Waiakea Graduate Sadanchikova Wins Judo Nationals Gold, Earns Pan-American Berth

Iya Sadanchikova learned her throws on Kamehameha Avenue. The 2024 Waiakea High School graduate, who trained under Sensei Mike Hayashi at Hilo's Shudokan Judo Club, just beat the nation in her weight class, winning gold in the women's 48-kilogram division at USA Judo Youth Nationals and earning a berth at the Junior Pan-American Judo Championships on April 29 in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

The victory was not a single dominant match but a test of consistency across multiple rounds. Sadanchikova defeated Charlie Liles and Claire Cho on her way to the final, then beat Allison Kusuda to claim the title. Kusuda had apparently been a recurring obstacle: the research record shows Sadanchikova defeated her twice in the bracket, a detail that speaks to the technical composure required to win a national championship.

Sadanchikova's pipeline from the Big Island to a national title runs through three distinct institutions. Shudokan, which has been teaching judo in Hilo since 1988, gave her the foundational years. Waiakea High School gave her BIIF competition, where she won the 98-pound class championship in the 2022-23 season. San Jose State University's judo program, established in 1946 and the collegiate program that has produced more judo Olympians than any other in the country, gave her the daily high-level training and competitive environment that a Big Island athlete cannot replicate at home.

That gap is the persistent friction in every Big Island athlete's story. The island has the coaches and the drive; it lacks the density of elite sparring partners, the proximity to regional qualifying events, and the financial infrastructure to make mainland travel routine. For Sadanchikova, the move to San Jose State was the bridge. For the youth judokas still training on Kamehameha Avenue under Hayashi, her national title is now the most visible proof that the bridge exists.

Sadanchikova will represent the United States against the top U21 judoka from across North, Central, and South America when the Junior Pan-American Championships open April 29. A strong finish in Guayaquil would accelerate her international ranking and open eligibility for world-level junior competition. For Shudokan's current roster, that trajectory, from a Hilo dojo to an Ecuador podium, is the clearest argument anyone could make for staying on the mat.