The 2025 USAWKF Junior Team Trials were held in Rockville, Maryland, from December 18–21, in conjunction with the Winter Presidential Wushu Cup. A total of 274 athletes from across the United States participated in the Taolu and Sanda team trials. With an additional 200+ competitors competing in the Presidential Wushu Cup tournament, the event attracted nearly 500 competitors in total.
After three days of exciting and fiercely contested competition, the following athletes were selected as members of the 2025–2026 USAWKF National Junior Team:
Sanda Team:
Sanda – Junior Boys
42 kg: Mason Lee
45 kg: Noble Burns
52 kg: Ethan Gonzalez-Prieto
Sanda – Youth Boys
52 kg: Leonardo Pastrana
56 kg: Jaxsen Kitten
60 kg: Minhtriet Tran
65 kg: Mujahid Long-Xin Garone
70 kg: Mustafa Long-Li Garone
Sanda – Youth Girls
60 kg: Kamryn Dumbra
Taolu Team:
Taolu – Youth Boys
A team: Raiden Gunawan, Ethan Che, Marshall Brayton
B team: Justin Shen, Aldric Tanzil, Tony Wang
C team: Ethan Yip, Dazhi Lu, Augustin Yim
Taolu – Youth Girls
A team: Aviendha Johnson, Riyana Ihenuwara, Victoria Ding
B team: Elaine Wang, Catrina Ding, Julia Zhou
C team: Malina Nguyen, Lasya Singamsetty, Allison Chew
Taolu – Junior Boys
A team: Eric Gunawan, Jaydan Candra
B team: Gavin Lin, Maximus Croughwell
C team: Alan Shou, Charleston Yun
Taolu – Junior Girls
A team: Rylee Fung, Alisa Lin
B team: Latisha Fong, Elyne Cheng
C team: Sabrina Ding, Elizabeth Ruan
Taolu – Children Boys
A team: Eric Lin, Stephen Chen
B team: Aiden Tse, Skyler Chiang,
C team: Eason Cheung, Evan Feng
Taolu – Children Girls
A team: Kolette Kooc, Kathie Liu
B team: Elaine Liu, Chu Gao
C team: Kaylee Yin, Annie Wang
Congratulations to our newly selected Junior Team members!
The A Teams from each age group will represent the United States at the 10th World Junior Wushu Championships, to be held in Tianjin, China, from March 23–31, 2026.
The B and C Teams will compete at the 15th Pan American Wushu Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 8–11, 2026.
|
USAWKF Successfully Conducts Taolu and Sanda Coach Certification Session |
|
Following the successful launch of the USAWKF Coach Certification Program, the USAWKF hosted another Taolu and Sanda Coach Certification Course in conjunction with the Junior Team Trials in Rockville, Maryland, on December 17–18.
The Taolu course was led by Xiaolin Lu, Vice Chair of the IWUF Technical Committee and Chair of the Pan American Wushu Federation Technical Committee. The Sanda course was led by Ian Lee, Executive Vice President of the USAWKF. As in the first session, the courses were delivered by senior instructors to ensure consistent instructional quality and professional standards.
This two-day session provided structured instruction and formal assessment exclusively for Level C coaches, the entry level of the USAWKF’s three-tier coach certification system (Levels A, B, and C). Participants from across the United States engaged in in-depth discussions on coaching methodologies, standards, and long-term athlete development. Upon successful completion of assessments, qualified participants were awarded USAWKF Level C Coach Certification. |
Congratulations to the Newly Certified Coaches
Sanda Level C Coaches
Chiquacta Hodges
Aaron Keys
Rahsaan Kimbrow
Jason Liu
Andrew Verdo
Piankhi Zimmerman
Sanda Continuing Education Coach
Genming Liu
Taolu Level C Coaches
Wade (Preston) Blevins
Ahmad Esfahani
Xining He
Bruce Liu
Ahmed Mohamed
USAWKF Hosts Duan Award Ceremony
The USAWKF hosted another Duan Certification Ceremony in conjunction with the Junior Team Trials in Rockville, Maryland.
A total of 10 applicants were awarded their corresponding Duan levels. The recipients were recognized for their technical proficiency, theoretical knowledge, competitive and instructional achievements, and sustained contributions to the development of wushu within their communities.
Sanda Duan Recipients:
3rd Duan: Mohammadre Daeisadeghi
1st Duan: Dallas Anders
Taolu Duan Recipients:
7th Duan: Zengjiao Jian
6th Duan: Wei Ding, Sheng Meng
4th Duan: Eugene Moy, Kevin Law, Lina Sheng
3rd Duan: Aaron Keys, Jie Gu
Congragulations to all Duan recipients on this significant achievement.