jaw came home from Watrous with 16 medals including five gold, nine silver and two bronze.
Matthew Bespalko was also a double medal winner, finishing second in the juvenile boys' under-74 kg. event and second in the junior men's under-71 kg division while Leah Jacobson finished second in the junior women's under-56 kg. event and third on the juvenile girls' under-50 division.
Steve Hansen went undefeated in the senior men's under-65 kg. division to win gold and he also placed fourth in the senior men's under-71 kg. event.
Moose Jaw's other golds came from Stephanie Legault in teh cadet girls' under-34 kg. division, Eli Jacobson in the cadet boys' over-46 kg. division and from Glen Cullen who was undefeated in the cadet boys' under-34 kg. event.
Silver medals were won by Jim Wiens in the senior men's over-95 kg event, Ken Blandford in the senior men's under-86 kg. event, Dustin Large in the juvenile boys' under-50 kg. event, Tiara Dawm in the juvenile girls' under-46 kg. category -- she also placed fourth in the junior women's under-48 event -- and Danielle Dawm in the juvenile girls' under-52 event.
Jeff Nelson, meanwhile, earned a bronze in the senior mens' under-65 kg. event.
Meaghen Cullen was also one of five members of the local club who attended a tournament in Melfort where she won gold in the juvenile girls' under-48 kg. event and silver in the junior women's division.
Tiara Dawm and Glen Cullen also earned two medals each with Dawm getting a siulver in the juvenile girls' under 44-kg event and a bronze in the cadet girls' under-42 kg event and Cullen earning a silver in the cadet boys' under-34 event and a bronze in the juvenile boys' under-46 division.
Moose Jaw's other competitors included Leah Jacobson who won a silver in the juvenile girls' under-52 division and Vince Langevin who notched a bronze in the cadet boys' under-42 kg. event.
At the recent Senda Cup in Lethbridge, Nelson won a bronze in the senior men's novice under-65 kg event while Hansen placed fifth in the senior men's advanced under-71 kg division.
Appeared in the Moose Jaw Times-Herald November 1996