(SEPT 28)
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Four
American boxers earned the top spot on the medal stand with
final round victories on Saturday at the 2014 Elite Women’s
Continental Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico. 2012 Olympic
gold medalist Claressa
Shields (Flint,
Mich.) and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Marlen
Esparza (Houston,
Texas) both added new hardware to their trophy cases with
championship round wins at the Pan American Volleyball Complex.
Returning welterweight champion Danyelle
Wolf (San
Diego, Calif.) defended her title and international newcomer Krystal
Dixon (New
Rochelle, N.Y.) claimed the heavyweight crown with final round
wins. In addition to the four gold medals, bantamweight Christina
Cruz (New
York, N.Y.), featherweight Tiara
Brown (Fort
Myers, Fla.), and light welterweight Destiny
Chearino (Warwick,
R.I.) each won silver medals in the event.
Esparza opened final round
competition for the United States team in a flyweight bout with
Brazil’s Clelia
Costa. The
two faced off on Mexican soil just two months ago at the Pan
American Olympic Festival and Esparza looked to repeat her
unanimous decision victory in the rematch. The international
veteran put on another strong performance, defeating Costa by a
3-0 margin to win the first gold medal of the night for the
United States.
Her fellow Olympic medalist took
on Canada’s Arine
Forti in
the middleweight finale and as a Michigan native, Shields is
quite familiar with boxers from the United States’ northern
neighbor. She claimed another win over the Canadian squad with a
unanimous decision victory over Forti in the middleweight
championship bout. The 2014 Elite Women’s Continental
Championships title is the first for Shields after missing the
event last year due to her age.
Wolf was competing in her second
straight continental championship in Mexico and she used that
experience to her advantage in her bout with Canada’s Myriam
da Silva. The
two boxers had already battled twice in 2014 with Da Silva
claiming victories in both USA vs. Canada duel meetings. Yet
Wolf had something new in store in the third bout and she pulled
out a 2-1 victory over the Canadian for her second consecutive
continental championship.
Dixon was one of two U.S. boxers
making their Elite Women’s Continental Championships debut in
Mexico and she made her experience memorable with a gold medal
victory. She took the third U.S. win of the night over Canada,
claiming a 3-0 decision over Vanessa
Lepage for
her first international gold medal.
Cruz enjoyed a dominating victory
in her semifinal bout but the momentum didn’t carry over to her
championship round contest with Argentina’s Leonela
Sanchez. The
American bantamweight lost a 3-0 decision to Sanchez and will
return home with a silver medal.
Brown battled in an ugly contest
with Brazil’s Taynna
Cardoso in
featherweight final round action. The reigning world champion
tried to keep the bout clean, but at the end of four rounds, the
judges gave the decision to Cardoso by a 2-1 margin.
Chearino was competing in her
first continental championship event and she enjoyed her first
international win earlier in the tournament. She wasn’t able to
take a second victory in the light welterweight finale, losing a
3-0 decision to host nation boxer Esmerelda
Falcon of
Mexico. She takes home a silver medal for her strong effort in
Mexico.
Team USA’s Queen
Underwood (Seattle,
Wash.) and light heavyweight Heidi
Henriksen (St.
Louis Park, Minn.) won bronze medals in the event.
Coaches Benny
Roman (New
York, N.Y.), Israel
Acosta (Milwaukee,
Wis.), and Juan
Estrada (San
Diego, Calif.) led the U.S. team at the Women’s Continental
Championships in Guadalajara.
Saturday’s Championship Round
Results
112 lbs: Marlen
Esparza, Houston, Texas/USA,
dec. Clelia Costa, BRA, 3-0
119 lbs: Leonela Sanchez, ARG,
dec. Christina
Cruz, New York, N.Y./USA, 3-0
125 lbs: Taynna Cardoso, BRA, dec. Tiara
Brown, Fort Myers, Fla./USA,
2-1
141 lbs: Esmerelda Falcon, MEX,
dec. Destiny
Chearino, Warwick, R.I./USA,
3-0
152 lbs: Danyelle
Wolf, San Diego, Calif./USA dec.
Myriam da Silva, 3-1
165 lbs: Claressa
Shields, Flint, Mich./USA dec.
Ariane Forti, CAN, 3-0
178+ lbs: Krystal
Dixon, New Rochelle, N.Y./USA,
dec. Vanessa Lepage, CAN, 3-0
Follow Us
