(JAN 16)
(SPOKANE,
WASH.) – Just one week after USA Boxing’s future stars showcased
their skills at the 2014 Junior and Youth Open, it will be the
elite athletes’ turn to steal the spotlight at the 2014 USA
Boxing National Championships, January 20-25 in Spokane,
Wash. Thirteen reigning champions, three Olympians, including
two medalists, and a World Champion will all compete in the
premier Olympic-style boxing national tournament.
With the
tournament just days away, elite athletes across the country are
finalizing their preparations for the major national event. 2012
Olympic gold medalist Claressa
Shields (Flint,
Mich.) will step in to the ring for the first time in USA Boxing
National Championships in Spokane next week following an
unopposed title in the youth division in 2013. Shields won’t be
the only Olympic gold medalist traveling to Spokane. 2004
Olympic gold medalist and WBA and Ring Magazine Super
Middleweight World Champion Andre
Ward (Oakland,
Calif.) will be in attendance for the opening two days of the
event to support the United States’ up-and-coming boxers.
Spokane
is a familiar locale for Shields and her 2012 Olympic teammates Marlen
Esparza (Houston,
Texas) and Queen
Underwood (Seattle,
Wash.), who all won the first-ever U.S. Olympic Team Trials for
Women’s Boxing in 2012. All three historic boxers have several
rising stars looking to take their spots at the 2016 Olympic
Games in Rio de Janeiro, and the women’s division promises
outstanding action throughout the week in Spokane.
In the
men’s division, six reigning champions are back in 2014 to
reclaim their USA Boxing National Championships. U.S. Team
Captains Leroy
Davila (New
Brunswick, N.J.) and Cam
F. Awesome (Lenexa,
Kansas) each hope to reclaim their spots on Team USA with gold
medal wins in Spokane. The flyweight division could see a
rematch of last year’s championship bout thriller between Malik
Jackson (Washington
DC) and Shawn
Simpson (Chicago,
Ill.), which Jackson pulled out en route to his Outstanding
Boxer win. 2013 light welterweight champion Jose
Alday (Odessa,
Texas) has moved up to the welterweight class for the 2014
edition and he and fellow 2013 titlists Eduardo
Martinez (Aurora,
Ill.) and LeShawn
Rodriquez (Shirley
N.Y.) all hope to earn another national championship in Spokane.
With 2014
being a world championships year for the elite women, the stakes
are even higher for the deeply talented female division rosters.
In addition to Esparza and Underwood, bantamweight Christina
Cruz (New
York, N.Y.), featherweight Jennifer
Hamann (Seattle,
Wash.), light welterweight Bertha
Aracil (Yonkers,
N.Y.), welterweight Danyelle
Wolf (San
Diego, Calif.), middleweight Franchon
Crews (Baltimore,
Md.), and heavyweight Denise
Rico (E.
Los Angeles, Calif.) are all returning with another gold medal
on their mind in 2014. 2012 World Champion Tiara
Brown (Lehigh
Acres, Fla.) and 2012 World Championships bronze medalist Mikaela
Mayer (Los
Angeles, Calif.) will compete for 2014 USA Boxing National
Championship title as well.
Preliminary action will take place at the HUB Sports Center
Monday through Wednesday with a 5 p.m. session on Monday and
Tuesday and two sessions at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday. All
of the tournament competitors will enjoy an off day on Thursday
before two sessions of semifinal round boxing at 11 a.m. and 5
p.m. on Friday at Northern Quest Resort & Casino’s Pend
Oreille Pavilion.
Saturday’s action will feature 20 championship bouts at noon and
6 p.m. at Northern Quest.
The 2014
The USA Boxing National Championships began in 1888 and many of
the greatest champions in the history of the sweet science got
their start in the nation’s premier national championship event,
including: Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), Sugar Ray Leonard,
Oscar de la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Andre Ward.
Athlete
registration will continue through Sunday, but the current list
of 2014 USA Boxing National Championships athletes can be found
below.
Elite Women
106 lbs
Sarah Dawson, Spring, Texas
Natalie Gonzalez, New Rochelle, N.Y.
Maureeca Lambert, Glen Ellyn, Ill.
Alexandra Love, Fountain, Colo. (2012 USA Boxing National
Champion)
112 lbs
Ivette Delgado, Yonkers, N.Y.
