South Huntington Student Earns Medals In Tae Kwon Do Competition

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — Preston Park, a seventh-grader at Stimson Middle School, took home some hardware at a recent Tae Kwon Do tournament, the South Huntington School District announced.

Park earned one gold and two silver medals in the 2022 U.S. Olympic Committee/U.S.A. Tae Kwon Do Poomsae Grand Slam 20.0 in Colorado.

The competition happened January 14 through 16, where Park won a gold medal in Cadet Pair
Recognized Poomsae, a silver medal in Cadet Male Individual Recognized Poomsae, and another
silver medal in Cadet Male Team Recognized Poomsae. Poomsae, or patterns, are a set sequence
of movements that consists of the various fundamental stances, blocks, punches and kicks
arranged in a meaningful order in response to attacks.

Park has practiced Tae Kwon Do for nearly seven years and has participated in several
competitions. This passion started when his father first brought him into Tae Kown Do. Park won three gold medals in his first tournament.

“I think that’s what started me off for competing and doing Tae Kwon Do,” Park said via news release.

This year’s Grand Slam was Park’s first in-person competition. It was nerve-wracking, and even
though competing was tough amongst other talented athletes, he stayed as confident as he could, according to the school district.

After winning those medals, he felt proud, especially because he only has one more year left in that division.

“It's a good experience for me to compete more and compete at a higher level,” Park said.

In the future, there are multiple state championships he has the ability to compete in amongst those with ranking points. He is currently ranked number one.

Park is set to compete in the 2022 World Tae Kwon Do Poomsae Championships in Goyang, South Korea in April. He is also slated to compete in the Cadet Individual Recognized Poomsae for the spot of TEAM USA National Team Trials from February 18 through 20 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

"Great work and good luck, Preston!" the South Huntington School District wrote.