(APR 3) Day three of the U.S
Nationals in Spokane has seen the first bouts in the Women’s
Elite event. Among those in early action Wednesday were Tiara
Brown, Queen Underwood, and AIBA world no.1 64kg Mikaela Mayer,
who has entered the Lightweight 132lbs division this year.
With those experienced Internationals together with N’yteeyah
Sherman in the Championships the Lightweight division will
undoubtedly prove to be one of the most competitive of all
divisions in Spokane.
Here are the early results from this morning’s 11 am session:
Elite Women's Division
106 lbs: Elisha Halstead, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Leah Mitchem,
Savannah, Ga., 3-0
119 lbs: Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Mass., dec. Monica Alvarez,
San Antonio, Texas, 3-0
119 lbs: Carissa Morton, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Rory
Santos, Anchorage, Alaska, 3-0
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Maritza Guillen,
Reno, Nev., 3-0
132 lbs: Melissa Parker, Spring, Texas, dec. Lisa Porter, Valley
Village, Calif., 3-0
132 lbs: Tiara Brown, Hyattsville, Md., dec. Kristin Carlson,
Chicago, 3-0
132 lbs: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. LaKesha
Springle, Martinez, Ga., 3-0
So no real surprises at this stage but it is early in the
competition and the REAL action will begin on Thursday and
Friday.
New AIBA ‘Rule Changes, effective March 11th meant that Olympic
Gold medallist, Claressa Shields cannot compete in this year’s
U.S Nationals which got under way Monday.
The previous AIBA maximum age limit has been extended – to 40 -
which is good news for those who would have had to retire at 34
but boxers must now be aged 19 or over before they can compete
in the newly styled AIBA Olympic Boxing (A .O.B championships –
worldwide – so Claressa Shields cannot take part in the Elite
Seniors but instead had to enter the Youth championship. Alas
(or should that be luckily?) for her, no one else entered that
weight division, according to the final entry list published by
U.S.A Boxing, so the title is hers by virtue of a ‘walk-over’ as
long as she weighs-in.
It is perhaps fortunate that no one has entered the Youth
Middleweight 165lbs weight division for think of the outcry that
would follow had an inexperienced young boxer met the Olympic
senior champion and been seriously hurt in the process? Should
an exception have been made for Shields?
‘USA boxing’ explains that “ In compliance with AIBA rules for
age classifications, all boxers born in 1995 and 1996 will only
be able to compete in the youth division. It does not matter
what division the athlete has boxed in previously, they must
compete in the age division as defined by AIBA. Boxers born from
1973-1994 must compete in the elite women’s and men’s elite and
senior division”. So no Claressa Shields in Spokane other than
to collect her Youth title. For the record albeit the U.S
Nationals, USA Boxing has no authority to grant an exception in
the case of Claressa as all national associations are required
to comply with AIBA regulations.
Tickets for the event start at only $5 and are currently on sale
for all of the tournament sessions via the Northern Quest box
office and at northernquest.com. USA Boxing will be live
streaming the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships. Since the
tournament action began on April 1, the live stream is available
for $29.95 and single days may be purchased for $9.95. To
purchase the tournament live stream, go to www.teamusa.org/USA-Boxing/Watch-Live.aspx
USA Boxing also rightly points out that the elite ladies aren’t
the only talented women gearing up for the 2013 USA Boxing
National Championships, the youth division will also feature
some future stars and potential Olympians . The youth division,
which is making its debut at the USA Boxing National
Championships in Spokane, includes not only historic Olympic
Champion Shields but also her fellow 2012 National PAL Champion
Rashida Ellis (Lynn, Mass.).
Ellis and her brother, Rashidi Ellis (Lynn, Mass.) won the PAL
Championships together in October, but Rashida will now take the
ring in the youth division in Spokane. Three younger boxers will
be moving up an age group after winning Junior Olympic titles in
2012. Light flyweights Marisol Lopez (Stratford, Calif.) and
Monica Van Pelt (Toledo, Ohio) as well as welterweight Samantha
Kinchen (Lexington, Ky.) are all hoping to add another national
title to their resumes at the USA Boxing National Championships.
Registration for the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships has
ended. Some 323 boxers have entered for the tournament, which
features five divisions for the first time in the event history.
Boxers will compete in the elite men and women, youth men and
women and senior men's divisions with each of the five crowning
national champions in Spokane.