Katie Durgin, Boston, Mass.
Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas (2012 Olympic bronze medalist and
seven-time national champion)
Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas
Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J.
Brianna Sanchez, Tucson, Ariz.
119 lbs
Melanie Costa, Norton, Mass.
Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y. (Three-time
national champion & 2012 World Championships bronze medalist)
Leesa Daniel, Austin, Texas
Elizabeth Leddy, Portland, Maine
Kathy McPherson, Mesa, Ariz.
Jamie Mitchell, Pacific Grove, Calif.
Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass.
Samantha Salazar, Dallas, Texas
Rory Santos, Jber, Alaska
125 lbs
Tiara Brown, Hyattsville, Md. (2012 World Champion)
Kristin Carlson, Carol Stream, Ill.
Felisha Estrada Gonzalez, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jennifer Hamann, Seattle Wash. (2013 USA Boxing National
Champion)
Jenelle Leal, Corpus Christi, Texas
Ashleigh Moore, Buzzards Bay, Mass.
Lisa Porter, Valley Village, Calif.
Carmen Vargas, Houston, Texas
132 lbs
Christella Cepeda, Yonkers, N.Y.
Franci Davila, Kapaa, Hawaii
Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass. (2013 USA Boxing Youth National
Champion)
Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif. (2012 World Championships
bronze medalist & national champion)
Melissa Parker, Fort Carson, Colo. (Three-time national
champion)
Queen Underwood, Colorado Springs, Colo. (2012 Olympian and
six-time national champion)
141 lbs
Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y. (2013 USA Boxing National
Champion)
Desinty Chearino, Warwick, R.I.
Aleah Dillard, Dallas, Texas
Faith Franco, Duarte, Calif.
Catarina Lentini, Whitehall, Pa.
Griselda Madrigal Santana, East Wenatchee, Wash.
Jessica Radtke, Bloomington, Minn.
Nargis Shaghasi, San Lorenso, Calif.
Jasmine Singh, Anaheim, Calif.
Sherry Whetten, Tucson, Ariz.
152 lbs
Fallon Farrar, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jobette Nabarro, Keaau, Hawaii
Stacey Parker, Aurora, Ill.
Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif. (2013 USA Boxing National
Champion)
165 lbs
Krystal Correa, Yonkers, N.Y.
Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md. (Five-time USA Boxing National
Champion)
Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif. (Olympic training partner)
Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va.
Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich. (2012 Olympic gold medalist)
178+ lbs
Krystal Dixon, New Rochelle, N.Y.
Denise Rico, Los Angeles, Calif. (2013 USA Boxing National
Champion)
Elite Men
108 lbs
Cassius Chaney, Charlestown, R.I.
Leroy Davila, Somerset, N.J. (2013 USA Boxing National Champion)
Melik Elliston, Denver, Colo.
Joshua Franco, San Antonio, Texas
Thomas Huitt-Johnson, St. Joseph, Mo.
Adam Paolino, Warwick, R.I.
Anthony Ramirez, Fontana, Calif.
Dominique Sosa, Humble, Texas
114 lbs
Malik Jackson, Washington DC (2013 USA Boxing National Champion)
Aurel Love, Cleveland, Ohio
Jordan Rodriguez, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Marshall Sanchez, Houston, Texas
Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill. (Olympic training partner)
123 lbs
Jerrell Barbour, Tacoma, Wash.
Ramon Cardenas, San Antonio, Texas
Sharone Carter, St. Louis, Mo.
Jaime Estrada, New Windsor, Ky.
Kevin Ford, St. Louis, Mo.
Stephen Fulton, Philadelphia, Pa.
Joshua Gonzalez, Bronx, N.Y.
Xavier Griffin, Minneapolis, Minn.
Joshua McShane, Waianae, Hawaii
Israel Mercado, Montclair, Calif.
Maximiliano Moreno, Apple Valley, Calif.
JaRico O'Quinn, Detroit, Mich.
Ryan Riddell, Apache Junction, Ariz.
David Sandoval, Tacoma, Wash.
Sean Scott, Cincinnati, Ohio
Nichatxu Vang, St. Paul, Minn.
Eduardo Vasquez, Sheridan, Colo. (2013 USA Boxing National
Champion)
Jesus Vasquez, Englewood, Colo.
Cristian Williams, Crete, Ill.
