(FEB 14)  – The moment that female boxers have dreamt about finally arrived on Monday night at the Pend Oreille Pavilion in Airway Heights, Wash., as 23 boxers took the ring for opening round action at the first-ever U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing. Monday’s competition featured quarterfinal competition in all three Olympic weight divisions with 12 boxers advancing to semifinal action in the winners bracket and 11 contestants dropping into the challengers bracket.

The flyweight division opened the action with six-time national champion Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) enjoying the honor of being the first boxer to take the ring at the inaugural Olympic Trials for Women’s Boxing. Yet, due to an injury to her opponent, Cynthia Moreno (Phoenix, Ariz.), Esparza won the bout on walkover.

Two-time USA Boxing National Team Member Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.) fell behind early in her bout with Taversha Norwood (Marietta, Ga.), but came back strong over the final two rounds to win a 24-15 decision. Love will face Esparza in Tuesday’s winners bracket semifinals.

Two-time USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.) won the most convincing bout of the flyweight division, defeating Latonya King (Harrison Township, Mich.) by a 34-11 margin. Douglas will face 2011 Pan American Games representative Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) in the winners bracket semifinals on Tuesday following Cruz’s 15-12 win over Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, Texas.

Five-time national champion Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) entered the ring to strong home state support in her bout with Bertha Aracil (Yonkers, N.Y.). Underwood claimed the first victory of the night in the lightweight class, defeating Aracil, 22-12 to move on to a semifinal contest with 2011 National Golden Gloves champion Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.). Mayer won a southern California showdown with Lisa Porter (Northridge, Calif.), 27-10, to advance to the semifinal bout with Underwood.

On the opposite side of the bracket, N’yteeyah Sherman (Barberton, Ohio) put on a show in her bout with Asia Stevenson (Washington DC). Stevenson took the early lead but Sherman dominated the final three rounds, winning a convincing 42-17 decision. Sherman will face off against 2012 USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) in the second semifinal bout. Brown claimed an 18-13 victory over Patricia Manuel (Long Beach, Calif.) in their quarterfinal contest.

A highly anticipated bout between multi-time national champion Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) and 16-year-old 2011 National PAL Champion Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) opened competition in the middleweight division. It was youth winning over experience in the middleweight contest as Shields officially introduced herself to the national scene with a 31-19 victory over Crews.

Shields will face 2010 Welterweight World Champion Andrecia Wasson (Centerline, Mich.) in a rematch of the 2011 National PAL championship bout on Tuesday. Wasson enjoyed an impressive showing of her own in quarterfinal action, taking a 34-9 victory over late entrant Dara Shen (Alexandria, Va.)

It was Tiffanie Hearn (San Diego, Calif.) winning a slim decision in the battle of Tiffanies with Hearn claiming an 18-17 win over Tiffanie Ward (Hacienda Heights, Calif.). Hearn will challenge

U.S. Olympic Team Trials action in both the winners and challengers bracket will continue on Tuesday with the second day of competition beginning at 7 p.m. PT at the Pend Oreille Pavilion at the Northern Quest Resort.
U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Results

112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas on on walkover over Cynthia Moreno, Phoenix, Ariz., W/O
112 lbs: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., dec. Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga., 24-15
112 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, 15-12
112 lbs: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Latonya King, Harrison Township, Mich., 34-11
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., 22-12
132 lbs: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif., 27-10
132 lbs: N'yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio dec. Asia Stevenson, Washington DC, 42-17
132 lbs: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Patricia Manuel, Long Beach, Calif., 18-13
165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., 31-19
165 lbs: Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich., dec. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va., 34-9
165 lbs: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., dec. Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., 18-17
165 lbs: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., dec. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., 16-10

U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Tuesday Bout Sheets

112 lbs/winners bracket: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas vs. Alex Love, Spokane, Wash.
112 lbs/winners bracket: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., vs. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md.
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Taversha Norwood, Marietta, Ga. unopposed
112 lbs/challengers bracket: Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas vs. Latonya King, Harrison Township, Mich.
132 lbs/winners bracket: Queen Underwood, Spokane, Wash., vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.
132 lbs/winners bracket: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio vs. Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla.
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., vs. Lisa Porter, Northridge, Calif.
132 lbs/challengers bracket: Asia Stevenson, Washington DC vs. Patricia Manuel, Long Beach, Calif.
165 lbs/winners bracket: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., vs. Andrecia Wasson, Centerline, Mich.
165 lbs/winners bracket: Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., vs. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa.
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., vs. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va.
165 lbs/challengers bracket: Tiffanie Ward, Hacienda Heights, Calif., vs. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif.

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).