Nickole continues gold medal haul in BJJ

Nickole Salem, center, poses with her most recent gold medal after the IBJJF Kid’s American National Championships 2023 last Saturday, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Nickole Salem, a 6-year-old Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom with CNMI roots, has added a gold medal into her ever-growing medal collection in the IBJJF Kid’s American National Championships 2023 last Saturday, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada.

She was in the featherweight 53-lb division and won via armbar against Avery Svidergol in the finals. In the semi finals, Salem defeated Svidergol via triangle choke.

Second place went to Svidergol and third place went to Olivia
Colon.

Prior to this, Salem bagged another two gold medals in the Newbreed Jiu Jitsu Championship Crystal Cup at North Charleston, South Carolina last May 21.

Salem claimed the first gold medal of the event after competing in the featherweight-advanced division of the 46-55 lbs weight class against Colton Meadows.

She then took gold in the intermediate division after first defeating Luxen Bon in the semifinals via 5-0 points. In the championship match against Meadows again, she won via submission armbar for her second gold medal of the day.

The daughter of former Saipan residents Nicko and Maria Victoria is currently preparing to compete in the 2023 Kids Pan IBJJF Championship in Orlando, Florida on July 22.

Both Nicko and Nickole train in the Black Label Jiu Jitsu group.

Nickole takes after her father as he also grapples and the father and daughter tandem both won gold in the North American Grappling Association Atlanta Grappling Championship last March 25 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Before that, Nickole won gold in the South Carolina Youth Wrestling Association Rookie/Novice State Championship for the girls division and silver in the mixed division last Jan. 29, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Nicko is a U.S. Marine and a 2012 graduate of Saipan Southern High School, while his wife and Nickole’s mother, Maria Victoria, is an alumnae of Marianas High School.

They now reside in Charleston, South Carolina.

According to the Newbreed Jiu Jitsu website, it is one of the largest Jiu Jitsu organizations in the combat sports industry. Their tournaments are open to all ages and you do not need to be in a team to compete.

The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation is a for-profit company that hosts several of the biggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments in the world, including the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, World No-Gi Championship, Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, and European Open Jiu-Jitsu Championship.