Taekwondo: Big Sky Martial Arts repeats as state champs
<p>Ryeland Leiby, right, lands a kick in Tracer Gislason's chest during a bout at Montana State Tae Kwon Do Championships at Flathead High School on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
<p>Kennedy Kanter, left, and Cheyenne Aundt kick each other during a bout at the Montana State Tae Kwon Do Championship at Flathead High School on Saturday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>
Big Sky Martial Arts defended its Montana State Taekwondo Championships on Saturday with a dominating peformance at Flathead High School.
BSMA, with 58 competitors, rolled up a winning team total of 333.
Championship Training of Missoula, which was expected to challenge BSMA for the team trophy, was a distance second with a 222 score.
Montana Taekwondo Academy of Missoula was third, 71, and Big Sky Taekwondo of Great Falls fourth, 69.
Scoring is based on 5 points for gold medals, 3 for silver and 1 for bronce.
All total, 11 taekwondo teams participated from Montana, Idaho and Washington.
BSMA’s Kyah Gislason, 14, was named the top female athlete of the event. A junior blackbelt, she finished first in the 12-14 age bracket.
“Our team did a great job,” BSMA coach John Paul Noyes said.
“We’re preparing for nationals and our team is really tuned-up for that. Nationals is almost four weeks away.”
BSMA is the defending national champions.
National are June 30-July 3 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. BSMA has qualified 47 athletes for that competition. The team leaves for Florida on June 28.
“With our team as strong as it is, this was a leg-stretcher for us,” Noyes said of state.
“It was our last tournament before nationals. It was a chance for us to dial things in. This year we are right were need to be (with our training).”
Noyes said his athletes will resume training for nationals on Monday.
“Our kids are in top-notch conditioning,” he said of what stood out at state.
“That’s the one thing you can control.
“These kids know what they are doing,” he continued.
“They train year-round. They performed like they were suppose to perform. As a coach, I am comfortable with that.”