McMinnville’s Logan Mendonca wins Junior Pan Am karate title

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A week and a half ago, McMinnville’s Logan Mendonca made the finals in his classification at the Junior Pan Am Karate Championships for the third straight time.

Thankfully for him, the old adage of the third time’s the charm came true.

“It was my last time at this junior tournament, and it was really good to end it on a high note,” said the high school senior.

Mendonca secured the lone point of the match against his Canadian opponent with only three seconds left.

“It felt like time slowed down. I could just feel myself reaching as far as I could and then pulling and then the screen flashed showing that I got a point,” recalled Mendonca. “Then it was just like, ‘You did it.’ I was kind of in shock for a while.”

That shock either continued or resumed once Mendonca officially was handed his gold medal.

“You stand on the podium, and you hear the anthem and it’s, like, awe. You just think, ‘Wow, we’re here,’” said Logan.

Next up for Mendonca is Junior Worlds in October, in which his goal is to podium.

Only the top person from each classification from each country makes the tournament.

Thankfully for Mendonca, this event is hardly new territory for him. He’s been there more than a few times.

“I get to walk around saying I’m a five-time national champion and that feels good,” said Logan. “It makes me definitely confident in my abilities when I go international.”

Speaking of going international, that’s what’s next for Mendonca, as he plans to go to college in France and train for his senior karate career at the same time.

“There’s a good dojo and a lot of access to really good competitions there, so, I’ve been cramming a lot of French,” he said.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.