Saturday marked the running of the 46th Annual Connecticut Tang Soo Do (Karate) State Championships which were held at MacKrille Elementary School. The West Haven Academy of Karate Competition Team (Team WHAK) hosted and competed in the event: Among the many participants from Team WHAK who won first, second or third place honors there were three individuals who were able to garner Grand Championships which are the highest awards attainable in their respective categories. Master Shane Clavaton was crowned overall Master (4th degree black-belt and up) Grand Champion by accumulating the highest point total from three events (weapon forms, empty-hand forms and free-sparring). Mr. Carlton Street won the Men’s Black-belt Sparring Grand Championship by defeating all other black-belts who won their respective divisions and Mr. Andy Guallo won the Men’s black-belt Form Grand Championship by outscoring all the black-belts who won their respective divisions.
Additionally, the following members of Team WHAK were able to win or place in their divisions in either the weapons, empty-hand forms or sparring events:
Individual Winners — Adres Laboy-Torres – 7 & 8 White / Orange – 1st place forms; 2nd place sparring; Ryan Remigio – 7 & 8 White / Orange – 2nd place forms; Jetsabel Chavarria – 7 & 8 White / Orange – 3rd place forms; Ian Escobar – 7 & 8 Green Belt – 1st place forms; Dylan Benegas – 7 & 8 Green Belt – 1st place weapons; 2nd place forms; Romney Remigio – 9 & 10 White / Orange – 1st place sparring; 3rd place forms; Brandon Perez – 9 & 10 White / Orange – 2nd place forms; 2nd place sparring; Yoshua Pritchett – 9 & 10 White / Orange – 3rd place sparring; Ayyan Choudhury – 9 & 10 Green – 1st place sparring; Eli Perez – 9 & 10 Green – 2nd place sparring; Sairah Choudhury – 9 & 10 Green – 3rd place sparring; Dior Fraser – 9 & 10 Red – 2nd place forms; 2nd place weapons; 2nd place sparring; Evan Diaz – 11 & 12 Green – 1st place forms; 1st place weapons; 1st place sparring; Marriam Al-rashid – 11 & 12 Red – 3rd place weapons; Benjamin Luck – 13 & 14 Green – 1st place forms; 1st place sparring; Jude Gregory – 13 & 14 Red – 1st place forms; 2nd sparring; 1st weapons; James Benegas – 13 & 14 Red – 2nd place forms; 2nd place weapons; Andrew Verderame – 13 & 14 Red – 1st place sparring; 3rd place forms; 3rd place weapons; Roman Vogel – 15 & 16 Green – 1st place forms; 1st place sparring; Bamidele Bashiru – 17-34 Men’s Orange – 1st place forms; 17-34 Men’s Red – 1st place sparring; Aya El-kacimi – 10 & under Dan – 1st place (cs) form; 1st place sparring: 1st place weapons; Ahmed El-kacimi – 11 & 12 Dan – 1st place (cs) form; 2nd place sparring; Elyssa Power – 11 & 12 Dan – 2nd place (cs) form; Camilia Corte – 11 & 12 Dan – 3rd place (cs) form; 3rd place sparring; 3rd place weapons; Emanuel Guallo – 13 & 14 Dan – 1st place traditional forms; 1st place sparring; 1st place weapons; Isaiah Carty – 13 & 14 Dan – 3rd place traditional forms; 2nd place sparring; Jayden Carty – 15 & 16 Dan – 1st place traditional forms; 2nd place sparring; Andy Guallo – 17 and over Dan – 1st place; 2nd place middle-weight sparring; Carlton Street – 17 and over Dan – 1st place sparring; Marcus DeCesare – 35 and over Dan – 1st place sparring; Steve Kline – Kodanja (master) – 1st place forms; 2nd place sparring; Shane Clavaton – Kodanja – 1st place sparring; 1st place weapons; 2nd place forms.
Grand Champions — Shane Clavaton – Overall Master Grand Champion; Carlton Streete – Men’s Sparring Grand Champion; Andy Guallo – Men’s Form Grand Champion.