The final list of registered athletes, for the Elite Women’s and
Youth events:
YOUTH WOMEN:
Light flyweight/106 lbs
Marisol Lopez, Stratford, CA
Yajaira Ramirez, McKinney, TX
Monica Suazo, Tucson, AZ
Monica Van Pelt, Toledo, Ohio
Flyweight/112 lbs
Karina Sarabia, El Monte, CA
Bantamweight/119 lbs
Neesha Khan, San Francisco, CA
Featherweight/125 lbs
Dida Gonzalez, Houston, TX
Dezaree Negrete, Calument City, IL
Lightweight/132 lbs
Rashida Ellis, Lynn, MA
Marlisa Stamps, Milwaukee, WI
Light welterweight/141 lbs
No athletes currently registered in this weight division
Welterweight/152 lbs
Taylor Carroll, Monroe, MI
Samantha Kinchen, Lexington, KY
Middleweight/165 lbs
Claressa Shields, Mount Morris, MI
Light heavyweight/178 lbs
No athletes currently registered in this weight division
Heavyweight/178+ lbs
No athletes currently registered in this weight division
ELITE WOMEN:
Light flyweight/106 lbs
Jeanette Gonzalez, New York, NY
Lisa Ha, Honolulu, HI
Elisha Halstead, Philadelphia, PA
Melissa Kaye, New York, NY
Alejandra Mercado, Rockford, IL
Leah Mitchem, Savannah, GA
Flyweight/112 lbs
Cheyenne Candelaria, Albuquerque, NM
Ivette Delgado, Yonkers, NY
Marlen Esparza, Houston, TX
Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, TX
Ayesha Green, Trenton, NJ
Corina Ishikawa, Ewa Beach, HI
Maureeca Lambert, Glen Ellyn, IL
Anayeli Segura, Austin, TX
Maryguenn Vellinga, Salt Lake City, UT
Bantamweight/119 lbs
Monica Alvarez, San Antonio, TX
Christina Cruz, New York, NY
Carissa Morton, San Francisco ,CA
Haley Pasion, Aiea, HI
Amanda Pavone, Burlington, MA
Rosalinda Rodriguez, Coconut Creek, FL
Rory Santos, Anchorage, AK
LaKesha Springle, Martinez, GA
Ayanna Vasquez, Las Cruces, NM
Featherweight/125 lbs
Amorena Baca, Denver, CO
Kristin Carlson, Chicago, IL
Michelle Cook, Massena, NY
Jennifer Hamann, Seattle, WA
Karla Herrera, Los Angeles, CA
Taversha Norwood, Oxnard, CA
Monayah Patterson, Warren, MI
Rianna Rios, Alice, TX
Jasmedh Rosales, Los Angeles, CA
Lightweight/132 lbs
Tiara Brown, Hyattsville, MD
Maritza Guillen, Reno, NV
Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, CA
Melissa Parker, Spring, TX
Lisa Porter, Valley Village, CA
Alyssa Rivera, Lemont, IL
N’yteeyah Sherman, Fairlawn, OH
Queen Underwood, Lakewood, WA
Light welterweight/141 lbs
Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, NY
Aleah Dillard, Dallas, TX
Faith Franco, Oceano, CA
Griselda Madrigal Santana, East Wenatchee, WA
Nargis Shaghasi, San Lorenzo, CA
Jenah Smith, Seattle, WA
Amournix Stamps, Milwaukee, WI
Welterweight/152 lbs
Flequeshia Dixon, Denver, CO
Fallon Farrar, Staten Island, NY
April Moreland, Fort Huachuca, AZ
Nisa Rodriguez, Bronx, NY
Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, CA
Middleweight/165 lbs
Jasmine Acevedo, Beeville, TX
Franchon Crews, Baltimore, MD
Raquel Miller, San Francisco, CA
Alicia Napoleon, Lindenhurst, N.Y.
Light heavyweight/178 lbs
Tiffanie Hearn, Oxnard, CA
Dara Shen, Alexandra, WA
Heavyweight/178+ lbs
Clare O’Connell, Altamont, NY
Victoria Perez, Camarillo, CA
Denise Rico, Los Angeles, CA
Who are the seeded boxers in this year’s Elite Championships?
The seedings are based on the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for
Women's Boxing in the three women's Olympic weight divisions,
and the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships in the elite men
and women's non-Olympic weight divisions. Athletes can only be
seeded if they are competing in the same weight division that
they represented in the seeding tournaments. Seeding will only
occur in the elite men's and women's divisions at the 2013
Championships.
ELITE WOMEN
Light flyweight/108 lbs
#1 seed - Lisa Ha
Flyweight/112 lbs
#1 seed - Marlen Esparza
#2 seed - Virginia Fuchs
Bantamweight/119 lbs
#1 seed - Christina Cruz
#2 seed - Ayanna Vasquez
#3 seed - Carissa Morton
#4 seed - Amanda Pavone
Featherweight/125 lbs
#1 seed - Karla Herrera
#2 seed - Jennifer Hamann
#3 seed - Amorena Baca
Lightweight/132 lbs
#1 seed - Queen Underwood
#2 seed - Mikaela Mayer
#3 seed - N'yteeyah Sherman
#4 seed - Tiara Brown
Light welterweight/141 lbs
#1 seed - Bertha Aracil
#2 seed - Griselda Madrigal
Welterweight/152 lbs
#1 seed - Danyelle Wolf
Middleweight/165 lbs
#1 seed - Raquel Miller
#2 seed - Franchon Crews
Light heavyweight/178 lbs
#1 seed - Tiffanie Hearn
Heavyweight/178+ lbs
#1 seed - Victoria Perez
5 p.m. Session:
Elite Women's Division
125 lbs: Karla Herrera, Los Angeles, Calif. dec. Haley Pasion,
Aiea, Hawaii, 3-0
125 lbs: Rianna Rios, Alice, Texas, dec. Michelle Cook, Massena,
N.Y., 3-0
125 lbs: Monayah Patterson, Warren, Mich., dec. Amorena Baca,
Denver, Colo., 3-0
125 lbs: Jennifer Hamann, Seattle, Wash., dec. Jasmedh Rosales,
Los Angeles, Calif., 3-0
152 lbs: Nisa Rodriguez, Bronx, N.Y., dec. Jenah Smith, Seattle,
Wash., 3-0
Highlight of Thursday in the women’s Elite division is likely to
see explosive semi-final action in the 132 lbs lightweight
division between AIBA World Light-Welterweight No.1 Mikaela
Mayer and the 2012 AIBA World Featherweight champion Tiara
Brown.
Queen Underwood will come face Melissa Parker (Spring, Texas) in
the other semi-final. Another great day’s boxing in store
Thursday.
WBAN
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