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2025 Summer World University Games Poomsae Team Trials Results

1 year

by NCTA Admin in SWUG, Team

Marlborough, MA, April 11, 2025 – Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 National Collegiate Taekwondo Poomase Team Trials in Marlborough, MA! These incredible athletes prevailed in a world class field, perfoming both recognized and freestyle poomsae to qualify for a spot to represent USA at the 2025 Summer World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany in July. Pictured with NCTA President Dan Chuang.

Full results can scores can be found on the 2025 NCTA Championships page.

Female Individual Poomsae:
Kaitlyn Resclusado – Skyline College

Male Individual Poomsae:
Sung Hyun Eric Gun – Rutgers University

Pairs Poomsae:
Kaitlyn Reclusado – Skyline College
Sung Hyun Eric Gun – Rutgers University

Female Team Poomsae:
Gahui Kim – Georigia State University
Lana Moraleda – Moorpark College
Kaitlyn Reclusado – Skyline College

Male Team Poomsae:
Anthony Do – University of California, Los Angeles
Sung Hyun Eric Gun – Rutgers University
Bomin Kim – Duke University

2025 NCTA Championships Concludes In Marlborough, MA

1 year

by NCTA Admin in Championships

Marlborough, MA, April 13, 2025 – In another record-setting year, the National Collegiate Taekwondo Association (NCTA) welcomed 712 athletes from 184 unique schools to the 2025 National Collegiate and High School Championships. Combined with the team trials held in March, 820 athletes competed at the NCTA national events. “This marks the third consecutive year with record numbers at NCTA events,” said NCTA President Dan Chuang. “I was also thrilled so see the inauguration of our 3v3 NCTA Cup, the culmination of 3v3 events held all around the country last year in our new regional conferences.” The event was hosted by Northeastern University and was held at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough, MA.

In the NCTA National Collegiate Championships, the Championship Division was won by Brown University and the University of Texas, Austin, in a tie for first place. Third place was won by Northeastern University. The Black Belt Division was won in a tie between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California, Davis and third place won by Brown University. The Color Belt Division was won by the University of Austin, Texas, with Brown University taking second place and Northeastern University taking third.

The female athlete of the year was Hannah Keck of the University of Texas, Austin, and the male athlete of the year was William Smith III of the University of California, Los Angeles. The freshman of the year award went to Bomin Kim of the University of California, San Diego. The female poomsae athlete of the year was Sharlene Duong of UCLA, and the male poomsae athlete of the year was Brian Meagher of Northeastern University. The coach of the year was Sung Park of Brown University.

The NCTA Cup division was held on Sunday, April 13. Athletes who competed throughout the year at regional NCTA events came together to vie to take the home the NCTA Cup. The NCTA Cup was won by Northeastern University who took first place as a team. Second place was won by U. Texas, Austin, and third place was from MIT. 298 athletes from 27 schools participated in the NCTA 3v3 Cup division.

Cornell University Hosts Third ECTC Tournament of the Season

1 year

by Abhi Routray in Regional Leagues

Ithaca, NY – March 9, 2025 – Cornell University welcomed 364 competitors from 20 schools for the third Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference (ECTC) tournament of the season. With divisions following the usual 3v3 team format for both poomsae and sparring, the event highlighted the growing strength of collegiate Taekwondo and provided another stepping stone on the road to the National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships.

Teams from across the East Coast, including perennial powerhouses and new contenders, demonstrated exceptional skill, sportsmanship, and camaraderie throughout the day. As the ECTC continues to expand, tournaments like Cornell’s play a critical role in fostering athlete development and strengthening the competitive pipeline.

This tournament also served as another qualifier for the newly established NCTA Cup Division, which will debut at the 2025 NCTA National Collegiate Championships.

“With six regional conferences now recognized nationwide, we are seeing more collegiate Taekwondo athletes compete and grow as leaders within their programs,” said Dan Chuang, President of the NCTA. “The ECTC continues to set the standard for high-level collegiate competition, and the performances at Cornell demonstrated the incredible dedication of these student-athletes.”

