Naperville native and Neuqua Valley freshman Aryan Gautam recently competed at the World Karate Championships in Chiclana, Cádiz, Spain. Gautam took part in multiple events, including Boys Two-Person Tag Team Point Sparring and Boys 12-13 years Point Sparring +60kg, advancing to the second round in both categories.
Coming home with bronze
Gautam then earned the bronze medal in the Boys 12-13 +60kg Three Person Team category to cap off an impressive World Karate Championships debut.
The Wildcat freshman has been making his mark in competitions across the country since he first began competing in 2025.
He won gold medals at the 2025 Diamond Nationals in Minnesota and at the 2026 Infinity National Championships in Wisconsin. Earlier this May, Gautam competed at the WKC Nationals, finishing as the runner-up to earn his spot on Team USA.
For his achievements on the martial arts mats and in the community, Gautam was recently honored by U.S. Representative Bill Foster.
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