Little giants: Post Falls gym brings home three jiu-jitsu world titles

Don’t underestimate the talent of small town athletes.

Trevor Prangley’s AKA gym in Hayden, Idaho, taught this lesson to competitors at the World Master IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championships.

Held in Las Vegas in late August, Prangley’s team showed the world something special: Someone can be a champion no matter where they train.

“I like feeling the mat under my feet, bowing to the referee, shaking hands and then off we go,” said Mark Stephens, the masters four-featherweight gold medalist.

The Masters Worlds is a four-day tournament hosted by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation. Athletes are divided into six different age groups starting from the age of 30 and are further separated by weight and gender.

“Normally I go to these tournaments alone or with a few people,” Stephens, 46, said.

“For us to knock out 18 opponents is crazy.”

Stephens, who received his brown belt earlier this year, is very active on the IBJJF competition scene. Earlier this year, Stephens competed at the IBJJF Pan Americans, Masters International as well as the IBJJF Gi and NoGi Nationals before competing at the Masters Worlds.

“I’ve been chasing this World Championship (title) for probably about five years,” Stephens said.

In his final game, Stephens remembers raising his arm in victory in the final seconds of the match as family and friends excitedly chanted his name.

“That was my favorite memory of the tournament,” Stephens said.

One of blue belt Shawn Carlock’s favorite memories, a silver medalist in the Masters six-welterweight division, was watching his professor Trevor Prangley compete.

52-year-old Prangley struggled until the final match, lost points and was in danger of losing the gold medal.

“In the last 10 or 15 seconds, he blocked his opponent with a gun,” Carlock said. “Everyone has lost their minds.”

On the podium, Prangley was rewarded with five super-heavyweight gold medals for the Masters.

Although the win was satisfying, Prangley said he had “won enough” in his life.

The real reward for him was watching his students fight.

“There was no quitting,” Prangley said, referring to the fights of blue belt Madelyn Halligan. “He was in a really bad situation and he was able to get through it and win.”

Halligan’s second game was a perfect example of fighting with heart. His opponent landed a tight armbar and Halligan escaped with the win.

“My arm was killing me after the game,” Halligan said. “I was trying not to show everyone that I was hurt.”

The injury didn’t stop him.

“Trevor always says that your physical body has to break before your mental body, your mind,” Halligan said.

By the time Halligan was in the final game, his body had given up on him.

“(My opponent) caught me in a triangle (choke) and I couldn’t defend him,” Halligan said. “It was like I had given up, but I had no choice. My body was broken.”

Despite the loss, Halligan took silver in the masters lightweight division.

Teammate and fellow blue belt Rue Olp had a different result.

The 42-year-old Olp played his game, going the distance in just one of his matches, and defeated his opponents to secure IBJJF gold.

It’s worth noting that his last match was unique in that he submitted his opponent from inside closed guard.

“His only intention was for him to switch hips, open his guard, or go for the armbar,” Olp said. “(The choke) went in really tight.”

However, this unique victory in the finals earned him the title of Masters Triple Middleweight World Champion.

As IBJJF’s Jiu Jitsu Con continues, Prangley’s team also took some non-graduate students to Vegas.

16-year-old Shelby Garten, who wrestles on the Idaho National Team, won the bronze medal in her division through a series of unfortunate events.

“I said goodbye and then my second daughter was disqualified,” Garten said. “I’m not happy (about it) because I wanted to go out there and compete and do everything, prove myself.”

Garten lost her match by two points, but looked on the bright side.

“It was a tough game,” Garten said. “The girls in my group were all studs.”

Regardless of each athlete’s outcome, the impact of the tournament resonated throughout the gym.

“He revitalized everyone here (in the gym),” Prangley said. “People are a little more excited, there is a little more excitement. So that’s pretty cool.”

Prangley’s gym plans to continue competing with its juniors, whether it’s on the big stage with Stephens at the IBJJF NoGi Worlds in December or at the Spokane Submission Series on Saturday.

“I want to thank Jesus for giving us this gym,” Prangley said. “If it all ended tomorrow, I wouldn’t regret any of it.”