(SEPT 20)
USA Boxing’s experienced team of
female athletes is finalizing their preparations for the 2014
Elite Women’s Continental Championships, September 23-27 in
Guadalajara, Mexico. Olympic Training Center resident athletes Marlen
Esparza (Houston,
Texas), Christina
Cruz (New
York, N.Y.), and Queen
Underwood (Seattle,
Wash.) welcomed seven fellow national team members to their
Colorado Springs digs on Wednesday, September 10 for the
preparatory training camp. The highly decorated roster of
athletes, which boasts an Olympic champion, Olympic bronze
medalist, 2012 Olympian, reigning world champion and a world
championships bronze medalist, will face off with the best
female boxers in the Americas at the continental event just two
months before the 2014 World Championships.
2012 Olympic gold medalist Claressa
Shields (Flint,
Mich.) has enjoyed her reunion with London teammates Esparza and
Underwood as well as the chance to sharpen her skills alongside
the United States’ best female boxers. The squad includes 2012
World Champion Tiara
Brown (Fort
Myers, Fla.) and two-time USA Boxing National Champions Alex
Love (Colorado
Springs, Colo.) Danyelle
Wolf (San
Diego, Calif.) in addition to three newcomers to the U.S. squad.
Light welterweight Destiny
Chearino (Warwick,
R.I.), light heavyweight Heidi
Henriksen (St.
Louis Park, Minn.) and heavyweight Krystal
Dixon (New
Rochelle, N.Y.) each earned berths on USA Boxing’s elite women’s
national team for the first time in 2014 and will make their
Continental Championships’ debuts in Guadalajara.
The team has utilized many of the outstanding services of the
U.S. Olympic Training Center during their time in the Pikes Peak
region, accessing the new strength and conditioning facilities,
recovery center including the cold tub, and sport performance
resources. Coaches Benny
Roman (New
York, N.Y.), Israel
Acosta (Milwaukee,
Wis.), Juan
Estrada (San
Diego, Calif.) and Patrice
Harris (Hyattsville,
Md.) have guided the squad’s boxing training in preparation for
the upcoming international event.
The United States team will close training camp on Saturday
before traveling south to Guadalajara on Sunday. They will join
their fellow participants at the general weigh-in on Tuesday and
await the results of the official tournament draw that
afternoon. Preliminary competition will begin at 5 p.m. CT on
Wednesday, September 24 at the Pan American Volleyball Complex
in Guadalajara with semifinal action taking place in two
sessions on Thursday, September 25. All the event finalists will
enjoy a rest day on Friday, September 26 prior to the
championship bouts at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday, September 27.
Roman, Acosta and Estrada will travel with the team to Mexico
with Dr.
Larry Lovelace (Oklahoma
City, Okla.) and AIBA official Kevina
Franklin (Atlanta,
Ga.) joining the three coaches.
Roman and Acosta will be coaching at their second straight
Women’s Continental Championships as the athletes aim to match
their outstanding performance in the 2013 event where the squad
won eight gold medals.
Women’s Continental Championships
Team
106 lbs: Alex Love, Colorado
Springs, Colo.
112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas
119 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y.
125 lbs: Tiara Brown, Fort Myers, Fla.
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash.
141 lbs: Destiny Chearino, Warwick, R.I.
152 lbs: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif.
165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich.
178 lbs: Heidi Henriksen, St. Louis Park, Minn.
178+ lbs: Krystal Dixon, New Rochelle, N.Y.
Coach: Israel Acosta, Milwaukee, Wis.
Coach: Benny Roman, New York, N.Y.
Coach: Juan Estrada, San Diego, Calif.
AIBA Official: Kevina Franklin, Atlanta, Ga.
Physician: Dr. Larry Lovelace, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Tournament Schedule
Sunday, September 21: U.S. team
departs
Tuesday, September 23: General weigh-in and tournament draw
Wednesday, September 24: Preliminary bouts (5 p.m. CT)
Thursday, September 25: Semifinal bouts (1 p.m. and 7 p.m. CT)
Friday, September 26: Off-day
Saturday, September 27: Championship bouts (5 p.m. CT)
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