As the ECTC season progresses, the energy and intensity of competition continue to build. The strong turnout and spirited matches at Cornell signal another exciting chapter in the season, leading up to the next tournament and, ultimately, the national championships.

Division Winners

A-Team Poomsae
🥇 1st – West Point A1: Yudam Jeong, Yewon Jeong, Megan Cho
🥈 2nd – Rutgers A1: Hamin Kim, Jessica Lee, Aden Nguyen
🥉 3rd – Northeastern A1: Brian Meagher, Connie Chong, Isabella Bartolomei
🥉 3rd – UPenn A1: Ryan Real, Giang Vu, Chloe Ng

B-Team Poomsae
🥇 1st – MIT B1: Yuying Lin, Ricardo Carrillo, Titus Tsai
🥈 2nd – Northeastern B1: Victoria Mung, Conrad Wu, Alexander Lei
🥉 3rd – Northeastern B2: Ariana Mechem, Linh B. Tran, Helen Wang
🥉 3rd – MIT B2: Arthur Liang, Rona Wang, Evelyn Fu

C-Team Poomsae
🥇 1st – UPenn C1: Jiyu Zhang, Adele Xinrui Qian, Ellis Charles
🥈 2nd – NYU C1: Ahreumbi Rew, Bess Gsell, Ujin Boldbaatar
🥉 3rd – MIT C2: Jamie Lim, Lynn Leetrairong, John Onyemelukwe
🥉 3rd – Rutgers C1: Emily Ou, Alina Chen, Grace Virmani

Men’s A-Team Sparring
🥇 1st – Rutgers A2: Sang Min Park, Aden Nguyen, Sai Kommuru
🥈 2nd – Cornell A1: Eliot Youngmin Lee, Marcuz Ygana, Louis Arnoult Costafreda
🥉 3rd – MIT A1: John Magira, Dale Irving, Xavier Sanchez
🥉 3rd – Rutgers A1: Jason Lee, Hamin Kim

Women’s A-Team Sparring
🥇 1st – NYU A1: Wenjia Qu, Cindy Lin, Shevana Shan, Xian Au Yang
🥈 2nd – Northeastern A1: Sydney Bao, Taylor McMordie, Sierre Ternoey
🥉 3rd – West Point A1: Grace Kim, Yewon Jeong, Megan Cho
🥉 3rd – Cornell A1: Audrey Kohlman, Hae Yeon Park, Amelia Rooney

Men’s B-Team Sparring
🥇 1st – Cornell B1: Bradley Bogues, Oladipo Omokanwaye, Berk Balkir
🥈 2nd – Northeastern B1: Mahadharsan Ravichandran, Alexander Lei, Jan Heinz
🥉 3rd – MIT B2: Jeryl Lewis, Jose Ramirez
🥉 3rd – MIT B1: Ricardo Carrillo, Arthur Liang, William Nolan

Women’s B-Team Sparring
🥇 1st – Cornell B1: Lily Mager, Olivia Wen, Dylan Beegal
🥈 2nd – Cornell B2: Varvara Babii, Aloyse Maille, Maria Oprea
🥉 3rd – UNC-CH B1: Zoe Anderson, Marynna McLean
🥉 3rd – Ohio State B1: Sophia Weiss, Elizabeth Nitz, Sara Sun

Men’s C-Team Sparring
🥇 1st – NYU C1: Golam Raiyan, Marat Nueraji, Ely Mager
🥈 2nd – MIT C1: Andrew Acevedo, Kai Hung, John Onyemelukwe
🥉 3rd – Northeastern C1: Adrian Rodriguez Vazquez, Cameron Minh-Bao Nguyen, Kevin Travieso
🥉 3rd – U Albany C1: Joshua Mathew, Jheriell Betances, Xavier Danie

Women’s C-Team Sparring
🥇 1st – NYU C1: Ujin Boldbaatar, Ahreumbi Rew, Cecilia Lovseth
🥈 2nd – Cornell C1: Anita Liu, Saty Paynter-Tavares, Cassidy Langenfeld
🥉 3rd – Northeastern C1: Kinolee Kumarasinghe, Ella Green, Avisha Sonika
🥉 3rd – UPenn C1: Jiyu Zhang, Adele Xinrui Qian

Overall Team Awards

🏆 1st Place – Cornell University
🥈 2nd Place – New York University (NYU)
🥉 3rd Place – Northeastern University

As the ECTC season continues, athletes look ahead to the next competition at the University of Vermont on March 30th, a pivotal moment leading into the National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships.

