Recreation: Krafjacks take father-son titles in taekwondo

Mark Krafjack’s logic was simple.

“I figured that if I’m gonna travel with him,” the 28-year-old said of the start to his son Tylor’s taekwondo career, “I might as well compete myself.”

One year, more than 20 tournaments and 3,200 miles later, Mark and Tylor, 7, are father-and-son state champions.

The elder Krafjack, a purple belt, won the form, sparring and weapons titles in the 17-29-year-old division, compiling the most points in Florida over the 2005-06 American Taekwondo Association’s tournament season.

Tylor, a yellow belt, won the form division — judged on the execution of 44 separate moves — for 1-7 year-olds, and finished second in both the sparring and weapons divisions.

“We had no intentions of anything like that when we started,” Mark said. “It was to get in better shape, just to be able to practice with my son.”

In fact, Mark Krafjack wasn’t so sure Tylor would stick with taekwondo when he first took him to Chad Wilbur’s Blackbelt Academy in Bonita Springs two years ago. Tylor had quickly grown tired of his first season in tee-ball, and his dad said he saw a similar reaction as he learned his way around Wilbur’s studio.

“He was a little shy when he first came in, but I never worry about that because the shy ones turn out to be the most confident,” Wilbur said. “Other than that, his technique was great when he walked in.”

In fact, Mark’s enthusiasm grew with his son’s, and the pair were often working up to two hours every night after Wilbur’s class. Tylor’s mom, Meghan, eventually joined in, with the hopes all three can win state titles when she enters the women’s division next season.

“It’s been good for the whole family, how we interact and how we deal with everything,” Mark said. “From taking (taekwondo), Tylor behaves better. ... It works well with how we handle him and how he handles himself, with all of the core things like discipline and self-control.”

It’s also a noteworthy accomplishment for Wilbur, who opened his academy in January 2004 and will open a second location in Naples this summer. The Krafjacks and 36-year-old Matt Cox, who won the men’s form 30-39 division, are the first state title winners for the two-year-old academy, and, in Wilbur’s eyes, potential world champs if and when they earn their black belts.

“It’s going to bring us great recognition,” Wilbur said. “A lot of ATA schools have multiple state champs, so getting these state champs as color belts will hopefully bring us some world champs someday, too.”

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Yale senior Steve Rawl, a Fort Myers native, will compete in his fourth and final Harvard-Yale Regatta when the event is run for the 141st time in New London, Conn., on Saturday.

Rawl, 22, will row from the bow in the Varsity-8 race, a four-mile running up the Thames River. The nation’s oldest athletic competition, Harvard holds an 86-53 varsity advantage and has won five straight.

The No. 7 Bulldogs hope to reverse that trend with some help from Rawl, a former member of the Naples and Fort Myers Rowing Clubs.

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More than 500 participants turned out for The 20th annual Fitness Challenge Triathlon at the Naples Beach Club last Sunday.

Overall female winner Sara Weaver claimed her 14th win, finishing the 5K run, the 9.8-mile bicycle ride and the quarter-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico in 57:57.956. Marc Damon was the overall male winner, finishing in 49:11.82 to edge last year’s winner, Larry Black (49:31.987)

“It was a really great race,” said race director Linda Gregory, who participated, along with several of the event’s past coordinators, to commemorate the 20th running. “What’s nice is that we have so many local people who have never done a triathlon and they want to do this. We’re five-deep in all the age groups and we had a waiting list of 40 people that we had to turn away. It’s just nice to see them all out there.”

The proceeds will benefit the American Red Cross and the Zonta Club of Naples.

Here are the top three in all categories:

