Four women earned their third degree black belts in testing held at the YMCA recently.
Donelle Ostrowski, mother-daughter duo Jill Reed and Bethany Reed, and Haley Sankey demonstrated skills in advanced kick combinations and sparring. All the women performed the taebek form. Ostrowski and Jill Reed broke boards with spinning hook speed breaks. Sankey's snapped a free-standing board with a spinning hook kick. Bethany Reed smashed a two-inch board with a spinning sidekick.
Jamie Chariton achieved her second degree black belt following her performance of the keumgang form, advanced sparring and kick combinations and then successfully breaking a two-inch board with a spinning sidekick.
Nine-year-old Kohner Konopacki entered the black belt ranks as a deputy black belt with his demonstration of kicks, sparring skills and performance of five taegeuk forms. He used a flying side kick over two people to break his board. Kohner is the sixth member of his family to earn a black belt.
Trophies for excellence in testing were awarded to three students of the more than forty colors belts testing. Green belt Aaron Lamb won the first place trophy, high yellow belt Ryan Franckowiak earned second place and nine-year-old Claire Oberthaler received the third place trophy as she moved up to green belt.
The testing was judged by master instructor Dwight Stevens, assistant instructor Mark Henkel and Hilde Henkel.