Beltway Locals Face Daunting Tasks At Women's Olympic Trial Qualifier!

A number of female Beltway amateurs will be competing for an opportunity to participate in the US Olympic Boxing Trials in October.  They will be battling stiff and experienced competition during the final qualifier that will take place September 7-11 at the Baltimore Harbor Hotel in Baltimore, MD.

Female Olympic Boxing is contested in three weight classes --Flyweight (112 Pounds), Lightweight (132 Pounds) and Middleweight (165 Pounds) -- and there will be locals competing in all three categories.  The top three finishers in each weight class will advance to the Olympic Trials which take place October 26-31 in Memphis, TN.

Somer Smith of Pasadena, MD will represent the Beltway in the Flyweight Division.  Smith is a former area Junior Golden Gloves champion.  Among the boxers in Smith's weight class are current USA Boxing Youth National champion Kristyn Juarez of Los Angeles, CA, Caitlin Orosco of Anaheim, CA, a junior world champion in 2013 and Nysja Barrientes of Las Vegas, NV, who was a junior national champion in 2013.

The lightweight division will be a loaded division and two locals will be a part of the competition.  Oxon Hill, MD's Tiara Brown, a world champion in 2012 and a bronze medalist at the world championships in 2014, along with Amelia Moore of Millersville, MD will represent the Beltway.  However, they face big-time competition led by 2012 Olympian Queen Underwood of Seattle, WA.

Also competing in the lightweight division are former Olympic Trials competitor N'yteeyah Sherman of Akron, OH, current youth champion Ariel Arismendez of Tolleson, AZ and two 2013 youth champions, Rashida Ellis of Lynn, MA and Samantha Kinchen of Lexington, KY.

The middleweight division features multi-time national champion Franchon Crews of Baltimore, MD and two-time youth national champion Iesha Kenney of Alexandria, VA. The two locals will battle against such names as current youth national champion Martha Fabela of Oakland, CA, 2014 USA Boxing National Championship silver medalist Heidi Henriksen of St. Louis Park, MN and former heavyweight national champion Krystal Dixon of New Rochelle, NY.

Women's preliminary action will begin at 6 p.m., on Monday and run through Wednesday, September 9 at the Baltimore Harbor Hotel with complimentary tickets for those sessions available at www.baltimoreboxing.com. Semifinal competition will take place at 8:15 p.m. on Thursday, September 10 and Friday's championship bouts will begin at 8:15 p.m., at the Baltimore Harbor Hotel. Semifinal tickets are priced at $15 and final round admission is $25. To purchase tickets for the event, go to www.baltimoreboxing.com or call 410-375-9175.