Twelve students form the East Brunswick Taekwondo Center traveled with their instructor Kevin Balon to compete in the 203 AAU National Taekwondo Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee.
This year the 12 students won a remarkable 13 national titles, competing against athletes from across the country, after training every day in preparation for the event.
Among the gold-medal winners were Charles Ferrone, second-degree black belt (forms); Carolyn Chu, second-degree black belt (point sparring); Eric Makarevich, first-degree black belt (point sparring); and Julio Velazquez, green belt (forms).
Among the silver-medal winners were Ferrone (point sparring); Frank Gendlek, red belt (point sparring); and Kathy Plavnik, green belt (point sparring).
The bronze-medal winners were Ferrone (Olympic sparring); Carolyn Chu (forms); Kenneth Chu, second-degree black belt (point sparring); Plavnik (forms); Velazquez (forms); and Nicholas Carbley, green belt (forms).
Earning honorable mention were Stephen Gendlek, Ryan Lizotte and Ethan Rosenberg.