A small crew of eight competitors from Alliance Taekwondo made the trip out to Detroit Lakes the first weekend of June to compete in the Detroit Lakes Invitational Tournament. Senior blackbelt Kyle Sanford headed up the team, with jr blackbelts Austin Hunt and Braden Fritel joined by new jr blackbelts Eddie Lin and Cameron Lemere in their first appearances at the blackbelt level. At the underbelt level, Madison Rud, Mason Rud and Alex Hamilton tested their mettle. Together they claimed nineteen top three placements and an honorable mention.
Three of the four Alliance junior blackbelt competitors competed in forms. Mr Braden Fritel earned a second place with Koryo. In a separate division, Mr Eddie Lin took second in his division despite having learned Koryo only a week before. In a third, younger division, Mr Cameron Lemere took first place.
In underbelt forms, Ms Madison Rud took first in an advanced adult division. Mr Mason Rud took third in an intermediate adult division. In a youth intermediate division, Mr Alex Hamilton also competed with a form he’d only just learned and received a fourth place honorable mention.
In a handful of large breaking divisions, the Alliance competitors had some fun. In the underbelt divisions, Ms Madison Rud competed in an adult advanced division and registered a first place performance. Mr Alex Hamilton competed in a youth intermediate division and earned third place. Mr Cameron Lemere took third in another division, with Mr Eddie Lin taking first. In the adult blackbelt breaking division, Mr Kyle Sanford’s hit or miss performance earned him a third place finish.
In the weapons divisions, Mr Kyle Sanford and Mr Braden Fritel both put forth earnest efforts. In the adult blackbelt division, Sanford’s performance of Chi Mei Quan was strong but a big error towards the end of the set cost him. In the jr blackbelt division, Fritel performed the first half of Shepherd Staff and, despite some hesitation, took third in a large division.
In a young intermediate division, Mr Alex Hamilton fought hard against obdurate competitors; in the match for first place he was edged out in over time and came away with second place. In the adult underbelt divisions Mason Rud battled his way through an intermediate division of six to claim first place. In an advanced women’s division, Madison Rud had another decisive showing and, despite a dearth of calls for very clear points, still managed to come out on top and secure a first place finish.
In the jr blackbelt divisions, which were two rounds of continuous fighting per match, Mr Austin Hunt, Mr Braden Fritel, Mr Eddie Lin and Mr Cameron Lemere competed in three separate divisions. Lin and Lemere were grouped into a tough bracket and fought intense, hot rounds. Lin made it to the first place match, where he fought a Detroit Lakes veteran national competitor; after a single point decision in overtime, Lin was awarded second place. Fritel also fought well in one of the most competitive jr blackbelt divisions of the year, clearing all comers until the match for first. Facing off against Wyatt Hermanson yet again, they traded blows and points; after the dust had settled, Wyatt had taken first bringing the all time score between the two to an even three wins for each. Hunt showcased some of his best fighting to date; relaxed but fast and accurate, he achieved his first win against longtime rival Rylee Hermanson of Roughrider to take first place. In the adult blackbelt divisions, Mr Kyle Sanford – after a close bout that went into overtime – was relegated to the third place match, which he won.
Alliance would like to thank Master Lucas Holzhueter for hosting the tournament and providing a solid environment for competition where Alliance students experienced both team and personal growth. We would also like to congratulate the entire team on all the hard work, and thank the parents, instructors and coaches who have supported them. As always, our gratitude goes out to Grandmaster Eric Greenquist for his many years of dedication and instruction, and Great Grandmaster Moo Young Yun for his tireless efforts in the promotion of martial arts.
