Youth Olympic Games Trials This Friday

USA Taekwondo will be hosting two events this weekend at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. The 2010 Youth Olympic Games Team Trials will take place on Friday, and the 2009 Rocky Mountain Open will be held Saturday and Sunday. 

The Youth Olympic Games Trials will feature 60 athletes vying for six spots on the team (3 male, 3 female). Among the competitors are two members of the 2009 U.S. Senior National Team and seven members of the 2009 U.S. Junior National Team. 

Senior National Team members Talina Le (Woodinville, Wash.) and Victoria Stambaugh (Pasadena, Texas) will be competing in the female 97.1 - 108.0 lbs. division. Both athletes competed in the recent World Taekwondo Championships in Copenhagen, held Oct. 14-18. 

Junior National Team members in action include Gregory English (Chicago, Ill.) in the male 105.8 lbs. & under division; Olie Burton (Accokeek, Md.) and Seth Wolfe (Miami, Fla.) in the male 105.9-121.3 lbs. division; Matthew Kim (Ramsey, N.J.) in the male 121.4-138.9 lbs. division; Nicole Palma (Lake Worth, Fla.) in the female 108.1-121.3 lbs. division; and Adrienne Ivey (Ashburn, Va.) in the female 139.0 lbs. & over division. 

Burton was a bronze medalist at the 2008 World Junior Championships. 

Also competing in the female 108.1-121.3 lbs. division is 2008 Junior World Champion Selina Tubbs (Plano, Texas). 

The competition format is single-elimination up to the semifinals, and then a round robin format from that point on. 

The six winners from Friday's trials will represent the U.S. at the Youth Olympic Games Qualification Tournament in Tijuana, Mexico, March 3-4, 2010. U.S. Athletes that place in the top six at the YOG Qualification Tournament will qualify for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, August 14-26. 

The Youth Olympic Games will be held in August 2010 and are open to athletes born between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 1994. 

This weekend's Rocky Mountain Open will feature over 200 competitors in sparring, poomsae and board breaking competition, and is open to ages 6 and up. 

Competition in Sports Center I begins at 9:00 a.m. each day. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. There is free admission for USOC resident athletes and USOC/NGB employees.

Don't forget to get up-to-the minute updates via USAT's Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/USA_Taekwondo

Youth Olympic Games Team Trials Competitors

FEMALE 97.1-108.0 lbs.
Jessie Bates (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
Aisha Jones (Haiku, Hawaii)
Jessica Junio (Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Talina Le (Woodinville, Wash.)
Brittany Leinonen (Cokato, Minn.)
Victoria Stambaugh (Pasadena, Texas)
Caitlin Vandrisse (Maple Grove, Minn.) 

FEMALE 108.1-121.3 lbs.
Paige Aguirre (Torrance, Calif.)
Paige Biviano (Cazenovia, N.Y.)
Maisey Calinog (Granada Hills, Calif.)
Devon Lewis (Stafford, Va.)
Kiana Lo (Danville, Calif.)
Patricia Louie (Seattle, Wash.)
Jennie McGurn (Renton, Wash.)
Madison Motoyasu (Newhall, Calif.)
Nicole Palma (Lake Worth, Fla.)
Selina Tubbs (Plano, Texas)
Nicole Vancleave (Lake Tapps, Wash.)
Gina-Louise Williams (Westminster, Calif.) 

FEMALE Over 139.0 lbs.
Hayley Cisper (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Gabrielle Fontana (Spring, Texas)
Tatiana Francischetti (Brentwood, Calif.)
Adrienne Ivey (Ashburn, Va.)
Kyla Millington (Coon Rapids, Minn.)
Andie Phinney (Gloucester, Mass.)
Michelle Silva (Chicago, Ill.)
Dess Vincecruz (Alexandria, Va.) 

MALE 105.8 lbs. & under
Gregory English (Chicago, Ill.)
Kareem Fawzi (Leesburg, Va.)
Lyles Moore (Miami, Fla.)
Nicholas Noschese (Holly Springs, N.C.)
Robby O'Connell (Metuchen, N.J.)
Kelvin Ortiz (Pembroke Pines, Fla.)
James Samotshozo (Fairfax, Va.)
Brenden Stroot (Baxter, Minn.) 

MALE 105.9-121.3 lbs.
Olie Burton (Alexandria, Va.)
Chris Jantz (Rowlett, Texas)
Miles Kiffmann (Haiku, Hawaii)
Matthew Lopez (Pinole, Calif.)
Marion-Kauland Pereda (Kent, Wash.)
Kevin Prieto (Stockton, Calif.)
Bear Westerlind (Coral Springs, Fla.)
Seth Wolfe (Miami, Fla.)
Alexander Yow (Mequon, Wis.) 

MALE 121.4-138.9 lbs.
Nathanael Ahlstrom (Granada Hills, Calif.)
Dexter Andrews (Waverly, Minn.)
Anthony Castellanos (Miami, Fla.)
Raymond Castillo (Raleigh, N.C.)
Jon-Walter Cortez (Renton, Wash.)
Tanner Creel (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Jason Delgadillo (Cerritos, Calif.)
Jake Dellagrotta (East Greenwich, R.I.)
Matthew Kim (Ramsey, N.J.)
Khalil Lee-Butler (Seattle, Wash.)
Gabriel Martinez (Whittier, Calif.)
Steven Thompson (Westland, Mich.)
Jeffery Williams (Blue Island, Ill.)
Chris Xie (El Sobrante, Calif.)
Nicholas Yow (Mequon, Wis.)
Jayson Zuluaga (Miami, Fla.)

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