“It was a success,” said academy owner and tournament organizer Greg Gafford. “We did really well. We did a lot better in forms than we usually do.”
Gafford said Chip Townsend and the U.S. National Championship Demonstration Team were well-received and would be invited back for future tournaments.
Amarillo academy Top of Texas won the overall team competition, Texas Christian University was second and the school from Romance, Ark., took third.
Fighters from the academy had strong individual performances that helped the school earn its top five standing.
Black belts Alex and Larry Jaramillo each took home a third-place medal for sparring.
Red belt Justin Armstrong earned the first-place trophy in both forma and fighting for his age group, while fellow red belt Xavier Jaramillo took first in sparring and third in forms. Joseph Benz took the top spot in forms and third in fighting, while another red belt, Rubi Jaimes, took third in the fighting competition.
The blue belts also had a strong tourney, with Fred Ramirez taking first in forms and second in sparring. Koe Alvarez was third in fighting.
Green belt Seth Jaramillo was first in his class in sparring and second in forms, while green belt Hunter Wickline took second in fighting and third in forms.
Green belts Laurne McQuirk took home a second-place medal for fighting, while Slade Birkenfeld and Nelson Sears each took third in the sparring competition. Reagan Lindsey took third in his group in both events.
Orange belt Ashley Kincheloe earned the top prize in forms and the runner-up medal in fighting, and fellow orange belt Kaiden Gamble also won forms in his division.
Four yellow belts competed in the tournament. Daniel Shlezinger and Josh Morrell ewach had third-place finishes in both events in their respective divisions, while Ray Newton took second in sparring and Evan Tedder placed third in the fighting competition.