Deerfield Athlete Wins Maccabiah Gold

An 18-year-old 2013 Deerfield High School athlete overcame an early deficit Monday to win a karate gold medal for the United States in the Maccabiah Games in Israel.

Scott Plonsker, expecting to compete in the junior division, was moved to the open (adult) bracket just before the games began. He won all his preliminary matches to move into the championship bout in his weight division against a man from the nation of Georgia.

Plonsker fell behind early but overtook his opponent on points to earn a gold medal for himself and the United States.

A soccer player for Deerfield High School, Plonsker will attend the University of Illinois in the fall. He was also a finalist in the Mr. Deerfield competition during the annual school chest fundraising drive.

Another 2013 Deerfield High School graduate, Marissa Levy, is participating in badminton for the United States. Her competition began Sunday and concludes today. Patch will publish those results when they are available.

Adam Rabushka, a 2012 Deerfield High School graduate and current Emory University athlete, is competing in the games' open track and field competition. Those results will be published when available.

A quadrennial event for Jewish athletes held since 1932, 12,000 athletes from 80 nations are taking part in the games which opened Thursday and conclude July 30. It is the third largest international sports competition in the world after the Olympics and the World University Games.

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