(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Two United States boxers have earned berths in the event finals at the 2013 Men’s Continental Championships in Santiago, Chile. Light welterweight Jose Alday (Odessa, Texas) and super heavyweight Cam F. Awesome (Lenexa, Kansas) both won their semifinal contests on Sunday to move on to Monday’s championship round. Middleweight LeShawn Rodriquez (Shirley, N.Y.) dropped his semifinal bout and will return home with a bronze medal. 

Alday has capitalized on his first round bye, winning two straight bouts in his first Men’s Continental Championships to move on to the light welterweight finale. The 18-year-old defeated Argentina’s Alberto Palmetta by a 3-0 margin in his second bout of the tournament to advance to the championship bout. He will face 2011 World Champion and 2012 Olympian Everton Lopes of Brazil in the final round contest. 

Awesome has enjoyed two off days since winning his quarterfinal contest and Thursday and the off time appeared to pay off in his semifinal bout with Panama’s Ronaldo Bermudez. The Panamanian boxer chose to retire after the first round of his bout with Awesome, giving the United States Team Captain a spot in the super heavyweight final. Awesome will face off with Cuba’s Yoandy Torirac in the championship bout on Monday when he competes for his sixth gold medal of the year and his third in international action.

Following a third round knockout of Cuban Yasiel Despaigne, Rodriquez hoped to claim his third victory of the tournament in his semifinal bout with Colombia’s Jorge Vivas.  Rodriquez wasn’t able to accomplish his goal, dropping a 3-0 contest to Vivas to claim a bronze medal.   

The event is the first international ranking tournament for the elite men as they begin their run toward the 2013 AIBA World Championships and beyond. Coaches Bienvenido “Benny” Roman (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Kenneth Sims, Sr. (Chicago, Ill.), Kevin Benford (Cincinnati, Ohio), and Edward "Mike" Murphy (Port Jeff Station, N.Y.) are leading the squad in Chile with Dr. Lucien Parrillo (Wallingford, Conn.) serving as the Team Physician. 

For the latest results on the United States squad, follow USA Boxing on twitter @usaboxing. 

U.S. Results

141 lbs: Jose Alday, Odessa, Texas/USA dec. Alberto Palmetta, ARG, 3-0

201+ lbs: Cam F. Awesome, Lenexa, Kansas/USA won on TKO over Ronaldo Bermudez, PAN, TKO-2