Team
Team USA Departs to Taipei for Summer World University Games
The National Collegiate Taekwondo Association (NCTA) is fielding 22 athletes for Team USA at the 2017 Summer World University Games (Summer Universiade) in Taipei, Taiwan. The NCTA president is Dr. Russell Ahn, who is also serving as the International Sports University Federation (FISU) delegate for taekwondo at the event. The team will participate in opening ceremonies on August 19, followed by 7 days of competition from August 20-26.
The first two days of competition will feature poomsae, or forms competition. The poomsae events will be contested according to a new format that required contestants to perform both recognized poomsae as well as freestyle poomsae in the final round. Representing Team USA in poomsae at the 2017 Summer Universiade will be Adalis “A.J.” Munoz (Tarrant County College) in the Female Individual category, Edward Jeong (University of Bridgeport) in the Male Individual Category, Albert Jong (San Jose State University) and Kelsey Ha (Evergreen Valley College) in the Mixed Pair Category, Munoz, Samery Moras (Utah Valley University) and Christina Castillo (Austin Community College) in the Female Team category, and Jeong, Jong and Kody Han (University of California, Berkeley) in the Male Team category.
Returning poomsae members to the poomsae team are Edward Jeong, Albert Jong, Kelsey Ha and Kody Han. Samery Moras was a former member of the sparring team as well.
Over the next four days, individual sparring competition will be contested, with four athletes competing each day. Individual sparring will be followed one day of male and female team sparring.
Our women’s sparring team for the 2017 Summer Universiade will be Alondra Venegas (-46 kg, DePaul University), Jancee Ro (-49kg, Polk State University), Aziza Chambers (-53kg, Barry University), Abbey Ardiana (-57kg, Utah Valley University), Makayla Gorka (-62kg, University of Central Oklahoma), Kendall Yount (-67kg, Centre College), Madelynn Gorman-Shore (-73kg, Arapahoe Community College), and Morgan McGarvey (+73kg, Northeast Iowa Community College).
The men’s sparring team at the 2017 Summer Universiade are comprised of David J. Kim (-54kg, Pikes Peak Community College), Isaac Weintraub (-58kg, University of Central Oklahoma), (-63kg, George El-Chemali (Sierra College), William Jackson (-68kg, University of Texas, Dallas), Jaysen Ishida (-74kg, University of Hawaii, Manoa), Connor Wilson (-80kg, University of California, Los Angeles), Drew Thompson (-87kg, Washington State University), and Jonathan Healy (+87kg, Liberty University).
Returning members to the sparring team include Aziza Chambers (2011 bronze medalist), William Jackson (2015 bronze medalist), Jayson Ishida and Jonathan Healy.
The team leader is Wonro Lee, the male team director is Jinseob Kim, the female team director is Sanghee Kim, and the team manager is Rex Hatfield. The sparring coaches are head coach Changwon Choi, Jacky Baik, Christina Bayley and Steven Rosbarsky. The poomsae coaches are head coach Long Nguyen and Haksung Kim. The team doctor is Sherri Lashomb.
The USA referees appointed to work the event are Raymond Hsu and Jaime Schulte.
NCTA Sends Team to Taekwondowon in Muju, Korea
The NCTA sent a team of thirteen athletes to the Taekwondowon Park in Muju, South Korea on July 2, 2017 for a 7-day training camp. The athletes are training with members of the Korean University Sparring Team under top collegiate Korean coaches. The athletes are training every day, twice per day with their Korean counterparts. Many of the athletes are preparing for the Summer World University Games this August in Taipei, Chinese Taipei. This trip was made possible through collaboration with the Korean University Taekwondo Federation (KUTF).
Athletes on the trip include the following 2017 National Collegiate Team Members, 2017 National Collegiate Team Alternates, and 2016 National Collegiate Champions: Zachery Budde, Rae Drach, Anja Gardziola, Makayla Gorka, Amanda Gotschall, David Kim, Morgan McGarvey, Joseph Ong, Andrew “Drew” Pluemer, Blanca “Jenny” Quezada, Philip “Vincie” Ripepi, Alondra Venegas and Isaac Weintraub.
The team leader for the trip is NCTA President, Dr. Russell Ahn. The team director is Jin Kim. The coaches are Christina Bayley and Jacky Baik. The Team Doctor and Manager for the trip is Dr. Sherri Lashomb.
The NCTA would like to specially thank James Kim of Mooto USA for his generous sponsorship of the team jackets and T-shirts.
Jackie Galloway Earns Bronze at 2016 Rio Olympic Games
10 years
The NCTA would like to congratulate former US National Collegiate Team member Jackie Galloway on her bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. She advanced over Puerto Rico and Netherlands to reach the semifinals, where she had a very close loss to Mexico. In the repechage, she scored a decisive win over France to win the bronze medal! You can see her medal-winning moment at the NBC Olympics website:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/jackie-galloway-wins-taekwondo-bronze.
