Team
USA Team Taekwondo Ready for 2019 World University Games
5 years
Naples, Italy – (July 6, 2019) The USA Taekwondo Team, consisting of 18 athletes and 10 staff have arrived at the 30th Summer World Universiade to battle it out with the world’s best collegiate athletes.
Representing USA Team in poomsae are Adalis “AJ” Munoz (University of Texas, Arlington), Christy Quintanilla (Johns Hopkins University), and Titania Thao (Gustavus Adolphus College). Munoz will represent in individual poomsae, and the three female athletes will represent in female team poomsae. The male poomsae athletes selected are Kody Han (Foothill College), Edward Jeong (University of Bridgeport), and Sean Wallace (Santa Clara University). Similarly, Jeong will represent in individual poomsae, and the three male athletes will represent in team poomsae.
12 athletes will represent in female sparring. The female sparring athletes are Lizette Salas (-49kg, California State University, Northridge), Logan Weber (-53kg, Johnson County Community College), Starla Santana (-57kg, Miami Dade Community College), Amanda Bluford (-62kg, De Vry University), Cheyenne Lewis (-67kg, University of California, Berkeley), and Makayla Gorka (-73kg, University of Central Oklahoma).
Representing in the male sparring divisions are Alejandro Bravo (-58kg, Miami Dade Community College), George El-Chemali (-63kg, University of Southern California), Charles Buset (-68kg, American Military University), Matthew Klein (-74kg, University of Dayton), Connor Wilson (-80kg, University of California, Los Angeles) and Abdul Rahman (-87kg, College of Southern Maryland).
Competition begins tomorrow with the male and female individual poomsae divisions, when Jeong and Munoz will take the mat to open the competition for USA Team. These are the third Games for Jeong and second Games for Munoz. Both are defending medalists from the 2017 World University Games with Jeong having earned a silver medal and Munoz a bronze medal at those games in individual poomsae.
Supporting the athletes are NCTA President and Head of Team, Dan Chuang (Cambridge, MA), Director, Sung C. Kim (Rochester, NY), Manager, Justin Faiferlick (Fort Dodge, Iowa), Doctor, Sherri Lashomb (Buffalo, NY), Head Poomsae Coach, Huy Nguyen (San Jose, CA), Poomsae Coach, Haksung Kim (Irvine, CA), Head Sparring Coach, Richard Lee (Los Angeles, CA), Sparring Coach, Dongyoung Kim (Newark, CA), Sparring Coach, Toby Oliver (Fort Myers, FL) and Sparring Coach, Adrian Zambrano (Sylmar, CA).
Said President Chuang, “I’m very pleased with the selflessness and team chemistry displayed by all of the athletes at the start of this trip. The athletes have been training hard and seem relaxed, focused and ready going into the start of the competition. I’m also very grateful for the hard works and efforts of all of the staff and organizing committee to realize this trip!”
Coaching Interest Form for Summer World University Games Open
6 years
All coaches interested in attending and participating in the 2019 Summer World University Games for the USA Team for taekwondo should complete the survey accessed by clicking here by Monday, April 29, 2019.
USA Team for the 2019 Summer World University Games Selected
The National Collegiate Taekwondo Association completed its team selection by holding a 2019 Summer World University Games team trials for its poomsae athletes at the 2019 NCTA Championships on April 20 at the University of Texas at Austin. One 3-person male female team and 3-person male team only were selected. Each team was asked to compete with one freestyle and one recognized poomsae in the final round.
In the female poomsae division, the winners were Adalis “AJ” Munoz (University of Texas, Arlington), Christy Quintanilla (Johns Hopkins University), and Titania Thao (Gustavus Adolphus College). The male poomsae athletes selected were Kody Han (Foothill College), Edward Jeong (University of Bridgeport), and Sean Wallace (Santa Clara University).
These 6 athletes will join the 12 athletes selected at the sparring team trials held on March 9 at the Ft. Worth Convention Center and journey to Naples, Italy this July to compete at the Games. The female sparring athletes include Lizette Salas (-49kg, California State University, Northridge), Logan Weber (-53kg, Johnson County Community College), Starla Santana (-57kg, Miami Dade Community College), Amanda Bluford (-62kg, De Vry University), Cheyenne Lewis (-67kg, University of California, Berkeley), and Makayla Gorka (-73kg, University of Central Oklahoma).
The male sparring athletes include Alejandro Bravo (-58kg, Miami Dade Community College), George El-Chemali (-63kg, University of Southern California), Charles Buset (-68kg, American Military University), Matthew Klein (-74kg, University of Dayton), Connor Wilson (-80kg, University of California, Los Angeles) and Abdul Rahman (-87kg, College of Southern Maryland).
Said incoming NCTA president Dan Chuang, “Congratulations to these athletes who have earned the right to represent their country on the largest collegiate stage in the world. I look forward to seeing this incredibly talented and hard working group of athletes give their best in July.”
2019 NCTA Sparring Team Trials Held in Ft. Worth, SWUG Sparring Team Selected
6 years
Congratulations to the sparring team trials winners who competed Saturday, March 9 at the Ft. Worth Convention Center in Ft. Worth Texas! This team will represent Team USA at the Summer World University Games in Naples, Italy this July 2019. Special thanks to the Texas State Taekwondo Association for supporting this event.
Female Fly – Lizette Salas (California State University, Northridge)
Male Fly – Alejandro Bravo (Miami Dade Community College)
Female Bantam – Logan Weber (Johnson County Community College)
Male Bantam – George El-Chemali (University of Southern California)
Female Feather – Starla Santana (Miami Dade Community College)
Male Feather – Charles Buset (American Military University)
Female Light – Amanda Bluford (De Vry University)
Male Light – Matthew Klein (University of Dayton)
Female Welter – Cheyenne Lewis (University of California, Berkeley)
Male Welter – Connor Wilson (University of California, Los Angeles)
Female Middle – Makayla Gorka (University of Central Oklahoma)
Male Middle – Abdul Rahman (College of Southern Maryland)
Date of 2019 Summer World University Games Sparring Team Trials Announced
6 years
As mentioned earlier, the NCTA will hold a team trials event (open to those meeting collegiate and age eligibility requirements) that will be separate from the National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships (to be held April 19-21, 2019 at U. of Texas, Austin). The purpose of these trials are to choose the sparring team members to represent USA at the 2019 Summer World University Games in Naples, Italy. The poomsae team trials, due to the smaller size of the event, will be held concurrent with the NCTA Championships in April.
The date of the sparring team trials will be Saturday, March 9, 2019 in Ft. Worth, TX. The trials will be held in the same venue as the Texas State USAT National Qualifier in Fort Worth, TX. Please plan your spring competition schedule accordingly!
As a reminder only flyweight through middleweight divisions will be contested at the trials, and only those aged 18-25 on Dec. 31, 2019 will be eligible.
