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MARSHFIELD, Wisc., Friendship, it seems, may have been too much to overcome
for two top ranked boxers when they met on January 19, in the only contested
female bout of the 2003 Wisconsin State Amateur Boxing Championships. The
two competed for the 138-pound title.
Krista (sic) Savage, who boxes out of the Chippewa Valley Boxing Club, lost
the decision to Naquana Smalls, Peshtigo Boxing Club, in what turned out to
be a competitive but somewhat tentative bout as both boxers seemed reluctant
to take the action to the other. The women became good friends when they
competed in the U.S. Women's National Boxing Championships last summer in
Scranton, Penna., supporting each other as Wisconsin "teammates" and that
association may have dampened their enthusiasm for doing real battle with
each other.
Not a good scenario for competitive boxing and,
if true, certainly something to overcome, Coaches for both boxers told WBAN
that they had warned their charges they might face each other and they would
have to be able to set aside their friendship. The bout was competitive but
some in the audience felt aggression was lacking on the part of each and
there were many uncharacteristic pauses in the action as first one and then
the other appeared reluctant to attack.
It was reported that Smalls and Savage will target different weights in the
future so the issue may not arise again. Some thought that the friendship
interpretation might be overthinking the situation, too.
The next tournament where the two might meet in the Regional Division USA
Boxing Amateur Championship Tournament in Milwaukee Feb. 15 and 16.
On Saturday, coaches and organizers showed inventiveness when they "created"
two bouts where none existed and four women got ring experience yet took
champion jackets home in their weight classes. The pairs of women weighed
close enough that organizers made matches for Abby Delgoffe, Peshtigo, and
Melissa Savage, Chippewa Valley Boxing Club, and for Austina Lycan,
Peshtigo, and Amanda Krier, Gust Gym, Marshfield. In the case of Delgoffe,
who has been boxing less than a month, she weighed about 121 and Melissa
Savage at 114 was not too light to be paired. Delgoffe won the match.
Delgoffe also was awarded the 125-pound championship when she was unopposed.
Savage took home the 114-pound trophy also unopposed.
For Lycan and Krier, they, too, were close in weight with Krier electing to
box at 154 and Lycan at 165 but they got the experience of a real bout and
still took championship jacket trophies home on Sunday as they were
unopposed in their weight divisions. Lycan was declared winner of her match
with Krier.
The weekend's bouts were contested in all new weight classes and saw
handsome red jackets awarded to champions and medals for runnersup. There
were nine female champions named. Earning jackets were Laura Savage,
Chippewa, (sister of Krista) 132 pounds; Lycan, Peshtigo, 165 pounds, and
Melissa Savage, Chippewa (another sister) 114 pounds; all three in the
Junior Olympic Division. In the Senior Division, Alexandria Arguello,
Oshkosh Boxing Team, 106 pounds; Delgoffe, Peshtigo, 125 pounds; Krier,
Gust, 154 pounds; Jennifer Tyssen, Chippewa, 165 pounds, and Smalls who
boxed Krista Savage for the 138-pound title.
All winners of state titles were called into the ring Sunday between bouts
to receive their awards and public acknowledgment of their accomplishments.
On the men's side of the tournament in the Novice Division there were five
champions named, three unopposed. In the men's Open division there were
seven champions named, four of them unopposed. |
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