Two student athletes from Mercer Island recently traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for the Junior U.S. Open Judo Championships at the end of July.

Taylan Yuasa, a junior at Mercer Island High School, and younger brother Tegan Yuasa, a fifth gradar at West Mercer Elementary both competed in the tournament and are members of the Budokan Judo Club in Seattle.

Taylan Yuasa, a brown belt, finished in second place in the juvenile B 50 kilogram division. A brown belt, he beat a student from South Africa in the quarterfinals, and another from southern Florida in the semifinals. Taylan Yuasa lost to Brian Abreu in the finals.

In the IJF -55 kilogram division, Taylan Yuasa finished in third place, beating a student from southern Florida. He had a 32-1 record this season and took first place in both the Washington State championships and the middle-high school state championships.

Tegan Yuasa finished in first place in the intermediate 2 division age 10-11 28 kilogram division. He also finished in third place in the Gold Score Tournament’s 34 kilogram division.

The U.S. Open Championships bring together over 20 countries, from South American to Europe. There were more than 650 participants in the Junior Open and 300 in the Golden Score tournament.