Eleven-year-old Dakota Sanzana of the Comox Valley placed second in her weight division at the U.S. Judo Junior Olympics last weekend in Spokane, Wash. More than 700 athletes attended the event.
Dakota resumed training just two weeks ago after sustaining a back injury in March, which prevented her from competing at nationals.
“She would have been the youngest athlete competing in that tournament, but there is always next year,” her mother Kellie Pierson said.
Dakota is ranked number one in B.C. in her weight class. She competes as an early bloomer, meaning she goes up against athletes two years older.
Her next big event is the U.S. Open Judo Championships, late July in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.