For the second year in a row, Montana’s team of Taekwondo athletes, including a large group from Kalispell, is AAU national champions.
The team, made up of 47 teenaged athletes from across the state, defended its title at the U.S. Taekwondo Nationals in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last month.
Twenty-two of the athletes were from Kalispell’s Big Sky Martial Arts. The team was coached by Master John Paul Noyes and Master Debbie Noyes from Big Sky Martial Arts and Master Jake Parker from Montana Taekwondo Academy of Missoula and James Corbin of Championship Training in Missoula.
“It is very exciting to have our Montana athletes reach the very top in the US.” John Paul Noyes said. “We are fighting against much bigger schools from large cities.”
Big Sky Martial Arts’ Jackson Waldher made the U.S. National B Team by placing second at Nationals. He will be invited to represent the U.S. at the German Open this February. Big Sky Martial Arts’ Adam Bartlett and Thomas Reed qualified for U.S. Team Trials, which are held in Florida next month. U.S. Team Trials are for black belts 12-14 years old and black belts 15-17 years old.
Other local athletes to earn top individual medals in their respective divisions include, Kyrie Gislason (gold), Shari Johnson (gold, silver in forms), Trish Pandia (gold), Caley Halloran (gold, silver in forms), Adam Bartlett (gold), Jen Littlefield (gold, gold in forms), Jackson Waldher (silver), Kelvin Pandina (bronze), Alexis Pandina (bronze), Dakota Arndt (bronze), Thomas Reed (bronze), Taylor Reed (bronze).
The other Kalispell athletes to place on the national championship team include Jaydon Pesola, Gibson Littlefield, Kyah Gislason, Brett Pesola, Tracer Gislason, Aly Gottshlich, Kaid Buls and Ethan Hallos.