USA Boxing

Apr 02 Team USA Departs for Canada

Apr 02, 2012, 12:56 PM ET
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO) – 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 Women’s Continental Championships can be viewed via livestream at www.gfl.tv. 

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)

Pemela Bernanidez, Argentina
Mandy Bujold, Canada
Mildred Cruz, Dominican Republic
Zaida Enriquez, Mexico
Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas/United States
Regina Kuja, 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
Carolina Quevedo, 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 
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