WARREN — A Trumbull County sheriff deputy used the beach area at Mosquito Lake State Park to help him become a world martial arts champion.
Deputy John Barhoover, a graduate of Lakeview High School and Hiram College, took first place in the traditional beach poomsae category at the fourth annual Lents Taekwondo Worldwide Online Sports Poomsae Open 2021. Poomsae is a taekwondo term meaning a defined pattern of defense-and-attack motions.
For half a decade, Barhoover, an Air Force veteran who was deployed to Iraq, has been training under masters Justin Taylor of Canfield and Darrin Warren of Fowler, who used to have a martial arts school in Champion. Barhoover said the taekwondo experience has “definitely helped him” in his deputy job.