(JUNE 3) COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Six American boxers will compete for spots in the 2015 Pan American Games, June 5-8 at the AMBC Pan American Qualifying Event, June 5-8, in Tijuana, Mexico. 2012 Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) and Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) will lead the squad of three male and three female boxers at the continental tournament.

Lightweight national champion and World Championships medalist Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.) will be the third female athlete competing for Team USA in Tijuana. In the men’s division, light flyweight Melik Elliston (Denver, Colo.), flyweight Antonio Vargas (Kissimmee, Fla.), and light welterweight Luis Feliciano (Milwaukee, Wis.) will all box for Pan American Games spots in Mexico.

The Pan Am Qualifier team has been preparing for the event at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs since May 19 and will depart for Mexico on Tuesday morning. The squad will take part in the general weigh in on Thursday prior to the tournament draw and start of competition later that day. Preliminary action will run through June 6 with semifinal competition on June 7 and the tournament finals on June 8.

Shields, Elliston and Vargas will have to place among the top seven in their respective weight divisions while Feliciano must be in the top six finishers and Esparza and Mayer must advance to the quarterfinal round to earn berths in the 2015 Pan American Games.

Bantamweight Francisco Martinez (Dallas, Texas), lightweight Carlos Balderas (Santa Maria, Calif.), welterweight Brian Ceballo (Brooklyn, N.Y.), middleweight Anthony Campbell (Covington, Tenn.), light heavyweight Steven Nelson (Colorado Springs, Colo.), and super heavyweight Cam F. Awesome (Lenexa, Kansas) all earned Pan American berths via their continental finish in the 2015 World Series of Boxing season.

2000 Olympic Coach Israel Acosta (Milwaukee, Wis.), Ed Weichers (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Joe Guzman (Colorado Springs, Colo.), and Bonnie Canino (Dania Beach, Fla.) will lead the United States team in Tijuana. Dr. Travis Lee (Chesapeake, Va.) will serve as the team physician on the trip.

The 2015 Pan American Games will take place July 10-26 in Toronto, Canada with boxing competition running from July 18-25 at General Motors Centre.

United States’ Pan American Games Qualifier Team

106 lbs/male: Melik Elliston, Denver, Colorado
112 lbs/female: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas
114 lbs/male: Antonio Vargas, Kissimmee, Florida
132 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, California
141 lbs/male: Luis Feliciano, Milwaukee, Wiconsin
165 lbs/female: Claressa Shields, Flint, Michigan
Coach: Israel Acosta, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Coach: Edward Weichers, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Coach: Joe Guzman, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Coach: Bonnie Canino, Dania Beach, Florida
Doctor: Travis Lee, Chesapeake, Va.