On the weekend of March 5, junior and varsity wrestler Lea Gobec placed first in her division at the USA Judo Scholastic National Championships in Irving, Texas. Gobec moved from Croatia in August of last year, and has been practicing Judo for 11 years.
Gobec won two matches through ippon, a decisive technique defined as a move with good form and little opportunity for the opponent to block. Ultimately, Gobec placed first due to her higher number of scores in front of judges.
Though Gobec primarily practiced judo while living in Croatia, she took up wrestling to match the time commitment. In Croatia, Gobec practiced five or more times a week, while the judo club Gobec is a member of now only meets three times a week.
“My coach said I needed something more, and I knew I needed something more, so wrestling was the answer,” Gobec said. “We also have weight lifting, which is awesome because I didn’t know where to find a good gym here and they can be expensive, so having a gym in school is great.”
Gobec’s focus on the two combat sports aids her beyond the additional practice time. Despite a difference in the moves and rules of each sport, she often blends techniques in matches.
“I usually use judo in wrestling because wrestling techniques are different–you can go for the legs, which is an illegal move in judo, so that’s pretty new to me,” Gobec said. “But people in wrestling don’t really expect my judo techniques, so it can be a surprise for them and I use that surprise against them. “