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