(MAR 5) COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Boxing is
excited to see all 17 boxers competing on the international stage next week, 15
of whom will make their international debuts with the Stars and Stripes. Of the
17 athletes named to the 2026 Youth High Performance Team, team captains Angel
Blancarte (men’s 85 kg | Hutchinson, Kan.) and Lauryn Elmore (women’s 65 kg |
Sacramento, Calif.) are the lone returners on the roster. Blancarte and Elmore
enter their second year on the United States Youth national team after securing
bronze medals at the 2025 Brandenburg Cup in Germany.
"We’re feeling great,” Elmore stated as Team USA travels to Bangkok for the 2026
World Boxing Futures Cup. “This is a new experience, and we’re ready to own our
time competing over here in Bangkok, Thailand. This team has the tenacity and
skill to win gold, and that is what we all will do with this opportunity in
front of us.”
As for the 15 boxers making their international debuts in Thailand, Marley
McNealy (San Francisco, Calif.) will represent Team USA in the women’s
70-kilogram weight division after winning titles in three USA Boxing National
Events in 2025, including the 2025 USA Boxing National Championships, which
marked her jump from the Junior division to the Youth division. On the Men’s
side, Christian Paez (men’s 55 kg | San Antonio, Texas) will make his
international debut after an impressive 2025, during which he won the USA Boxing
National Open and the USA Boxing National Championships.
Joining Blancarte and Paez on the Men’s team is Refugio Veloz (men’s 50 kg |
Atwater, Calif.), David Arrieta (men’s 60 kg | Kansas City, Mo.), Asaan Jenkins
(men’s 65 kg | Washington, D.C.), Asante Lamar (men’s 70 kg | Cincinnati, Ohio),
James Gentile (men’s 75 kg | Staten Island, N.Y.), Hadi Almashhadi (men’s 80 kg
| Taylor, Mich.), and Caleb Reid (men’s 90+ kg | Palm Bay, Fla.). Rounding out
the Women’s Team are Ciana Nonhphala (women’s 48 kg | Providence, R.I.), Ruby
Lopez (women’s 51 kg | Napa, Calif.), Guadalupe Ruiz (women’s 54 kg | Anaheim,
Calif.), Brijhana Epperson (women’s 57 kg | Kansas City, Mo.), Kaylee Aguilar
(women’s 60 kg | Houston, Texas) and Ariana Chavez (women’s 75 kg | Rio Rancho,
N.M.).
Competition at the 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup will begin on Sunday, March 8,
and end on Sunday, March 15. Tournament brackets and daily bout sheets will be
announced by World Boxing on Saturday, March 7, after the conclusion of the
tournament draw.
The USA Boxing Youth High Performance Team is led by National Development Coach
Edward Fonteneaux (Fayetteville, N.C.). Fonteneaux will be assisted throughout
the year by High Performance Pool coaches, including Holly Gregson (Idaho Falls,
Idaho), Jason Hamilton (Spanaway, Wash.), Yessenia Montalvo (Bloomfield, N.J.),
and Ronald Wright (Columbus, Ga.).
Additional tournament information for the 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup,
including the tournament draw, daily bout sheets, results, tournament updates,
and more, will be uploaded to the event page on the USA Boxing website, where
followers can find the 2026 World Boxing Futures Cup event page.
2026 USA Boxing Men’s Youth High Performance Team Roster
Weight Class Athlete Name Athlete Hometown
50kg/110lbs Refugio Veloz Atwater, Calif.
55kg/121lbs Christian Paez San Antonio, Texas
60kg/132lbs David Arrieta Kansas City, Mo.
65kg/143lbs Asaan Jenkins Washington, D.C.
70kg/154lbs Asante Lamar Cincinnati, Ohio
75kg/165lbs James Gentile Staten Island, N.Y.
80kg/176lbs Hadi Almashhadi Taylor, Mich.
85kg/187lbs Angel Blancarte Hutchinson, Kan.
90+kg/198+lbs Caleb Reid Palm Bay, Fla.
2026 USA Boxing Women’s Youth High Performance Team
Roster
Weight Class Athlete Name Athlete Hometown
48kg/106lbs Ciana Nonhphala Providence, R.I.
51kg/112lbs Ruby Lopez Napa, Calif.
54kg/119lbs Guadalupe Ruiz Anaheim, Calif.
57kg/125lbs Brijhana Epperson Kansas City, Mo.
60kg/132lbs Kaylee Aguilar Houston, Texas
65kg/143lbs Lauryn Elmore Sacramento, Calif.
70kg/154lbs Marley McNealy San Francisco, Calif.
75kg/165lbs Ariana Chavez Rio Rancho, N.M.
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