GUILDERLAND — Athletes from Guilderland’s Pil Sung Taekwondo earned 16 medals at the 2017 Junior Olympic Games sponsored by the Amateur Athletic Union.

The AAU Junior Olympic Games is the largest amateur multi-sport event in the United States; 2017 marked the 51st AAU Junior Olympic Games.

The event included 18 sports and over 15,000 athletes. Competition in Taekwondo is run as a Hanmadang and includes 17 individual disciplines and two team events. The taekwondo events include both empty-hand and weapons competitions. Some events are focused on traditional techniques, while others test athletes’ taekwondo skills in terms of aerial techniques, speed, power, and creativity.

Mia Hasan, a 7-year-old with a green belt won nine gold medals in International Taekwondo Federation Traditional Forms, Open Traditional Forms, Weapons Forms, Musical Weapons Forms, Jump/Flying Breaking, Repetitive Hand Breaking, Repetitive Foot Breaking, Power Hand Breaking, and Power Foot Breaking.

She also won two silver medals, in Open Traditional Forms and Open Board Breaking, and she came in third place overall in Joel Ferrell points standings.

Sean Heller, 18, competed in the Collegiate Division, winning three gold medals in Speed Board Breaking, Repetitive Foot Breaking, and Power Foot Breaking. He also won two silver medals, in Jump/Flying Breaking and Power Hand Breaking.

Austin Wolfgang was invited to be an official at the Junior Olympic Games. At 15, he was the youngest official. He worked for two days as an official for both the Forms and Board Breaking competition.