Ithaca, NY – March 9, 2025 –

UT Austin Hosts Inaugural SCTC Tournament, Expanding Collegiate Taekwondo in the South

1 year

by Abhi Routray in Regional Leagues

Austin, TX, March 1, 2025 – The University of Texas at Austin hosted the first-ever Southern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference (SCTC) tournament, marking a major milestone for collegiate Taekwondo in the southern region. With over 100 competitors from UT Austin, Texas A&M University, UT Dallas, UT Rio Grande Valley, and the University of Chicago, the event showcased team Poomsae, team sparring, and individual sparring, fostering both competition and community among athletes.

This tournament also served as a qualifier for the new NCTA Cup Division, set to debut at the 2025 NCTA National Collegiate Championships. “Six regional conferences are being recognized and organized across the United States, creating more opportunities than ever for college students to compete and grow as athletes and leaders,” said Dan Chuang, President of the NCTA. “Participation in these regional conferences will qualify collegiate athletes for the NCTA Team Championships, where they will compete for the new traveling trophy, the NCTA Cup. This cup will reside with the winning school each year.”

The tournament introduced the 3v3 Poomsae and Kyorugi formats for both black belts and color belts—formats that had yet to be seen in the southern collegiate circuit. “This event was not without its hiccups, but overall, it was many steps in a positive direction,” said Danielle Drews, a UT Austin alumna. “All schools and athletes demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship and camaraderie as this tournament brought them one step closer to their goals for the national collegiate tournament next month.”

The tournament also saw a growing presence of UT Austin alumni stepping up to support the event. “From an operations perspective, this year went so much smoother than the chaos of trying new things last year,” said Drews. “I am so grateful for everyone’s continued support. Having day-of support from ECTC Tournament Committee member Joshua Kwok and virtual support from Will Estey was extremely helpful. We were also able to garner more support from UT alumni, which felt amazing, especially after being the sole onsite alum volunteer last year. NCTA Tournament Committee Chair Tara Sarathi and I have talked before about the ECTC tournament committees and how the alumni have grown into the incredible force they are, and that’s my dream for the UT Taekwondo program.”

Tournament Results

Poomsae Winners

A Team Winners:
🏆 UT Austin PA2 – Ava Lim, Rachel Zhang, Wesland Ung
🥈 UT Austin PA1 – Fiona Hawkins, Kacie Nguyen, Kaila Pierson
🥉 UChicago PA1 – Ronik Bhaskar, Karen Chuchuca, Ethan Li
🏅 UTD PA1 – Nathan Boyle, Becky Leija, Travis Raley

B Team Winners:
🏆 UT Austin PB1 – Joey Hummel, Tivon Nguyen, Tyler Moon
🥈 UT Austin PB2 – Catherine Ta, Nicholas Peasley
🥉 UT Austin PB4 – Alice Jeong, Ilaria Cielo, Robin Sherrer
🏅 UChicago PB1 – Jocelyn Hsu, Lia Guerrero, Victoria Alana

C Team Winners:
🏆 UT Austin PC1 – Anh Vu, Christopher Chin, Martin Becker
🥈 UT Austin PC6 – Abi Pither, June Lee, Brianne Johnson
🥉 UT Austin PC5 – Ashwini Patil, Francesca Cadet, Lilliana Cadet
🏅 UT Austin PC2 – Hailey Lockett, Jack Whitehead, Paromita Cesano Bagchi

