On January 18^th, 2009, 18 members of Team H.K. Lee participated in the 2009 Friendship Taekwondo Championship in Norfolk, Virginia. The event was held at Virginian Wesleyan College. Results were as follows:

Blake Rodgers: 1^st Place Sparring, 1^st Place Poomsae

Mihaela Bodi: 2^nd Place Sparring, 3^rd Place Poomsae

Ryan Morrow: 2^nd Place Sparring, 2^nd Place Poomsae

Ever Morrow: 3^rd Place Sparring, 1^st Place Poomsae

Marc Slack: 2^nd Place Sparring, 1^st Place Poomsae

Nadia Terry: 2^nd Place Sparring, 2^nd Place Poomsae

Anthony Prosekov: 1^st Place Sparring, 1^st Place Poomsae

Zachary Velde: 3^rd Place Poomsae

Trevor Crane: 3^rd Place Poomsae

Anastacia Puertas: 1^st Place Sparring, 3^rd Place Poomsae

Cole Trippett: 1^st Place Sparring, 1^st Place Poomsae

Thomas Cusimano: 2^nd Place Sparring

Matthew Pavlecka: 3^rd Place Sparring

Erin Gray: 1^st Place Sparring, 2^nd Place Poomsae

Katherine Norkus: 2^nd Place Sparring, 3^rd Place Poomsae

Alex McGaffic: 3^rd Place Sparring, 2^nd Place Poomsae

Sydney Hicks: 3^rd Place Sparring, 3^rd Place Poomsae

Jessica Hogg: 3^rd Place Sparring, 3^rd Place Poomsae

High Lights:

1. 8 Year old athletes Blake Rodgers and Alex McGaffic, who had no other athletes in their 7 – 8 year old weight division, elected to compete in the 9 – 10 year old division, rather than automatically take 1^st and 2^nd place in their own weight division. Alex McGaffic took bronze in one of his best performances to date, and Blake Rodgers took gold after defeating a former USAT national champion 7 – 2, and winning finals by the seven-point mercy rule.

2. Athletes Cole Trippett, Anthony Prosekov, and Anastacia Puertas all won all of their sparring matches by the seven-point mercy rule. Anthony Prosekov scored an unprecedented total of 21 points over three matches, giving up zero points during the whole competition. Cole Trippett defeated his first opponent 7 – 0 just 11 seconds into the first round.

3. First-year team members Ryan Morrow, Ever Morrow, Trevor Crane, Zachary Velde, and Anastacia Puertas won a collective total of 2 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals and demonstrated an impressive improvement of skill since the Lee Brothers Cup in North Carolina in November 2008.