Team
US Collegiate Athletes Earn Berths on USA National Collegiate Team for 2026 FISU America Games in Lima, Peru.
1 week
by Catherine Tong
in Team
Fresno, CA, April 3, 2026 – Congratulations to the following athletes who earned a spot on the USA Team for the 2026 FISU America Games (Collegiate Pan-American Games) to be held in Lima, Peru in July. These NCTA National Collegiate Team trials were held in Fresno, CA, on April 3. The top two players in each individual division were selected for the team. Final sparring matches were not contested, so the top two players shared first place.
Men’s Individual Recognized Poomsae
Sung Hyun Eric Gun – Rutgers University
Bomin Kim – Duke University
Women’s Individual Recognized Poomsae
Yuri Kim – University of California, Merced
Aahana Mulchandani – Smith College
Men’s Individual Freestyle Poomsae
Sung Hyun Eric Gun – Rutgers University
Landon Her – University of California, Irvine
Women’s Individual Freestyle Poomsae
Allison DeGuzman – California State Univeresity, Fullerton
Gian Legaspi – Bakersfield College
Mixed Pair Freestyle Poomsae
Kaitlyn Reclusado – Menlo College & Sung Hyun Gun – Rutgers University
Mens’ -54kg
Arian Canete – University of California, Los Angeles
David Yehe-Nara – University of Connecticut, Stamford
Women’s -46kg
Caliana Fonseca – California State University, Northridge
Yusleny Rangel – Edmonds Community College
Men’s -58kg
Melvy Alvarez University of Connecticut
Prahchomvong Thay California State University, Fresno
Women’s -49kg
Maggie Shiba – University of Utah
Monique Villasenor – San Antonio College
Men’s -63g
Donovan James Eugenio – University of Washington
Cole Noretto – Seattle University
Women’s -53kg
Gaia Castillo – University of California, Riverside
Audrey Kohlman – Cornell University
Men’s -68kg
Justin Fredricks – State University of New York, Old Westbury
Jordan Panotes – South Puget Sound Community College
Women’s -57kg
Caitlyn Cox – San Antonio College
Grace Shiba – Weber State University
Men’s -74kg
Celso Chua – California State University, Fresno
Noah Shanafelt – Kent State University
Women’s -62kg
Christina Chimal – University of California, Riverside
Kayla Shanahan – Stony Brook University
Men’s -80kg
Barron Mosteller – Diablo Valley College
Devin Cornell – California State University, Fresno
Women’s -67kg
Chloe Chua – California State University, Fresno
Men’s -87kg
Marvin Cardona Lopez – Tacoma Community College
William Smith – University of California, Los Angeles
Women’s -73kg
Sydney Merrill – Brown University
Men’s +87kg
Nicholas Carlo – Menlo College
Abou Sow – University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Women’s +73kg
Alena Viana – University of North Carolina, Charlotte
For full results, please see the 2026 Team Trials page at https://ncta-usa.com/wordpress/2026-ncta-team-trials/
Notice of Removal of Team Freestyle Poomsae Division at 2026 FISU America Games
1 month
Dear NCTA Athletes and Coaches:
The NCTA received the following notice from the local organizing committee of the 2026 FISU America Games:
“It has been decided that the Team Freestyle Poomsae division will not be included in the championship. In other words, the team modality will be withdrawn from the competition for FAG Lima 2026.
“The main reason Team Freestyle Poomsae will not be included is due to recent modifications to the international regulations governing this discipline. As a result of these changes, we currently do not have judges who are properly certified under the new standards.
“Providing the required training and ensuring certification would take additional time. Given how soon the championship will take place, the Taekwondo Coordinator for FAG Lima 2026 has advised that it would not be feasible for the current judges to complete the necessary training and meet the updated qualification standards in time.
“An alternative would be to hire certified judges from Europe or Asia; however, this option unfortunately falls outside the event’s allocated budget.”
NCTA and UniUSA are appealing this decision and requesting that the tournament be run with prior versions of the international rules before the recent modifications (board breaking in particular). However, in the meantime, we recommend not registering for this event at this time. If the event is reinstated, we will open registration for this event again. Any current registrations for this event will be refunded.
We know that this is frustrating for athletes, coaches and family, but we are doing all we can to give you all the opportunity to compete and will keep athletes and coaches up to date in a timely manner.
