Maureen Braziel

Maureen Braziel
Residence Brooklyn, New York, USA
Style Judo

Maureen Braziel was one of the pioneers of Women's Judo competition.[1] She has been thought of as being one of the top Judoka in the United States.,[2] and within the 1970s.[3]

Competition

She won the silver medal heavyweight in the 1971 British Open, and bronze in the open division.[4] She was the first female to place in international competition in Judo.[5] As a result helped to make women's Judo a sport under the Amateur Athletic Union.[6] Maureen was the women's US National 1st place winner for the heavyweight division and the grand champion for the years 1974, 1975, and 1976.[7]
At a competition weight of 180 lbs, Maureen was strong enough to compete with men.[8] She defeated Diane Pierce in 1974 for the National Championship.[9] Diane Pierce would later appear on the show To Tell The Truth claiming to be the 1974 National Judo Champion.[10] Maureen won the gold medal in the 1975 Judo International championship for the heavyweight division in Switzerland.[11] She was the undisputed US Heavyweight Champion on the East Coast from 1967 to 1977.[12] In 1976 she was part of the US Women's National Team under her friend [13] and team coach Rusty Kanokogi [14] She placed second in 1977, 1979 and 1980 for the Women's US Nationals[15] She was the Amateur Athletic Union Most Outstanding Player Award in 1974 [16]

Personal life

Following competition she founded the PolyTech Judo Club.[17] She served as the head coach for the Poly Tech Judo Club.[18] She would later serve as Athletic Director at Poly Tech.[19] Even later she would serve as the athletic director for NYU-Poly.[20] She would later retire after 30 years at NYU.[21] She served as the secretary for NYS Judo (circa 2009).[22]

References

  1. ↑ http://archive.poly.edu/news/fullNews.php?id=866
  2. ↑ Black Belt.
  3. ↑ "CNN Sports provided by Bleacher Report - CNN.com".
  4. ↑ Making Her Mark.
  5. ↑ Making Her Mark.
  6. ↑ http://archive.poly.edu/news/fullNews.php?id=866
  7. ↑ http://www.usjudo.org/U.S.NationalHeavyweightWomensChampionships.asp.
  8. ↑ Black Belt.
  9. ↑ Black Belt.
  10. ↑ Black Belt.
  11. ↑ Making Her Mark.
  12. ↑ "Poly eBriefs".
  13. ↑ "Black Belt".
  14. ↑ Making Her Mark.
  15. ↑ "USA Judo - Features, Events, Results - Team USA". Team USA.
  16. ↑ http://archive.poly.edu/news/fullNews.php?id=866
  17. ↑ "Poly eBriefs".
  18. ↑ "Judo Has Stellar Weekend at Tech Invitational".
  19. ↑ Yonah. "The Road to Shodan".
  20. ↑ http://gonyupoly.com/news/2012/9/29/GEN_0929122217.aspx
  21. ↑ http://gonyupoly.com/news/2012/9/29/GEN_0929122217.aspx
  22. ↑ http://www.nysjudo.org/NYSJI%20Minutes%2002072009.pdf
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