(APR 7) (COLORADO SPRINGS,
COLO) – A trio of U.S. women moved on to the finals of the 2012
Women’s Continentals Championships with semifinal wins on Friday
at the NAV Centre in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada. Flyweight Marlen
Esparza (Houston, Texas), featherweight Tiara Brown (Lehigh
Acres, Fla.) and middleweight Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.)
each enjoyed wins on Friday while bantamweight Christina Cruz
(New York, N.Y.) lost her semifinal bout.
Photo of Marlen Esparza Photo Credit: Sue TL Fox
For the second straight day, Esparza led off the competition for
her United States team as she faced off with 2011 Pan American
Games champion Mandy Bujold of Canada. Their semifinal showdown
was close throughout, but Esparza took an 11-8 lead into the
final round of boxing. She held off Bujold’s comeback efforts in
the final round to win a 16-14 final decision and move on to a
finals night contest with Brazil’s Erica Matos.
Brown won her second straight bout of the tournament as well,
defeating Melissa Esquivel of Mexico. Brown took a 10-5 lead at
the halfway mark of the semifinal contest, but she didn’t sit on
her lead. Brown continued to add to her advantage over the final
two rounds and went to win a 22-9 final decision. She will look
for her third victory of the event in Saturday’s finals as she
faces Leonela Sanchez of Argentina.
Photo of Claressa Shields Photo Credit: Sue TL Fox
Shields made her highly anticipated tournament debut on Friday
in a middleweight contest with 2010 light heavyweight World
Champion Roseli Feitosa of Brazil. The 17-year Olympic Trials
champion didn’t disappoint in her first senior international
bout. She jumped out to an early lead, taking a 7-3 edge after
one. She kept the heat on in the second, giving Feitosa a
standing eight count before taking a 13-6 advantage into the
second half of the bout. Her onslaught continued over the final
four minutes as Shields won a 29-11 decision. She will face
another stiff challenge in the finals, battling three-time world
champion Mary Spencer of host nation Canada.
Photo of Christina Cruz Photo Credit: Sue TL Fox
Christina
Cruz kept her bout with Brazil’s Clelia Costa close through all
four rounds of the bout couldn’t overcome Costa’s slim lead. She
lost an 18-14 final decision to Costa to take a bronze medal.
Team USA has seven boxers in Saturday’s finals with light
flyweight Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.), light welterweight Mikaela
Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.), light heavyweight Franchon Crews
(Baltimore, Md.) and heavyweight Victoria Perez (Ventura,
Calif.) joining Esparza, Brown and Shields on championship
night.
Team USA is being led by coaches Israel Acosta (Milwaukee,
Wis.), Gloria Peek (Norfolk, Va.), Bruce Kawano (Pearl City,
Hawaii) and Team Manager Joe Smith (Chattanooga, Tenn.). Dr. Ted
Mills (Glen Cove, N.Y.) is working as the Team Physician with
Patricia Pliner (Janesville, Wis.) joining the squad as the AIBA
official.
The 2012 Women's Continental Championships can be viewed via
livestream at gfl.tv for a cost of $9.99.
Thursday U.S. Results
112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas/USA dec. Mandy Bujold,
CAN, 16-14
119 lbs: Clelia Costa, BRA, dec. Christina Cruz, New York,
N.Y./USA, 18-14
125 lbs: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla./USA dec. Melissa
Esquivel, MEX, 22-9
165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich./USA dec. Roseli Feitosa,
BRA, 29-11
