The Minnesota Star demonstration team won the 2024 AAU Taekwondo Nationals held in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The team, based out of Coon Rapids, emerged atop 11 teams competing.
Along with the team’s success, Mr. Vuk Modec won the 12-14-year old Black Belt Sparring Division, and Master Isaac Franklin reached the quarterfinals in the 18-32 Black Belt Forms Division, and earned bronze in the 18-32 Black Belt Weapons Division.
One of the team’s greatest strengths was its chemistry and unique display, a one of one performance leading to the top.
“The hardest thing about preparing with the demonstration team is working with personal schedules,” coach James Franklin said. “In the last weeks before Nationals, we were able to take advantage of the fact that school was out, allowing them to get together during the day. This commitment and dedication really helped cement their routine. The main strength our team had was that our unique presentation wasn’t the typical demonstration. One of the referees described it as ‘dynamically organized chaos.’ Team captain Isaac Franklin had a lot to do with that, from picking and mixing the music to adapting the fight scenes and choreography to swap and match different athletes. We had athletes who could not commit to going to Nationals and this affected the demonstration itself, but they adapted to the challenge.”