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Female Overall: 1. Weaver, 57:57.956, 2. Yasmin Saad, 59:20.995, 3. Caroline Humpreville, 59:23.475; Male Overall: 1. Marc Damon, 49:11.828, 2. Larry Black, 49:31.987, 3. Andrew Hjortaas, 50:34.467; Female Athena: 1. Katherine Kinross, 1:15:21.936, 2. Stacy Staiger, 1:17:12.690, 3. Erin Smith, 1:21:16.144; Clydesdale 39-and-under: 1. Conrad Long, 1:04:41.208, 2. Louis Chiappetta, 1:04:47.765, 3. Hunter Leake, 1:06:42.187; Clydesdale 40-and-over: 1. Joe Herring, 1:04:47.156, 2. John Gage, 1:07:05.714, 3. Dale Hunt, 1:08:42.515; Female 16-19: 1. Christine Johnstone, 1:11:14.940, 2. Lauren Ralston, 1:16:35.468; Female 20-24: 1. Denise Spidle, 1:19:04.289; Female 25-29: 1. Rebecca Hilton, 1:05:49.105, 2. Nancy Crooks, 1:07:57.608, 3. Anna Galdames, 1:08:51.869; Female 30-34: 1. Rebecca Rennix, 1:08:24.671, 2. Deanna McPhail, 1:08:40.681, 3. Kristin Marino, 1:11:03.283; Female 35-39: 1. Allyson Blasucci, 1:07:30.394, 2. Lyndi Thomas, 1:08:10.771, 3. Tonya Zwolenik, 1:08:20.302; Female 40-44: 1. Susan Timmins, 1:06:32.582, 2. Leslie Aaron, 1:06:52.301, 3. Laura Burke, 1:07:02.564; Female 45-49: 1. Ann Messner, 1:06:44.716, 2. Susan Cone, 1:07:39.865, 3. Maggie Miller, 1:07:50.191; Female 50-54: 1. Karen Lui, 1:05:54.436, 2. Heather Woodruff, 1:08:55.850, 3. Virginia Craig, 1:09:55.469; Female 55-59: 1. Nancy Marino, 1:07:56.285, 2. Terry Guadi, 1:09:10.193, 3. Barbara Langbauer, 1:10:59.281; Female 65-69: 1. Ursula Boldt, 1:34:44.909, 2. Marilyn Zook, 1:50:22.997; Male 13-15: 1. Justin Soden, 1:02:35.178, 2. Carl Nist-Lund, 1:07:50.067, 3. Casey Fosbenner, 1:14:23.764; Male 16-19: 1. Curran Petrites, 54:50.962, 2. Eric Stevens, 58:40.115, 3. Andree Koop, 1:00:11.420; Male 20-24: 1. Joel Daly, 56:18.199, 2. Stephen Lynch, 57:21.776, 3. Douglas Adams, 1:01:01.669; Male 25-29: 1. Ingmar Sprude, 55:30.385, 2. Ben Crotteau, 57:16.272, 3. Daniel Ross, 59:10.424; Male 30-34: 1. Brandon Britton, 56:15.873, 2. Andrew Arreola, 56:20.603, 3. Michael Hilton, 1:00:10.443; Male 35-39: 1. Kelly Dee, 55:21.093, 2. Ian Benedict, 56:13.067, 3. Andrew West, 56:20.322; Male 40-44: 1. Peter Denove, 58:25.088, 2. Steve Hagenbuckle, 59:12.236, 3. Johann Saurbier, 59:42.178; Male 45-49: 1. David Kroupa, 55:59.414, 2. David Browne, 56:45.445, 3. Christopher Wilcox, 57:44.557; Male 50-54: 1. Rick Miller, 58:04.178, 2. Jeffrey Wingenroth, 59:15.001, 3. Larry Tomsic, 59:47.657; Male 55-59: 1. Mark Simpson, 1:01:29.142, 2. Ted Zelman, 1:01:31.984, 3. Glenn Guadi, 1:01:57.515; Male 60-64: 1. Doug Schumann, 58:05.868, 2. Michael Lund, 1:05:50.260, 3. Richard Schmidt, 1:07:00.094; Male 65-69: 1. Lindsay Burhans, 1:08:05.920, 2. Craig Carlson, 1:12:29.894, 3. Bruce Hildreth, 1:12:59.414; Male 70-74: 1. Robert Robins, 1:32:48.583, 2. Roger Hill, 1:45:50.165, 3. Doug Zook, 1:46:56.111; Male 75-79: 1. Dean Davis, 1:22:34.765, 2. Michael Collins, 1:24:17.018; Relay Corporation: 1. Smith Barney, 54:44.720, 2. Hole Montes, 1:00:09.216, 3. Davidson, 1:00:46.265; Relay Family: 1. Craig, 1:08:39.697, 2. Jones, 1:10:09.556, 3. Hurricane Badger, 1:10:15.532; Relay Race Directors: 1. Team Brothers, 58:07.070, 2. Team H2M, 1:07:11.400, 3. Team Bruce, 1:23:34.864; Relay Women: 1. Team Thompson, 1:06:01.603, 2. Team Mikelson, 1:07:42.470, 3. Team Tennis Naples, 1:09:54.464.