Darien Arts Center Karate Tournament

A karate/marital arts competition took place in Darien Saturday, March 4th at the Darien Arts Center. “This is the first competition where the people running the tournament aren’t making a dime” Said Jerry Simon of the Fairfield Villari Self Defense Center. All the proceeds went to the Darien Arts Center. Bonnie Gombos of the Darien Art Center said “the kids are excited, they practiced harder, they are here to have fun but all this month we have been practicing for them to do their best in this tournament. It helps build their self esteem , some kids are really shy and they get up there and they do their best and that is what we are looking for”. The age of the participants ranged from children to adult. All participants received a participation award. Those that placed in the competition are listed below:

Time Ring 1
11:00 Forms (6 & Under)
White- Orange
1st Andrew Zanvettor
2nd Ronan O’Connor
3rd Will Burnham
Purple-Blue Stripe
1st Evan Anavy
2nd Delaney Marsh
3rd Leyton Tucci/ Luke Sibilio
11:30 Sparring (Boys 8-11)
Blue-Brown
1st Jack Wetzel
2nd Justin Bacon
3rd Erik Leonard
12:00 Forms (14+)
White-Orange
1st Matthew Blank
2nd Emily Frangipane
3rd Elizabeth Hall
12:30 Forms (18+)
Green-Brown
1st Neeta Maniar
2nd Melissa Coppock
3rd Victoria Marsh
Forms (14-17)
Purple-Green Stripe
1st Grant Rasmussen
2nd Jordan Cassetta
3rd Lila Seeman/Hanna Kahlert

1:00

Forms (18+)
Purple – Blue Stripe
1st Erika Caputo
2nd Joseph Kiley
3rd Claire Kelly

1:30

Creative Forms(1st Owen Wagner
2nd Max Victor
3rd Samantha Gombos, Natalie
Caputo, Katherine Caputo

Ring 2
Forms (7-10)
Purple-Blue Stripe
1st Lance Anavy
2nd Owen Wagner
3rd Henry Welles

Ring 3
Forms (7-11)
White-Orange
1st Katherine Caputo
2nd Robbie Whitney
3rd Shawn Walsh

Sparring (Girls 9-11)
Blue-Brown
1st Meghan Wood
2nd Clare McCurley
3rd Lauren Dewitt
Sparring (Girls White-Purple
1st Julia Cheung
2nd Sara Rewcastle
3rd Natalie Caputo
Forms (11-13)
Green-Brown
1st Finley Wetmore
2nd Lauren Dewitt
3rd Genevieve Kimball

Sparring (Boys White-Purple
1st Rice Davis
2nd Drew Filanowski
3rd Andrew Zanvettor
Forms (7-10)
Green-Brown
1st Clare McCurley
2nd Jack Wetzel
3rd Tatum Petti
Forms (11-13)
Purple – Blue Stripe
1st Ashley Cassetta
2nd Joshua Schwartz
3rd James Fleming

Sparring (Boys Purple-Blue Stripe
1st Jake Mansdorf
2nd Aidan May
3rd Lance Anavy
4th Owen Wagner
Creative (10+ Singles)
1st Janel Fitzgerald
2nd Genevieve Kimball
3rd Dylan Cheung

Sparring (Girls Blue-Green
1st Marie Koehler
2nd Maisitia Stollman
3rd Samantha Gombos
4th Mia Hanrahan
Creative (10+ Team)
1st Emily Frangipane/Neeta
Maniar
2nd Juliette Dixon/Danielle
Dixon
3rd Ashley Cassetta/Hanna
Kahlert

2:30

Sparring (Boys 12-16)
Blue-Brown
1st Thomas Hall
2nd Grant Rasmussen
3rd Griffin Kimberly
Sparring (Girls 18+)
Under Black
1st Melissa Coppock
2nd Neeta Maniar
3rd Elizabeth Hall
4th Emily Frangipane
Forms (<16)
Black Belts
1st Lindsay Stewart
2nd Janel Fitzgerald
3rd Dylan Cheung
Sparring (Girls <16)
Black Belts
1st Olivia Petshaft
2nd Colleen McGuinness
3rd Janel Fitzgerald
4th Lindsay Stewart

3:00

Sparring (Boys 9-12)
White-Purple
1st Shawn Walsh
2nd Robbie Whitney
3rd George Chieffi
Forms (14-17)
Green-Brown
1st Juliette Dixon
2nd Danielle Dixon
3rd Thomas Hall

3:30

4:00

Sparring (Girls 16+)
Black Belts
1st Robyn Bonacci
2nd Elisabeth Wiggin

Sparring (Girls 12-16)
Under Black
1st Hanna Kahlert
2nd Erin McCurley
3rd Julia Lawlor
Sparring (Boys 18+)
Under Black
1st Matthew Blank
2nd Matthew Anavy
3rd Patrick Marsh
4th Joseph Kiley
Forms (16+)
Black Belts
1st Robyn Bonacci
2nd Benjamin Waldman
3rd Christopher Orzo
Sparring (14+ Male)
Black Belts
1st Benjamin Waldman
2nd Alex Krauchick
3rd Dylan Cheung

* Results compiled by Benjamin Waldman – 1st Degree Black Belt