01.03.05 – Colorado Springs, Colo. — The pairings have been finalized for the 2005 Wing Open Championships, guaranteeing an exciting night of action on Sunday, March 6 from the Cadet Field House at the Air Force Academy. The evening’s card will feature 11 exciting bouts that will determine who will move on to the regional and national level of competition..
The Wing Open Championship is a culmination of a year of hard work and dedication and for the winning boxers, it is also the start of a season of competition on the regional and national level. One of the most anxiously anticipated events on the Air Force sports calendar, the tournament is an extension of an optional boxing class and intramural program that is offered to the Wing in the fall.
The champions of the Wing Open will form the core of the team that will represent the Academy in national collegiate competition. The 2005 NCBA West Regional championships will be held on March 17-19 at the El Dorado Hotel in Reno, Nev. The winners from the regional competition advance to the national championships, hosted by the Air Force Academy on March 31-April 2, at Clune Arena.
DaVarryl “Touch of Sleep” Williamson and Mike Haynes of Altitude Sports & Entertainment will be handling the blow-by-blow and color commentary with Norm Jones reporting from ringside. Haynes is best known for his work as the play-by-play announcer
for both the Colorado Avalanche (NHL) and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League. Williamson is a 10-time national champion and was the first and only heavyweight to win three straight National Amateur Championships. He was continuously ranked the top amateur heavyweight in the United States for over three years and as a professional has compiled a record of 21-3, 17KOs and is ranked 7th in the world by the International Boxing Federation. This event will mark the second time that Williamson and Haynes have joined forces, as they previously called the finals of the 2002 National Golden Gloves Championships.
The championship round is a classy show that is enjoyed by everyone. Cadets, in formal attire, usher the spectators to their seats, while the Cadet Drum and Bugle Corps entertains the crowd. Anyone interested in attending this free event is encouraged to enter through the Academy’s North Gate and follow the road up to the Field House. The doors of the Cadet Field House are scheduled to open at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Match 6, with the Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as the USAFA Show Choir, to provide pre-match entertainment.
The event will be televised by Denver based Altitude Sports & Entertainment Network, and will be available throughout their coverage area which includes Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming, as well as parts of Nevada, New Mexico and South Dakota.
Altitude is the television home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Mammoth, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Colorado Eagles, the Big Sky Conference, Air Force Academy, Metro State, ESPN Syndication (including Big 12 Conference, Mountain West Conference and Western Athletic Conference events), the RMAC and Utah Grizzlies, as well as other local and regional sports and entertainment programming.
FINAL PAIRINGS FOR THE 2005 WING OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
112 lbs.: Willie Lloyd (Cadet Squad -32) vs. Steve Bogert (Cadet Squad – 06)
119 lbs.: Darren Smith (CS-19) — unopposed
125 lbs.: Jeremy Homan (CS-11) vs. Ezekial Ignaco (CS-12)
132 lbs.: James Baker (CS-36) vs. Brian. Navin (C-05)
139 lbs.: Luis Pena (CS-35) vs. Lonnie Ash (CS-34)
147 lbs.: Taylor Gifford (CS-32) vs. Blake Baldi (CS-14)
156 lbs.: Trevor Cook (CS-34) vs. Adam Vance (CS-09)
165 lbs.: Mike Sackenheim (CS-23) vs. Joe Conrad (CS-36)
175 lbs.: Augustin Kamdem (CS-08) vs. Evin Negron (CS-33)
185 lbs.: Chris Collins (CS-30) vs. Sean Mitchell (CS-10)
195 lbs.: Oscar Casillas (CS-32) vs. Brock Predovich (CS-20)
Hywt.: Ian Tuznik (CS-07) vs. David Bullock (CS-10)
A full list of Altitude programming and other information can be found at www.altitude.tv.
Additional information can also be found at: www.tosboxing.com and www.airforcesports.com