SOPHIE Deeming-Lane and Olivia Turner both blazed their way to gold at the Midlands Open Schools Championships in Walsall.

Sophie, representing Baxter College, defeated all of her opponents in style and by maximum points to take the gold. As a result of her performance, she was promoted to senior brown belt, although still only fifteen years of age.

Samurai Judo Club now has five brown belts under 16 years of age (Sophie, Olivia, Matt Hemer, Hetty Tinsdale and Leah Grosvenor), the largest number of junior browns they have had at any one time in the club’s history.

Olivia, also brown belt, had a tough time in the heavier weight category, including the presence of Hetty. Both started off with demolitions of most of their opponents and it looked like an all-Samurai final was shaping up when Hetty, having led by a high score, lost to a Nottingham players against the run of play.

Hetty had to settle for bronze, whilst Olivia defeated the Nottingham girl in the final to take the gold and also earn more points towards her black belt.

In the boys categories, Jack Walker took a silver and Jake Ashen added a bronze, both with good performances. Jack defeated a player around two stone heavier than him whilst Jake fought well against quality opposition.

In a busy weekend for Hetty, she was also one of three Samurai gold medalists at the Gloucestershire Open. She won all of her contests comfortably to take gold there for the second consecutive year.

Dillon Walker and Lily Deeming-Lane have both been training hard at the club and their work was rewarded by golds for both of them.

Dillon won all four of his contests with a good range of judo and Lily, despite having to take on both older and heavier girls, also won through to the gold.

Lily’s younger sister Bonnie had two good wins on her way to a bronze and Lucas Kent also won bronze with three wins, losing only once in the semi-final.