December 2, 2011

Students at the YMCA classes are
privileged to receive instruction
directly from grandmaster Dwight Stevens.
Here he works with a large white belt group
on basic blocking techniques.



Tournament Results

Local taekwondo students fared well at a recent tournament earning nine first place trophies. Stevens Taekwondo Academy students from four local programs participated at the Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships, held in Wisconsin Rapids.

Blue belt Matthew Whitley swept the 14-17 year-old division, taking first place in sparring, forms and breaking.

Representation in the mini-peewee division was especially strong with red belt Isaac Williams taking first place in forms and in breaking, snapping boards with a back spinning hook kick and a back spinning side kick. High red belt Macey Shutter took second place in breaking and forms in the same division, with a third place in sparring. Red belt Cody Olski placed third in forms and sparring with a fourth place in breaking, and high yellow belt Michael Skerven grabbed the first place for sparring, second in forms and fourth in breaking.

In the micro- peewee division, Maddie Skerven, yellow belt, won first place in breaking, second in sparring and third in forms, with Isaac Witte, yellow belt, taking second in breaking, third in sparring and fourth in forms. Isabella Cornell, also a yellow belt, participating in her first tournament won second place in sparring, and fourth place in both forms and breaking.

In the adult men’s color belt division, blue belt Stephon Freeman won first place in sparring and board breaking and third place in forms.

Competing in the tough adult black belt division, fourth dan black belt Scott Smith earned a second place in forms, and third in both sparring and breaking.

Senior master Karen Johnson and third dan black belt Stephen Decker trained these students at programs including the UW-Stevens Point taekwondo and Stevens Taekwondo Academy schools in Stevens Point, the South Wood County YMCA and the Woodson YMCA.

The Mid-Wisconsin Taekwondo Championships were held at the Mid-State Technical College in Wisconsin Rapids and presented by Park Institute with Master John Chrystal serving as tournament director.