Naperville youths win honors in karate

Two Naperville youths brought home five medals late last month from the 2011 USA Open and International Junior Olympic Karate Championships in Las Vegas.

Nolan O’Rear and Sebastian Fernandez de la Reguera, both of Ken Shin Kan of Illinois Karate School in Naperville, won multiple honors in the tourney that included athletes from 43 countries.

Nolan took the silver medal in the Junior Olympics events in the 11-year-old Elite Division for Kumite (sparring), as well as the bronze medal in the U.S. Open-International Individual Kumite event.

Sebastian won the silver medal in the Black Belt 12-13 Elite Division.

Both boys were members of the squad that won bronze medals in the competition against teams from Australia, Mexico, Texas and Venezuela.