The NCTA would also like to congratulate the other USA Olympians, including former collegiate team member Stephen Lambdin, as well as Steven Lopez and Paige McPherson. The collegiate taekwondo community was cheering you on all the way and was proud of how you performed!
NCTA Announcement Regarding Gina-Louise Williams
The NCTA is saddened and heartbroken to learn of the passing of Gina-Louise Williams, 2013 National Collegiate Team member. Gina was an outstanding athlete and exemplified what a good teammate should be. She represented her country in outstanding way and made many deep friendships throughout her competitive career. Those that knew her will always remember her fun personality and infectious laughter. The NCTA members and officers express their condolences to her family and friends.
US National Collegiate Team Selected at 40th NCTA Championships on April 4-5, 2015
11 years
The National Collegiate Taekwondo Association (NCTA) held the 40th National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships on April 4 and 5, 2015 in Newark, DE at the University of Delaware, run by tournament director Rex Hatfield, and presided over by NCTA president Russell Ahn. Over 500 athletes participated from over 75 different colleges and universities. At the conclusion of the tournament, 24 athletes were selected to represent the United States at the Summer World University Games in Gwangju, Korea from July 3-14, 2015.
Eight athletes were selected to represent the United States in the poomsae divisions. Eddie Jeong (University of Bridgeport) won the men’s individual division, and Carissa Fu (Boston University) won the women’s individual division. Kody Han (University of California, Berkeley) and Kelsey Ha (Evergreen Valley College) won the mixed pair division. Han, Albert Jong (San Jose State University), and Lance Supnet (California State University, East Bay) earned the men’s team spot, and Fu, Miyako Yerick (University of Texas, Austin) and Michelle Chen (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) earned the women’s team spot.
Fu is returning for her 7th time on the US collegiate poomsae team, and she earned a bronze medal at the 2014 World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships (1st senior) and a bronze medal at the 2010 World University Taekwondo Championships women’s team poomsae. Yerick and Chen are returning for their third team. Han and Jong are returning for their second collegiate team, with Jong recently earning a gold medal at the 2014 World Poomsae Championships (1st Team). Ha and Jeong are on their first collegiate teams. Both earned a bronze medals at the 2014 World Poomsae Championships (Freestyle Team and 1st Pair, respectively).
The sparring divisions were contested in a single elimination bracket, with double elimination beginning at the semifinal rounds. In the men’s divisions, the winners were Emmanuel Fountain (-54 kg, Tidewater Community College), Kelvin Ortiz (-58 kg, Broward College), William Jackson (-63 kg, University of Texas, Dallas), Jensen Ishida (-68 kg, University of Hawaii-Manoa), Jaysen Ishida (-74 kg, University of Hawaii-Manoa), Jared Reed (-80 kg, California State University, East Bay), Jonathan Healy (-87 kg, Liberty University), and Stephen Lambdin (+87 kg, Dallas Community College).
Lambdin is returning for his fifth collegiate team and has earned bronze medals at the 2008 & 2012 World University Taekwondo Championships, and recently was named to the 2014 WTF Grand Prix Finals where he placed fourth last year. Jensen Ishida is returning for his third collegiate team. Jaysen Ishida is on his second collegiate team and earned a bronze medal at the 2014 World University Taekwondo Championships. Reed is also on his third collegiate team and earned a bronze medal at the 2014 World University Taekwondo Championships.
In the women’s sparring divisions, this year’s team members are Samery Moras (-46 kg, University of Utah), Jessie Bates (-49 kg, New Mexico Highlands University), Carissa Fu (-53 kg, Boston University), Aziza Chambers (-57 kg, Wright State University), Lauren Bensinger (-62 kg, Hillsborough Community College), Amanda Bluford (-67 kg, Florida International University), Jean Smith (-73 kg, Princeton University), and Jackie Galloway (+73 kg, Southern Methodist University). Moras, Bates, Fu, Chambers and Galloway are all returning team members.
Aziza Chambers is returning for her sixth collegiate team, and earned a bronze medal at the 2011 World University Games. Moras is returning for her third consecutive collegiate team. Jackie Galloway is returning for her third collegiate team and earned a gold medal at the 2014 World University Taekwondo Championships, the first for the US since 2002, as well as a bronze medal at the 2015 World Taekwondo Championships. Bates and Fu are also on their second consecutive collegiate sparring team. Fu is also competing in poomsae.
The male athlete of the year at the NCTA Championships was Jared Reed. Reed won the -80 kg division for the second year in a row and earned a bronze medal at last year’s World University Taekwondo Championships. The female athlete of the year was Samery Moras. Moras qualified for her third consecutive US National Collegiate Team at the -46kg sparring spot. The freshman athlete of the year was Jonathan Healy, who won the male -87kg division during his first year of collegiate eligibility.
The Coach of the Year was Rex Hatfield of Princeton University, who served both as tournament director, and placed his school in the top three in both the Combined and Novice divisions in addition to coaching two national collegiate sparring team members. The Referees of the Year were Angela De Oliveira (female) and Byung Yoo (male).