Men’s Sparring Winners

A Team Winners:
🏆 UTRGV Men’s A1 – Alex Rayas, Matias Lopez, Matthew Kim
🥈 Texas A&M Men’s A1 – Bryan Sutjipto, Jack Hughes, Tyler Seibert, Kevin Von Nacher
🥉 UT Austin Men’s A1 – Joey Hummel, Francisco Martinez
🏅 UTD Men’s A1 – Lu-Chen Lu, Bryan Ha, Brandon Kim

B Team Winners:
🏆 Texas A&M Men’s B1 – Zachary Gavlick, Aayushman Sharma
🥈 UT Austin Men’s B3 – William Chau, Arav Rawat
🥉 UT Austin Men’s B1 – Tyler Moon, Adarsh Javvaji, Douglas Ramirez
🏅 UT Austin Men’s B2 – Nicholas Peasley, Siddharth Shanbhag

C Team Winners:
🏆 UT Austin Men’s C2 – Jack Whitehead, Inhyeok Cho
🥈 UT Austin Men’s C5 – Samarveer Panag, Tyler Chamberlain
🥉 Texas A&M Men’s C1 – Kush Ganji, Varun Venkataraman
🏅 UT Austin Men’s C1 – Langston Stowers, Aaron Chris Tabuco

Women’s Sparring Winners

A Team Winners:
🏆 UT Austin Women’s A1 – Madeline Pitts, Danica Deaton
🥈 Texas A&M Women’s A1 – Isabella Afsar, Nora Dolt

B Team Winners:
🏆 UT Austin Women’s B4 – Stephanie Degnore, Adalia Sorola, Kate Mader
🥈 UT Austin Women’s B3 – Franchesca Untalan, Yashwini Trivedi
🥉 UT Austin Women’s B2 – Paloma Vega, Esmeralda Rizo, Ankitha Doma
🏅 UT Austin Women’s B1 – Mia Saavedra, Catherine Ta

C Team Winners:
🏆 UT Austin Women’s C1 – Malaika Shah, Sophia Li, Pournima Mante
🥈 Texas A&M Women’s C1 – Lauren Pilon, Malina Nesian, Rosaline Kumar
🥉 Texas A&M Women’s C2 – Divija Dronadula, Orleane Alima
🏅 UT Austin Women’s C2 – Eesha Conikee, Cassidy Wong

As the SCTC continues to establish itself within the collegiate Taekwondo landscape, this tournament set a strong foundation for future events and strengthened the competitive pipeline leading into the 2025 National Collegiate Taekwondo Championships.

ACATA Hosts Second Tournament of the Season at Princeton University

1 year

by Abhi Routray in Regional Leagues

Princeton, NJ, February 23rd – The Atlantic Collegiate Alliance of Taekwondo (ACATA) held its second and final tournament of the season at Princeton University.

This tournament was historic in several ways. As part of the National Collegiate Taekwondo Association (NCTA) Regional Initiative, Princeton University—renowned for hosting over 30 years of tournaments with the Eastern Collegiate Taekwondo Conference (ECTC)—hosted its first tournament within the ACATA region. This tournament also introduced the 3v3 team format for both Poomsae and Sparring, marking a significant shift for ACATA. “The blend of ECTC into ACATA is a good way to say that this is what we can be doing and what we can be,” said Rex Hatfield, Princeton Head Coach and ECTC Board Member.

Additionally, the tournament set a new record with 454 athletes in attendance, the highest turnout in ACATA history. “This is the largest ACATA tournament we have held by a factor of four,” said Casey Denham, ACATA President. “As an ECTC alumnus, the Princeton Tournament was always my favorite to compete in. It’s really nice to come back and continue bringing this tournament to future generations of athletes.”

