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(JUNE 20) Over 500 athletes,
boxers, coaches and officials arrived in Colorado Springs on
Sunday in preparation for the 2011 USA Boxing National
Championships, June 20-25. The event draw took place on Sunday
evening, determining the path each athlete will have to navigate
to take home a gold medal, and in the 13 Olympic weight
divisions, a highly coveted U.S. Olympic Team Trials berth.
Preliminary action will be contested in eight of the 10 men’s
weight classes and all three female Olympic weight divisions on
opening day. Monday’s victors will join those who received
opening day byes and the less crowded weight classes who will
commence preliminary round action on Tuesday.
Several top athletes will showcase their skills in Monday’s
action with 2008 Olympian Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio)
making his long awaited return to the national championships in
an opening bout against Christopher Bell (Little Rock, Ark.).
2010 USA Boxing National Championships bronze medalist Toka Kahn
Clary (Providence, R.I.) will join him in lightweight action as
well.
Monday’s competition will feature a rematch of the bantamweight
championship bouts as defending champion Joseph Diaz, Jr. (El
Monte, Calif.) battles silver medalist Ricky Rodriguez (Greeley,
Colo.). 2010 USA Boxing National Championships bronze medalist
Daquan Arnett (Orlando, Fla.) will take the ring on opening day,
facing off with Edgar Alvarado, Jr. (San Bernadino, Calif.).
In women’s action, five-time national champion Marlen Esparza
(Houston, Texas) will begin her run toward a sixth straight
crown, battling Tiffany Perez (Hammond, Ind.). Her fellow
defending champion in an Olympic weight class, lightweight Queen
Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) will kick off her 2011 USA Boxing
National Championships on Monday as well with a first round
contest with Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.).
Monday’s preliminary round action will be contested in two
sessions at noon and 6 p.m. at the Colorado Springs Christian
School and full results will be disseminated at the completion
of each session. The brackets for each of the 20 weight
divisions can be found at this
link.
For the latest news and updates on the USA Boxing National
Championships, stay tuned to usaboxing.org and follow USA Boxing
on Twitter @usaboxing.
