VISTA — There’s a new karate champ in town. Weighing in at just 62 pounds, 9-year-old Sierra Snedegar fought her way to a first-place finish in sparring in the 8 to 9 age group at the U.S. Karate Alliance world championships in New Orleans on July 13. She also placed second in katas, which are fighting forms.

Sierra’s journey began almost two years ago when she approached her parents about getting into an extracurricular activity. She narrowed it down to the Girl Scouts and karate. Karate won out.

“I wanted to be able to defend myself if any bad person ever attacked me,” Sierra said.

Lisa Snedegar, Sierra’s mother, believed that karate would build up the frail-looking girl’s self-confidence. She ultimately chose Jeff Crothers’ Keichu Karate dojo in Vista for Sierra to train.

“We decided on it because it’s a Christian-based dojo,” Lisa Snedegar said. “We liked the way he dealt with the kids. In some of the dojos, the kids goof off. In his, they gave him respect and attention.”

Sierra trained for a year and a half and reached the third rank of orange belt, the highest level in the beginner’s competition category. Normally, the dojo sends several students to the big competitions, but this year Sierra was the only student with the funds, the motivation and the talent to compete nationally, Crothers said.

“She’s got this real determination,” Crothers said. “She has a learning curve that’s really incredible. I would work with her one day on her form and by the next day, she’s making the corrections and improving on them.”

No matter how much one trains in the studio, fighting in a tournament is different, according to Sierra.

“It’s a little bit harder in combat because you don’t really know what they’re going to do,” Sierra said. “You kind of have to have a plan, and you have to change it around sometimes.”

No fighting story would be complete without a nemesis. Sierra’s was Kaylee Richardson from Arizona. At the national tournament, Kaylee had placed first in sparring while Sierra received the top award for katas. At the world tournament, they swapped places.

“It looks like we might have a lifelong rivalry thing here,” Sierra’s father, Phil Snedegar, said.

In general, however, Lisa Snedegar noted that the competition was friendly.

“It was a very pleasant experience,” Lisa said. “The kids want the trophy, but they realize it’s just trophies. Friends are more important than trophies.”

Next year promises to be a big step for the girl from Lake Elementary. Not only will she be a youngster, competing in the 10 to 11 age division, she will likely earn her green belt, which will put her in the intermediate category of competition.

“I do expect great things over there,” sensei Crothers said. “I think she’ll have to work hard to get there because … there’s some pretty good competitors in that division.”

“She’s completely confident in herself,” Phil Snedegar said. “She has so much self-assurance. She’s not afraid to do anything.”