PORT ELGIN’S NICK MOLE CONTINUES HIS DOMINATION
MARKHAM – Over the past weekend (9 July 2022), the 2022 Ontario NoGi Open International Jiu-Jitsu Championship was hosted at the Markham Pan Am Centre, Markham Ontario. Once again athletes from Grey-Bruce County, representing Kilian Academy, did not disappoint.
Port Elgin’s Nick Mole continued his total domination in Ontario’s Masters (30+) Light Weight (154.5 lbs) Division, adding the Ontario NoGi Champion Crown to his current Ontario Gi Champion Crown earned two months ago. "Nick is arguably the best White Belt Masters Light Weight competitor currently in Canada and we have our sights set on the Abu-Dhabi trials taking place later this year,” stated Abrie Kilian, Program Director at Kilian Academy.
Owen Sound’s 2021 Canadian Champion, Sean Wildeboer, in only 5 months of being promoted from White Belt to Blue Belt, Wildeboer was crowned Ontario Champion in the Adult Blue Belt Light Feather Division (141.5 lbs). Brother Alec Wildeboer, (125 lbs) also 2021 Canadian Champion, was able to secure a bronze medal in the same division. Alec, however, elected to compete in the Blue Belt Open Weight Division and secured his second bronze medal for the day, competing against athletes twice his size.
Hepworth’s own Landon Lorenowicz was also crowned Ontario No-Gi Champion. The thirteen-year-old athlete was matched against the 15-year-olds in the Grey/Yellow Belt category, one weight division higher. Fighting throughout the Middle East and Europe under the banner of the Team Nogueira Fighting Club, Landon has made the Academy his summer home whilst competing in Ontario. “Landon is an amazing young athlete with a bright future ahead of himself. We are privileged to have an experienced athlete of his calibre join us for the summer and bolster our competition team,” added Kilian.
The 14-year-old St Mary’s High School student and Ontario Gi-Champion, Ethan Guichelaar, competed in his first No-Gi tournament and was able to secure a silver medal.
Hanover’s Megan Kuntz had a few hard-fought matchups in a combined weight division and was able to secure second place and take home silver.
Owen Sound’s Mike McGahan won silver in the Masters 1 Heavy Weight Division.
The Academy was able to secure 12th place out of 54 competing academies, beating major teams such as Toronto Top Team and Gracie Barra. With the above results, the Academy continues to draw attention and is recognized as one of the top young BJJ-training centres in Ontario. Getting ready to compete at the Abu Dhabi trials in October, Kilian Academy will surely be one of the academies to follow.
With the growth of martial arts in Grey-Bruce County, Kilian Academy recently relocated to Shallow Lake to provide an expanded training environment to accommodate more athletes in its quest to establish Grey-Bruce County’s first-ever high-performance training centre. The Academy was established in Canada in early 2019 and has grown into one of the largest martial arts training facilities in Grey-Bruce County.
External Links: Kilian Academy athletes medal at the NoGi Open in Markham by the Owen Sound Sun Times
