(Denver, CO). The Twin Dragons Tournament formed the final piece of the puzzle in determining the standings for the 2015-2016 year. It once again came down to the wire with more than 25 schools earning points. The following table summarizes the standings of the top finishers.
Aurora Quest became the first team to win the title three times (2012, 2014, 2016), breaking Crescent View Academy’s streak of two consecutive victories. The victory was bittersweet for Instructor Cathy Burson, as it was her last year at Quest. She was instrumental in starting the program 7 years ago and has been in almost every class since. Although there were some veteran competitors such as Addie ‘The Annihilator’ Burson, Avery ‘The Impossible’ Stelzreide and Maya Braunstein, the bulk of the points were earned by Kindergarten and 1st graders. Instructor Cathy noted: “Each of them competed with great sportsmanship, excellent technique and (very importantly) big smiles! I am always proud at the effort students put into the tournament, but this year was particularly rewarding to watch.”
Avery receives the scores for her forms. Photo credit Chris Mancuso.
Carbon Valley Academy ended up in second place. It was a great start for a program less than one year old. Instructor Dean Leverett added: “I believe the thing that has impacted me the most has been the dedication of the kids. I have seen children who don’t last in other sports give their whole heart to their training in Taekwondo. A child with severe autism has more social skills now than previously and a couple with ADHD have more focus and something to keep them motivated. The program has assisted the children in being more confident in both their social interactions at school and in their lives. To see the proud smiles on their faces is a dream come true for me.”
Ins Dean holds a board during the breaking competition. Photo credit Chris Mancuso.
Master Kamil Latipov had two teams in the top six, Crescent View Academy in 3rd place and Joe Shoemaker in 6th place. CVA was missing several key families in this event which impacted their ability to win overall. Master Kamil was especially proud of his Shoemaker students. “The students did really well for their first year of competition. They have a really strong base and I can’t wait to see how they grow in the future.”
Montessori Del Mundo ended up taking 4th place. The school finished first place in the sparring competition, but didn’t participate in the other point bearing events for this year. Instructor Paola Perez stated: “It’s not how big you are, it’s how big you play, and MDM gave everything out there. Proud of my kiddos. They did a great job.”
Fifth place was earned by Master Bethany Lopez’s Murphy Creek program, another program a little more than one year old. Vanguard Classical School East and Mosley P8 rounded out the top 8.
The tournament was an amazing finish to the 6th league season and the league keeps growing and growing with new teams and students.