Best regards,
Dan Chuang
NCTA President
UPDATE – March 26, 2026
Unfortunately, the organizing committee of the Games has confirmed the decision not to include freestyle team in the Games despite the appeal of the USA Delegation. Their response is below:
“Thank you for your message and for following up on this matter. We truly appreciate the interest and commitment of your federation and athletes regarding the Freestyle Poomsae discipline.
“After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that the Team Freestyle Poomsae category will not be included in this sporting event.
“We understand the importance of this modality for your team selection process and sincerely appreciate your understanding in this regard.”
2026 NCTA Team Trials to be held in Fresno, CA on Friday, April 3
3 months
NCTA is pleased to announce that the team trials to represent USA at the 2026 FISU America Games (collegiate Pan American multi-sport Games) will be held on Friday, April 3 in Fresno, CA at the Fresno Convention Center. The 2026 FISU America Games will be held July 20 to August 1, 2026 in Lima, Peru, with taekwondo events taking place July 23-26 (the taekwondo team for USA would likely arrive one to two days earlier and depart on July 27).
The event will be held in conjunction with the California Unified Taekwondo Association (CUTA) state championships. but will have its own separate registration. Said NCTA President Dan Chuang, “The NCTA is grateful to President Yong Choi and CUTA for their gracious support of the collegiate athletes. I am so excited to see these amazing collegiate student athletes vie for the opportunity to represent USA at these unique continental multi-sport Games.”
The divisions being contested at the trials will be:
1) Individual Kyorugi (sparring) (eight male and eight female senior weight classes)
2) Individual Recognized Poomsae (separate male and female)
3) Individual Freestyle Poomsae (separate male and female)
4) Mixed Pair Freestyle Poomsae (one male and one female)
5) Mixed Team Freestyle Poomsae (five athletes, at least two males and at least two females)
The FISU America Games will allow more than one player in each individual discipline to enter. Therefore, NCTA will select two athletes for each individual division to represent the USA.
More information, including selection procedures, will be available soon on the 2026 Team Trials page.
National Collegiate Taekwondo Association Celebrates Historic Performance at 2025 Summer World University Games
9 months
Photo credit: Perfect Imperfection
Rhine-Ruhr, Germany – July 24, 2025 – The National Collegiate Taekwondo Association (NCTA) is proud to announce a groundbreaking performance by the USA National Collegiate Taekwondo Team at the 2025 Summer World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany. The team achieved its highest-ever medal count, surpassing the previous record of 6 medals set in 2003.
This year marks the 10th Summer World University Games (SWUG) in which Taekwondo has been featured. Taekwondo was first introduced as an optional sport in 2003 in Daegu and became a compulsory event in 2017. The 2025 Games also held significant weight as a G4 status event, contributing valuable ranking points for athletes.
“This team of 22 athletes and 14 staff really came together in a short period of time to achieve this amazing result,” said NCTA President Dan Chuang. “NCTA promotes a mutually supportive and positive dynamic, and the team members really pushed each other each day to have their best performances in the ring through training, ringside cheering and shared purpose. It was truly a team result, and each and every member of the team can be proud of the medals earned.”
Team Leadership and Coaching Staff:
Photo credit: Perfect Imperfection
Our team was guided by an experienced coaching and staff roster, including:
- NCTA President: Dan Chuang
- Head of Team: Rex Hatfield
- Director: Sung Kim
- Head Coach: Joe Van
- Doctor: Sherri Lashomb
The staff was rounded out by Giduk Gun, Joe Harris, Sungwon Kang, Sungjin Kim, David Lee, Sang Jae Lee, Cheyenne Lewis, Philip Vincent Ripepi, Fabricio Rodriguez, and William Young, Jr..
The NCTA is pleased to announce the appointment of our esteemed team captains for the 2025 Summer World University Games:
- Team Captain: Sung Hyun Eric Gun (Rutgers University)
- Team Captain: Hannah Keck (Austin CC)
- Team Captain: Isaiah Young (UNC-Charlotte)
NCTA Athlete Sponsorship
The NCTA is committed to supporting its athletes. This year, the sponsorship program was updated to offer more to those athletes who showed prior success in the 2024 and 2025 competition year based on ranking and podium results. For the 2025 Games, top ranked athletes received full funding, and numerous other athletes who demonstrated success in 2025 G-ranked events were siginificantly sponsored, highlighting our dedication to fostering top collegiate talent.
