or
the second consecutive year, the Weiss School will bring more than a dozen
of its young martial artists to the National Junior Olympic Taekwondo
Championships.
The Palm Beach Gardens school, which had 13 students compete in Tampa last year, will have 16, including a former student, take part in the 22nd annual event, which will be held June 30 to July 6 in Minneapolis.
"This is my largest group," Weiss School taekwondo instructor Marika Powell said. "I'm very excited about it, especially this year."
Since Powell started teaching taekwondo at the Weiss School more than a decade ago, her students have performed extremely well at the Florida State Taekwondo Championships, which serve as the qualifying tournament for nationals.
But at this year's state tournament, held in the O'Connell Center on the campus of the University of Florida, the Palm Beach Gardens school turned in its best showing ever, winning 10 gold medals, two silver medals and three bronze (another student finished fourth).
"They started training in August -- when school started -- and that's when they set their goals," said Powell, who brought 21 students to Gainesville. "We really didn't have any extra training sessions. We did it all in regular class."
Taekwondo is a required course for the 142 students who attend the Weiss School. But for the boys and girls who participate on the school's competitive team, extra work is required to reach the highest level of competition.
"They made a commitment to themselves and to me and to the school that they would work as hard as they can," Powell said of her students. "And as hard as they worked, I worked equally (hard). As long as they want to go somewhere, I'll be there to support them."
Don't expect that to change any time soon. Powell, a fifth degree black belt who has been teaching at the school since 1990, enjoys working with elementary and middle school-age students and teaching them the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through taekwondo.
"They feel very good inside," she said. "I always teach them, 'Don't quit. Finish what you start.' It doesn't matter when we go to competition if they win a medal or not, as long as they do their best."
Powell's students expect nothing less from themselves at the Junior Olympics, though all have high hopes for bringing home a medal.
"At nationals, I hope to place and get gold," said blue belt Leah Nunez, 12, a seventh-grader who competes in the girls 12-13 middleweight division.
The Weiss School will send 16 youngsters, including a former student, to the National Junior Olympic Taekwondo Championships next month in Minneapolis. Not pictured is Alexandra Schmidt.
"I'm excited. I hope for any place -- first, second or third," added Erika Strasser, 11, who competes in the girls red belt 10-11 middleweight division.
Strasser, a fifth-grader from North Palm Beach, will be one of a handful of Weiss School students making a first trip to nationals.
Nunez, who will be competing for the second time (she finished fifth last year), has plenty of advice for the newcomers.
"Practice your hardest," she said. "Do your best, and know that it's an honor just to get there."
Along with Strasser and Nunez, the 13 other Weiss School students who will compete at nationals are: Shannan Garrison (blue belt 8-9 lightweight), Tjing-Tong Tse (blue belt 8-9 middleweight), Alexandra Schmidt (blue belt 14-15 lightweight), Sarah Arena (blue belt 14-15 middleweight),
Nicole Provenzano (red belt 10-11 lightweight), Kayla Lapikas (red belt 10-11 heavyweight), Hidemi Hayashi (black belt 10-11 heavyweight), Cathleen Ward (red belt 12-13 heavyweight), Joey Martina (blue belt 10-11 middleweight), Suneel Chakravorty (red belt 12-13 middleweight), Sanjay Chakravorty (red belt 8-9 middleweight), Tatsuaki Hayashi (black belt 12-13 heavyweight), Spencer Pingleton (red belt 10-11 middleweight).
In addition, Isrel Kapnick, a former Weiss School student who attends Suncoast High School, will compete at nationals in the black belt 14-17 heavyweight division. Kapnick, who will attend Emory University in the fall, has trained with master Powell since 1991.
By J. Wagner, Palm Beach Post
Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 22, 2002