The United States’ Top Female Boxers Depart for the 2012 Women’s Continental Championships in Canada

[by Julie Goldsticker/USA Boxing]

USA Boxing’s elite women traveled north to Cornwall, Ontario, Canada on Sunday morning following a week-long training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The squad spent the week in Colorado preparing for the 2012 Women’s Continental Championships, April 4-7 at the NAV Centre in Cornwall.

The event, which will feature elite women from north, central and south America is the first international event of 2012 for the United States’ female athletes. Sixty-five boxers from 15 nations are registered to compete in the event, which will showcase several of the boxers who will vie for Olympic berths and world titles at the 2012 World Championships in May.

The 10 women representing Team USA all recorded first places finishes at either the first-ever U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing or the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships. The Olympic Trials winners will vie for gold in the three Olympic weight classes with flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) and lightweight Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) returning to Women’s Continental Championships action, and 17-year-old middleweight Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) competing in her first open division international competition in Canada.

The seven USA Boxing National champions competing for gold north of the border will be light flyweight Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.), bantamweight Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.), featherweight Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.), light welterweight Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.), welterweight Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.), light heavyweight Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) and heavyweight Victoria Perez (Ventura, Calif.).

Coaches Israel Acosta (Milwaukee, Wis.), Gloria Peek (Norfolk, Va.), Bruce Kawano (Pearl City, Hawaii) and Team Manager Joe Smith (Chattanooga, Tenn.) kept the squad on track in Colorado Springs prior to their trip to Canada on Sunday. Dr. Ted Mills (Glen Cove, N.Y.) and AIBA official Patricia Pliner (Janesville, Wis.) will round out the United States’ delegation traveling to Canada.

Women’s Continental Championships action will begin on Wednesday, April 4 with first round action and quarterfinal competition will take place on Thursday, April 5. The women will compete in semifinal round action on Friday, April 6 and vie for gold in the event finals on Saturday, April 7. All of the sessions will begin at 7 p.m. ET nightly.

The full list of registered competitors for the 2012 Women’s Continental Championships can be found below.

 Light Flyweight/106 lbs

Yairineth Altuve, Venezuela

Juil Cruz, Argentina

Kimberly Klavel, Canada

Alex Love, Monroe, Wash./United   States

Maira Rodriguez, Dominican Republic

 Flyweight/112 lbs (Olympic weight class)

Pamela Bernanidez, Argentina

Mandy Bujold, Canada

Mildred Cruz, Dominican Republic

Zaida Enriquez, Mexico

Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas/United   States

ReginaKuja, Ecuador

Karlha Magliocco, Venezuela

Erica Matos, Brazil

Tiffany Perez, Puerto Rico

Bantamweight/119 lbs

Yanina Bernanidez, Argentina

Erika Cedeno, Ecuador

Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y./United States

Larissa Letang, Dominica

Vicky Pelletier, Canada

Cletia Posta, Brazil

Débora Rengifo, Venezuela

Arisleyda Santiago, Dominican Republic

Featherweight/125 lbs

Jenny Benedict, Barbados

Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla./United States

Melissa Esquivel, Mexico

Melissa Guillemette, Canada

Edelma Jeffrey, Santa Lucia

Angela Beatriz, Honduras

Leonela Sanchez, Argetina

Lightweight/132 lbs (Olympic Weight Class)

Gisela Alvarado, Ecuador

Adriana Arauto, Brazil

Sandra Bizier, Canada

Erika Cruz, Mexico

Felice Groves, Jamaica

Delma Jeffrey, Santa Lucia

Gheeta Narine, Barbados

Dayana Sanchez, Argentina

Kiria Tapia, Puerto Rico

María Ulpino, Venezuela

Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash./United   States

Light welterweight/141 lbs

Sara Kali, Canada

Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif./United   States

Adela Peralta, Argentina

Cinthya Robles, Mexico

Roselaine Silva, Brazil

Nuri Silvera, Venezuela

Welterweight/152 lbs

Myriam Da Sylva, Canada

Kimberly Gittens, Barbados

Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif./United States

CarolinaQuevedo, Venezuela

Middleweight/165 lbs (Olympic weight class)

Francelys Carmona, Venezuela

Roseli Feitosa, Brazil

Yanebier Guillen, Dominican Republic

Alma Nora Ibarra, Mexico

Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich./United   States

Mary Spencer, Canada

Light heavyweight/178 lbs

Andreia Bardeira, Brazil

Maude Bergeron, Canada

Erika Cabrera, Brazil

Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md./United   States

 

Heavyweight/201 lbs

Anabelle Dube, Canada

Victoria Perez, Ventura, Calif./United   States