132 lbs
Tracy Alexander, Compton, Calif.
Cirilo Avellaneda, Baytown, Texas
Deshon Baker, Cleveland, Ohio
Eder Carrillo, Woodland, Calif.
Genaro Gamez, San Diego, Calif.
Jousce Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif.
Joshua Jones, Philadephia, Pa.
Thomas Mattice, Cleveland, Ohio
Abel Mendoza, El Paso, Texas
Canton Miller, St. Louis, Mo.
Maliek Montgomery, Macon, Ga.
Emmanuel Nieves, Phoenix, Ariz.
Elijah Peixoto, East Providence, R.I.
Alfonso Ponce, Anaheim, Calif.
Cresencio Ramos, San Antonio, Texas (2013 USA Boxing National
Championships silver medalist)
Hector Rendon, Tacoma, Wash.
Titus Williams, Elmont, N.Y.
141 lbs
Cassius Foster, Cleveland, Ohio
Joel Ibarra, Wahiawa, Hawaii
Nicholas Jefferson, Tacoma, Wash. (2013 USA Boxign National
Championships silver medalist)
Evander Lamourt, New Port Richey, Fla.
Anthony Marsella, Smithfield, R.I.
David Mijares, Pasadena, Calif.
Abraham Nova, Albany, N.Y.
Robert O'Quinn, Detroit, Mich.
Alfonso Olvera, Tucson, Ariz.
Vassiliy Zherebnenko, Brooklyn, N.Y.
152 lbs
Jose Alday, Odessa, Texas (2013 USA Boxing National
Champion)
Chordelle Booker, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Brian Ceballo, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jose Delarosa, Richmond Hill, N.Y.
Adrian Gutierrez, Chula Vista, Calif.
Javaune James, Miramar, Fla.
Travis Jerig, Zanesville, Ohio
Jimmy Kay, Riverside, Calif.
Timothy Lee, Las Vegas, Nev.
Jeremiah Millett, St. Louis, Mo.
Michael Montgomery, Macon, Ga.
Jacob Operskalski, Oakland, Calif.
VeShawn Owens, St. Louis Park, Minn.
Jose Pena, Tucson, Ariz.
Antonio Tessitore, Spokane, Wash.
Kenneth Thomas, Indianapolis, Ind.
Samuel Valentin, Land O Lakes, Fla.
DeVonte Williams, Houston, Texas
Gregory Young, Hoover, Ala.
165 lbs
Keoki Anaya, Port Hueneme, Calif.
Clinso Brumfield, Alexandria, Va.
Chase Calloway, Saint Joseph, Mo.
Jonathan Esquivel, Anaheim, Calif.
Bryan Flores, Playa Vista, Calif.
Khiary Gray, Worcester, Mass.
Kalvin Henderson, Fayetteville, Ark.
Louis Holloway, St. Louis, Mo.
Roger Ibarra, Houston, Texas
Dillon Kasprzak, Philadelphia, Pa.
Carlos Monroe, Stone Mountain, Ga.
LeShawn Rodriquez, Shirley, N.Y. (2013 USA Boxing National
Championships)
Daniel Thomas, Concord, Calif.
John Zabala, Arvada, Colo.
178 lbs
Mark Joseph Antalan, Los Angeles, Calif.
Vincent Baccus, Lawrence, Kansas
Jerrod Bowling, Washington DC
Julius Butler, St. Louis, Mo.
Xavier Hayden, Minneapolis, Minn.
Dugan Lawton, Tacoma, Wash.
Jasper McCargo, Oakland, Calif.
Niko Valdes, Miami, Fla.
Octavius Webb, Maple Heights, Ohio
201 lbs
Albert Alvarez, Sells, Ariz.
Smbat Bagdassarian, Burbank Calif.
Alejandro Bermudez, Gatesville, Texas
Aaron Chavers, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Vardan Khachatrian, N. Hollywood, Calif.
Joseph Martinez, Duarte, Calif.
Earl Newman, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Joshua Temple, St. Louis, Mo. (2013 USA Boxing National
Championships silver medalist)
201+ lbs
Cam F. Awesome, Lenexa, Kansas (Three-time USA Boxing National
Champion)
Elvis Garcia, Tacoma, Wash.
Marcellus Williams, Las Vegas, Nev.
USA
Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style
boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the
International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member
of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).
