Courtesy photos

Amerie Otake of Kiffmann’s Maui Elite Taekwondo Center became the 2024/2025 USAT Taekwondo National Team champion this week after taking the gold in black belt sparring division at the USAT Taekwondo Nationals at the Dallas Ft. Worth Arena from July 3-7. She is the second female on Maui and at Kiffmanns to become a USAT National Team Member, and this is her second big victory of 2024. In February, she won the gold at the US Open Taekwondo International Championship in Reno. Other Kiffmann athletes to medal at Nationals were Kaiao Elaban, silver; Payten Padron, bronze; Teysian Ponce, bronze and Kamanu Elaban, bronze.