Local teen wins Bronze in Taekwondo at Youth Olympic Games

(DAKAR, SN) – A Jennings County teen represented the United States in a big way during the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal on Tuesday! 

17-year-old Karlee Vogel, of Hayden, was the only female to qualify for the USA Taekwondo Team and competes in the 55kg division.  

Her first competition this morning was against a female Taekwondo athlete from Turkey. 

Vogel got the 2-0 victory and secured a spot in the Semi-Finals. 

She then went against 16-year-old Marie Sarr from Senegal and Vogel lost by a score of 2-0. 

Sarr would go on to win the Gold Medal in the Taekwondo 55kg division in the next match. 

Vogel will return home with a Bronze Medal and she is giving a lot of credit to her Peak Performance Coach Brad DeMinck for her success.

The Youth Olympic Games is taking place from October 30 to November 13 and this is the first time it has been held on the continent of Africa. 

Karlee earned the opportunity to go to the Youth Olympic Games after beating top competitors from across the nation during the USA Taekwondo Nationals in Charlotte this summer. 

She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo and has been practicing the sport since she was 3-years-old. 

She also teaches along with her brother, Master Payton Vogel, at the family-owned Vogels Knock Out Martial Arts in Seymour.  

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