Young martial artists a step closer to world championships

The Benoit's Martial Arts Xtreme Team trio of Bradley Chaput, Marissa Meandro and Juliana Meandro have taken the next step in their bid to attend the World Karate Commission World Championships in Dublin, Ireland this fall.

Attending a WKC provincial qualifier in London, Ont., earlier this month, the local martial artists combined for a total of seven medals, allowing all three to secure their berth at nationals in Ottawa in May.

Chaput led the charge, earning gold, silver and bronze while competing in his three traditional divisions, with Marissa Meandro nearly duplicating that performance with a gold and two bronze medals to her credit.

Juliana Meandro nabbed a silver medal to complete the local roundup of hardware as the Benoit teammates continue their training throughout April, hoping to climb the final rung of the ladder when the best in Canada gather in the nation's capital in May.