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Kalispell Teen Wins Spot on U.S. AAU National Taekwondo Team

As a national team member, Bartlett will be required to train in Dallas, Texas

By Beacon Staff

Adam Bartlett, 14, continues his phenomenal year in taekwondo with his recent success in landing a coveted spot on the U.S. AAU National Taekwondo Team.

Bartlett started his journey in July when he traveled with the Montana Taekwondo Team headed by Grand Master John Paul Noyes of Big Sky Martial Arts to the AAU National Taekwondo Competition in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Bartleet placed first in his division, winning his three Olympic-style sparring matches by soundly defeating his competitors with scores of 28-1, 18-7, and 23-2, respectively and earning a gold medal.

In order to gain a spot on the national team in his 12- to 14-year-old cadet division, he would be required to compete again with the top four competitors in his weight division. He traveled again back to Fort Lauderdale in September with his coach, Noyes, and his teammate, Thomas Reed, to compete in the National Team trial finals competition.

Bartlett again performed exceptionally well, winning his two matches with scores of 18-2 and 28-2 and earning his place on the national team.

Reed also displayed an outstanding performance, winning his first match but losing his second due to an untimely technical knockout from a spinning head kick at a time in the match when he was ahead by three points.

As a national team member, Bartlett will be required to train in Dallas, Texas in January with other team members and coaches. He will also have the opportunity to represent U.S. Taekwondo with the rest of his new team at an international taekwondo competition likely to be held in Germany in April, 2016.

Bartlett has consistently trained and competed in taekwondo since the age of 4 under the instruction of Noyes and Master Debbie Noyes with Big Sky Martial Arts in Kalispell. He currently holds a rank of second-degree black belt and will be eligible to sit for his third degree in 2016.

In addition to his national team tryout, Bartlett has twice won gold medals in his division at the US Open International Taekwondo Championships in 2011 in Las Vegas, NV and 2015 in Orlando, FL. He holds aspirations to one day compete for the United States on the Olympic taekwondo team.