Poomsae Medals:
Photo credit: UniUSA
The USA team showcased remarkable talent in the Poomsae discipline:
- Kaitlyn Reclusado (Menlo College) and Sung Hyun Eric Gun (Rutgers University) secured the first GOLD medal of the Games for USA Team, winning GOLD in Mixed Pair Poomsae. This also marked the first GOLD medal of the Games for USA.
- Female Team Poomsae – Gahui Kim (Georgia State), Lana Moraleda (UC Berkeley), Kaitlyn Reclusado (Menlo College) earned a BRONZE medal, marking the first medal for USA in Female Team Poomsae at the Summer World University Games.
- Kaitlyn Reclusado (Menlo College) earned a BRONZE in Female Individual Poomsae, which was also the first medal of the Games for USA.
- Sung Hyun Eric Gun (Rutgers University) also achieved a BRONZE in Male Individual Poomsae.
- The USA finished with a national record of 4 medals out of 5 possible Poomsae divisions.
This marks the first women’s team poomsae medal at SWUG. Reflecting on the experience, Team Captain Sung Hyun Eric Gun commented, “It was an honor to represent the USA at the Summer World University Games. The team atmosphere was incredible, and it was so special to see us all come together in a very short period of time and be supportive of each other through all the tough and exciting moments.”
Sparring Medals:
Photo credit: UniUSA
The USA team also delivered a strong performance in the Sparring events:
- Michael Rodriguez (Houston CC) secured a BRONZE medal in -87kg Sparring.
- Youngsuk Ethan Gun (CC Morris) earned a SILVER medal in -54kg Sparring.
- Hannah Keck (Austin CC) won a BRONZE medal in +73kg Sparring.
Youngsuk Ethan Gun, a silver medalist in sparring, added, “SWUG was unlike any other event I’ve been to, and my first time at a multi-sport games. Being able to represent my country and travel as a team, creating bonds with sparring teammates, made the experience truly special.”
Bronze medalist Hannah Keck said, “Representing the United States at SWUG felt very different from other competitions. While there is always an element of pressure to perform at any tournament, the environment this time was incredibly positive and encouraging. When one won, we all did.”
This year’s performance marks a significant milestone for USA Taekwondo. The last individual female sparring medal was in 2011, and the last male individual sparring medal was in 2017. The last time both male and female individual sparring medals were achieved was in 2005. Furthermore, the last male middleweight medal was in 2000. These results represent the best performance ever for USA Collegiate Taekwondo at the Summer World University Games.
Overall Team Standing:
The US team finished an impressive 7th overall in the Taekwondo medal count, placing ahead of Uzbekistan. Korea led the medal count.
Participating Universities:
Athletes from a diverse range of prestigious universities and colleges represented the USA, including:
- Kaitlyn Reclusado – Menlo College
- Sung Hyun Eric Gun – Rutgers University
- Bomin Kim – Duke University
- Anthony Do – University of California, Los Angeles
- Gahui Kim – Georgia State University
- Lana Moraleda – University of California, Berkeley
- Hazel Della – George Mason
- Dahin Song – University of Pennsylvania
- Johnson County Community College
- Montana Miller – Edmonds College
- Jessica Gniedziejko – City College of New York
- Chloe Chua – California State University, Fresno
- Brianne Usserman – George Mason University
- Hannah Keck – Austin Community College
- Young Suk Ethan Gun – County College of Morris
- Erick Chaparro – University of Texas, El Paso
- Cole Noretto – Seattle University
- Justin Fredricks – SUNY Old Westbury
- Noah Shanafelt – Kent State University
- Isaiah Young – University of North Carolina, Charlotte
- Michael C. Rodriguez – Houston Community College
- Brian Choi – Rutgers University
Brianne Usserman, a sparring athlete from George Mason University, concluded, “It was, without a doubt, the best trip I’ve ever been on, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.”
Photo credit: Perfect Imperfection
The NCTA congratulates all the athletes on their exceptional achievements and looks forward to continued success in future international competitions.
Contact:
Catherine Tong, NCTA Secretary General
ncta.sg@gmail.com
2025 Summer World University Games Kicks Off in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany
9 months
July 16, 2025 – Essen, Germany. The 2025 NCTA National Colllegiate Taekwondo Team representing UniUSA kicks off competition tomrrow at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr region, Germany on July 17, 2025. 22 athletes and 15 staff will represent the USA at these games over 7 days and 24 medal events. 558 atheltes from over 35 countries are represented at the Taekwondo event, the second largest event of the Games. Best of luck to all USA athletes and staff!
