Jannessa Keays on the podium at the Pan American Judo Cup back in June. (Submitted photo/Robyn Keays)

By Jeff D'Andrea

Judoka Jannessa

Keays ready for second Elite national meet

Jan 9, 2020 | 4:00 PM

Fighting those above her age is nothing new for Prince Albert judoka Jannessa Keays.

At just 16 years old, Keays is attending her second Canadian Elite Championships Elite Nationals in Montreal, with matches starting on Saturday. Keays will be battling at the Under-18 level, where they’ll still face athletes older than her, as well as competing against fully fledged adults in the Senior level.

Competing at the national stage in any sport is difficult enough in its own right, but purposely fighting in two age groups above is something else. Keays said it’s challenging at times, but that’s the point.

“You can always do two categories, and I’ve been doing both to up my game in a sense,” Keays said. “U-18 and U-21 fight on the same day usually, so that wouldn’t work so that’s why I fight up in seniors. I feel like it is [helping], because you get double the fights and they’re all older than 20. And I’m only 16, so you get to experience that. Even if you lose, it’s good experience.”

Keays doesn’t do a whole lot of losing either. As a 15-year-old last year, she lost out in the bronze medal match and is ready to improve on that.

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“Most of the girls have been there before but half of them haven’t. I feel like being there before boosts your confidence,” Keays said. “You know how everything works. You know where everything is, and such.”

She comes into the meet ranked second in the nation in her weight class at the Under-18 level, and hopes last year’s experience can help. Keays won Under-18 gold and Senior silver back in November in Toronto, and had a bronze medal finish at the Under-18 level in Montreal.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW