Santa Clarita Karate instructor Shannon Laurin and four students competed at the Quebec Open in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada, last month, according to a news release from the karate studio.
Five medals were won by the group, including first-place finishes for 8-year-old Hugh Metlen and 27-year-old Laurin. Metlen competed in Kata with boys and girls ages 7 and 8, while Laurin competed in Black Belt Women’s Koshiki fighting. Metlen also finished in third place in Boys’ Sparring for ages 7 and 8, falling in the semifinals to the eventual winner by only one point, according to the release.
Ruthie Metlen, 13, earned second place in Advanced Girls’ Koshiki fighting in the 13-17 age group. Reid Metlen, 8, placed fourth in Boys’ Sparring for ages 7 and 8. Hugh and Reid Metlen are twins and competed against each other in the third-place match, according to the release.
Henry Metlen, 16, a second-degree brown belt, participated in Advanced Boys’ Koshiki fighting for ages 15-17, losing by only a couple of points against a black belt, according to the release.
“All of my students demonstrated great skill, and even more impressive character at the high-caliber tournament. I’m very proud of them,” Laurin said in the release.
