Local Athletes Shine: Judo, Cheer, and More See Success

Local high school athletes have been making waves across a variety of sports and activities. From Judo championships to dance competitions and literary awards, here’s a look at recent accomplishments.

Judo Standouts

The Judo club saw strong performances at recent competitions. In the National High School Judo Championships Kanagawa Prefecture Preliminaries, Ohno Kotori placed 5th in the Women’s 52kg class, while Ako Kakinuma secured 2nd place in the Women’s 57kg class. At the All Japan Judo Enthusiast Player Selection Tournament Kamikawa Prefecture Preliminaries, Yamato Kono finished 5th in the Men’s 90kg category.

Cheer Dance Team Advances

The Cheer dance club’s SONG/POM department achieved notable success in multiple competitions. They ranked 8th in the minor department at the Dance Drill Winter Cup 2026, the 17th National High School Dance Drill Autumn Tournament. They also placed 7th in the small department at the 2020 Dance Drill Autumn Competition Kanto Tournament. Most impressively, the team earned 1st place in the Small No. 1 category at the USA Regionals 2026 Kanagawa Tournament, National tournament participation decided!.

The team members include: Jia Xi Tian Mengyue, Yuna Okada, Airi Tanioka, Sone Natsunoha, Hina Furuyama, Noro Sakura, Rui Miyao, Yuka Horinaka, Yuki Endo.

Shogi, Literary, and Other Achievements

Beyond Judo and Cheer, several other clubs and athletes have excelled. Shusuke Tani placed 5th in the Men’s division at the 36th Kanto District Kobunren Shogi Tournament. The Literary club also had a successful run, with Sumika Kawahara winning the Kobunren Chairman’s Award in the Haiku Division of the 2020 Kanagawa Prefectural High School Comprehensive Cultural Festival 44th Literary Contest, and Torataro Okahisa receiving an Honorable Mention in the Tanka Division.

Further literary accolades included a Group Award in the Independent Production Category of the 29th Literary Magazine Contest, a Silver Prize for Erika Horie in the High School Student Division of the 24th Round Haiku Award Winter/New Year Division, and an Honorable Mention for Shota Takagi at the 24th Rinri Haiku Award, along with an Encouragement Award for the group.

Individual Successes

Individual athletes also shone brightly. Kurumi Sugiyama won the Women’s Individual title at the 22nd Prefectural High School Bowling Tournament. Taichi Shinozaki took 1st place in the Men’s Boulder category at the Kanagawa Prefecture High School Sports Climbing Newcomer Tournament.

FAQ

• What sports are covered in this article? Judo, Cheer Dance, Shogi, Bowling, Sports Climbing, and Literary Arts.
• Which cheer team qualified for the national tournament? The SONG/POM department.
• Who won the Women’s Individual Bowling Tournament? Kurumi Sugiyama.

These achievements demonstrate the dedication and talent within our local high school athletic and artistic programs. We look forward to continued success from these athletes and clubs.