In addition to debuting the 3v3 team format, ACATA introduced the concept of ‘hybrid teams’ at this tournament. Traditionally, athletes could only compete in teams of up to three members from the same school. However, ACATA allowed single-person teams from different schools to pair up and form two-person teams. “I love the hybrid idea,” said Matt Weinberg, Princeton Coach. “It’s awesome how the core values have clearly remained while the details have adapted to radically new situations.” Columbia Coach Hilary Monaco echoed this sentiment: “I love the hybrid teams. Athletes have the chance to compete, learn from other athletes, and be on the same side.”

Poomsae Winners

A Team Divisions
1st Place: University of Pennsylvania PA1 (Ryan Real, Chloe Ng, James Santos)
2nd Place: Rutgers University PA1 (Hamin Kim, Jessica Lee, Bailey Eng)
3rd Place: Rutgers University PA4 (Linh Ho, Owen Zacherau, Kelvin Cheng)
3rd Place: University of Michigan PA1 (Erin Clingerman, Juhyun Kim, Nishant Dash)

B Team Divisions
1st Place: Rutgers University PB1 (Medinee “Mia” Joshi, Abby Cohn, Shiril Reddy)
2nd Place: Duke University PB1 (Maanav Allampallam, Clarence Soh, Krystally Hour)
3rd Place: Yale University PB1 (Camila Otero, Christian Kwon, Fong-Ying Gau)
3rd Place: Rutgers University PB2 (Joyce Lee, Rachael Kim, Eesha Vijayakumar)

C Team Divisions
1st Place: University of Connecticut PC1 (Maleah Echevarria, Destinie Barkley, Emily Dubord)
2nd Place: American University PC1 (Mya Parker, Nina Jaafari, Hope Nyoni)
3rd Place: Brown University PC1 (Jester Abella, Icy Liang, Salah Ali)
3rd Place: Yale University PC2 (Serina Wang, Vicky Tan, Isaac Lian)

Sparring Winners

Men’s A Team Division
1st Place: Rutgers University A1 (Ian Hong, Matthew Kwon, Yunjea Choi)
2nd Place: University of Connecticut A1 (David Yehe-Nara, William Perry)
3rd Place: University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) A1 (Colin Choi, Dave Manuel Djachechi, Abou Sow, Alt: Edwin Torres)
3rd Place: University of Virginia A1 (Nathan Cabrera, Macbel Yacob, Aidan Chan, Alt: Eli Smith)

Women’s A Team Division
1st Place: New York University A1 (Wenjia Qu, Cindy Lin, Shevana Au Yang)
2nd Place: Cornell University A1 (Hae Yeon Park, Audrey Kohlman)
3rd Place: Brown University A1 (Jiwon Yoo, Sydney Merrill)
3rd Place: Yale University A1 (Emely Rivas, Sophia Lahik)

Men’s B Team Division
1st Place: University of Pennsylvania B1 (Dailing Wu, Anton Rzaev, Christopher Spletzer)
2nd Place: University of Connecticut B3 (Behzad Qurbani, Michael Albert)
3rd Place: Princeton University B1 (Anderson Chiang, Drilon Barnes)
3rd Place: University of Connecticut B1 (Chanik Lee, Sean Daly, Sebastien Jean Michel)

Women’s B Team Division
1st Place: ACATA (Hybrid Team) B1 (Arielle Hershkowitz (AU), Cierra San Roman (UVM))
2nd Place: Cornell B1 (Lily Rose Felicie Mager, Aloyse Maille, Dylan Beegal)
3rd Place: Liberty University B2 (Khara Pastean, Hannah Wharton)
3rd Place: University of Pennsylvania B1 (Isabella Chu, April Tong)

Team Awards

At the conclusion of the event, overall team trophies were awarded based on cumulative results:

1st Place: Rutgers University
2nd Place: University of Pennsylvania
3rd Place: University of Connecticut

“This tournament shows that we are a developed collegiate league,” said Denham. “ACATA can host a high-level event with a huge number of competitors. This just demonstrates the trajectory that ACATA is on, and we hope to see this level of competition at every tournament moving forward.”

Photos from the event can be found at this Google Drive link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XNnsbkUdHpSB3Y45DXU5H21xNDr0zcAc

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