(MAR 6)
Thirteen of the United States’
top youth boxers will square off against foes from north,
central, and south America at the 2014 Youth Continental
Championships, March 5-10 at the Julio Cesar Hidalgo Coliseum in
Quito, Ecuador. All of the boxers representing Team USA in the
major international event are current or former national
champions and will look to add a continental title to their
resumes.
For the first time, the youth
boxers in both the men’s and women’s Olympic weight divisions
will compete together in continental championship action. The
twelve champions from the 2014 Junior and Youth Open competing
in Ecuador are: male light flyweight Nico
Hernandez (Wichita,
Kansas), female flyweight Caitlin
Orosco (Anaheim,
Calif.), male bantamweight Carlos
Balderas (Santa
Maria, Calif.), male lightweight Isidro
Ochoa (Fresno,
Calif.), female lightweight Jajaira
Gonzalez (Glendora,
Calif.), male light welterweight Jonathan
Navarro (Los
Angeles, Calif.), male welterweight Javier
Estrada (Palmdale,
Calif.), male middleweight Charles
Conwell (Cleveland,
Ohio), female middleweight Martha
Fabela (Oakland,
Calif.), male light heavyweight Bobby
Harris (Worcester,
Mass.), male heavyweight Matthew
Mollet (Port
Orchard, Wash.), and male super heavyweight Darmani
Rock (Philadelphia,
Pa.). In addition, 2013 USA Boxing youth national champion Antonio
Vargas (Kissimmee,
Fla.) will represent the United States at the male flyweight
division.
The U.S. squad held a preparatory
training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado
Springs, Colo., before departing for Ecuador on Tuesday. The
team is currently getting acclimated to their surroundings, and
the official event draw, opening ceremony and the first day of
preliminary competition will take place tomorrow. Preliminary
action will continue through Friday, March 7 and semifinal
competition will take place on Saturday, March 8. The event
will conclude with championship round action on Sunday, March 9
in Quito.
Coaches Ed
Rivas (Abilene,
Texas), Jacob
Najar (Indio,
Calif.) and Willie
Moses (Newark,
N.J.) will guide the United States squad in Quito with Dr.
John Drye (Plains,
Mont.) serving as the team physician.
U.S. Team
108 lbs/male: Nico Hernandez,
Wichita, Kansas
112 lbs/female: Caitlin Orosco, Anaheim, Calif.
114 lbs/male: Antonio Vargas, Kissimmee, Fla.
123 lbs/male: Carlos Balderas, Santa Maria, Calif.
132 lbs/male: Isidro Ochoa, Fresno, Calif.
132 lbs/female: Jajaira Gonzalez, Glendora, Calif.
141 lbs/male: Jonathan Navarro, Los Angeles, Calif.
152 lbs/male: Javier Estrada, Palmdale, Calif.
165 lbs/male: Charles Conwell, Cleveland, Ohio
165 lbs/female: Martha Fabela, Oakland, Calif.
178 lbs/male: Bobby Harris, Worcester, Mass.
201 lbs/male: Matthew Mollet, Port Orchard, Wash.
201+ lbs/male: Darmani Rock, Philadelphia, Pa.
Coach: Ed Rivas, Abilene, Texas
Coach: Jacob Najar, Indio, Calif.
Coach: Willie Moses, Newark, N.J.
Physician: Dr. John Drye, Plains, Mont.
Follow Us
