Team Third Law sent a squad of eight competitors to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando for NAGA yesterday, and the competitors brought home 4 gold medals, 4 silver and 4 bronze.
Team Third Law sent 8 competitors to NAGA Orlando: Pictured are Crystal Bradley, Katy Torralbas, Orlando Castillo, Joe Formica, Alex Woods and Joey Ruggiero.
The Third Law competitors included four blue belts (Joey Ruggiero, Joe Formica, Katy Torralbas and Orlando Castillo), two first-time competitors (Mikhail Dye and Alex Woods) and two competitors doing their second tournament (Crystal Bradley and Tony Orbegoso).
Teen competitor Tony Orbegoso won silver in the teens beginner gi division
Crystal Bradley wins first place at NAGA Orlando at white belt in her weight class
Next up were the team’s female competitors, with Crystal Bradley winning her first no gi match in the beginner division by arm bar and taking second, and winning two matches for gold in the gi.
Blue Belt Katy Torralbas had three tough matches against the same opponent, winning one match for silver in the gi and getting bronze in the no gi.
White belt Alex Woods fought hard in his first tournament, winning two matches, one in the gi and one in no gi, both on points.
The other first-time competitor, Mikhail Dye, took home gold in his weight class at gi after winning two matches.
Mikhail Dye wins gold in the gi at his first tournament -- NAGA Orlando
Next up were the blue belts, Orlando and Coaches Joe and Joey. Coach Joe won three fights for gold in his gi division, hitting at least two ommaplata sweeps that the team has been working on in this month’s curriculum.
Coach
Meanwhile, Coach Joey Ruggiero, a blue belt, was bumped up to the purple belt division because he had previously won the blue belt division. He won one match to take bronze in the purple belt division.
Coach Joey Ruggiero, a blue belt, was bumped up to the purple belt division at NAGA. Here he works a double x sweep on the purple belt he defeated to take the bronze medal.
Blue belt Orlando won two fights for bronze in his no gi division, and then went on to win three fights in his gi division and take the gold. He won two with points and the third by armbar.
Orlando's third and final match was the last match of the day for the entire tournament, and it ended on a good note for Third Law with Orlando winning on points and taking home the gold medal.
