Spirit Lake karate team wins major West Coast tournament
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 3 years, 1 month AGO
Courtesy photo A six-person karate team based in Spirit Lake was victorius at the Long Beach International Karate Tournament on July 27-29 in Long Beach, Calif. From left are Senior Master Instructor Mike Siegfried, Saydie Green, Allilah Dykes, Alannah Windland, Jessika Winland, Jesse Winland and Grandmaster Larry Morgan.
A six-person karate team based in Spirit Lake won 12 first-place medals, two second-place medals and two third-place medals at the Long Beach International Karate Tournament on July 27-29 in Long Beach, Calif.
The Long Beach event is one of the largest competitions on the West Coast.
The local North Idaho team includes Allilah Dykes (age 17), Alannah Winland (13), Saydie Green (13), Jesse Winland (10) and Jessika Winland (8), and Senior Master Instructor Mike Siegried (59).
Alannah Winland won four first-place medals and one second-place medal.
Dykes won three first-place medals.
Green won two first-place medals and one third-place medal.
Jesse Winland won two first-place medals.
Jessika Winland won one first-place medal and one third-place medal.
Mike Siegfried won one second-place medal.
“It is astonishing how well our small team did in this major tournament," Siegfried said. "We competed against teams from all over the country. Some of the opposing teams had as many as 30 competitors, giving them a huge numerical advantage. Yet, despite that advantage, our little six-person team beat them in division after division. I am so proud of this team. They are talented, respectful, and fiercely competitive.”
The Spirit Lake team is sponsored by the Verbal Judo Institute, Inc., a verbal de-escalation training company based in New York. The next competition for the Universal Kenpo Kung Fu Association team is Sept. 30 at the Tacoma (Wash.) Convention Center.