(APR 23) (COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – A squad of eight U.S. boxers will compete for a berth in the 2011 Pan American Games at the second Pan American Games qualifying tournament, May 1-6, in Quito, Ecuador. The team of five male and three female athletes will face off with nations from north, central and south America at the international tournament in Ecuador.

Male light flyweight Michael Bennedosso (Fort Carson, Colo.), female flyweight Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.), male lightweight Tommy Roque (Camp Lejeune, N.C.), female lightweight Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.), male light welterweight Pedro Sosa (Bronx, N.Y.), male middleweight Damarius Russell (Camp Lejeune, N.C.), female middleweight Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) and male light heavyweight Jeffrey Spencer (Fort Carson, Colo.) will represent the United States in Ecuador.

The male competitors will have to finish in the top three spots to qualify a Pan American Games berth while the female athletes must advance to the finals to clinch a berth in Guadalajara. The United States’ super heavyweight Danny Kelly (Washington DC) earned the first berth for Team USA at the opening Pan Am Games qualifier in Venezuela.

The United States team will depart for Quito on April 29 and the event will begin with the Technical Meeting on April 30 prior to competition opening on May 1. Second Pan American Games qualifier action will run through May 6 with the team returning to the United States on May 7.

The 2011 Pan American Games will be contested October 14-30 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and will showcase women’s boxing for the first time in the event’s history. The three Olympic women’s weight classes, flyweight (112 lbs), lightweight (132 lbs), and middleweight (165 lbs) will all be featured in Guadalajara.

The third and final Pan American Games qualifying tournament is tentatively scheduled to take place in June in a location to be determined.

U.S. Pan Am Games Qualifier II Roster

Male light flyweight/108 lbs: Michael Bennedosso, Fort Carson, Colo.

Female flyweight/112 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y.

Male lightweight/132 lbs: Tommy Roque, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Female lightweight/132 lbs: Queen Undrewood, Seattle, Wash.

Male light welterweight/141 lbs: Pedro Sosa, Bronx, N.Y.

Male middleweight: Damarius Russell, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Female middleweight: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md.

Male light heavyweight: Jeffrey Spencer, Fort Carson, Colo.

USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).