Rylie Marchand and Rachel Hofer represented Vernon’s Unity Martial Arts at the Submission Artist Challenge last weekend in Vancouver.
The tournament featured 16 high-level grapplers from across Western Canada and the U.S., competing for a $1,000 grand prize.
Marchand and Hofer were the only competitors under the age of 18. Marchand made it to the finals by submitting all her opponents with an armbar, kneebar and flying armbar.
In the finals, she met 24-year-old veteran purple belt Elena Dawson of Portland, who trains under Nathan Orchard and has competed in many tournaments and won them all.
Said Unity coach Raj Lee: “Rylie and her had an epic match in which they grappled the full first 10-minute round with neither one getting the advantage and eventually going into six overtime rounds where neither girl could sub the other and eventually they added up their escape times and Elena had won by 32 seconds.”
The match won best match of the tournament and both girls won rash guards. Marchand won submission of the tournament with a flying armbar in the semifinals and won another rashguard.
Hofer had the toughest first-round match in which she got to take on Dawson and and lost by armbar in the first round.
“Before the armbar, Rachel showed her wrestling and control as she took down Elena multiple times,” said Lee.
Hunter Eustache, 10, of Unity, competed in a super match in which he won via armbar in 1:36 seconds. He won a Kung Fu Panda rashguard and an invite to the next Submission Artist Challenge tournament for kids.