(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Ten members of USA Boxing men’s national team have traveled to France for two international events over the next two weeks. The elite group of boxers will face the host nation in a USA vs. France Dual, November 20 in Abbeville, France to kick off the international competition prior to participating in a Four Nations Tournament, November 26-27.
All ten members of the squad finished in the top four at the 2010 USA Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs, including reigning national champions: light welterweight Pedro Sosa (New York, N.Y.) welterweight Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas), light heavyweight Jeffrey Spencer (Fort Carson, Colo.), and super heavyweight Lenroy Thompson (Uniondale, N.Y.).
2004 Olympic alternate Diego Hurtado (Sparks, Nev.), 2010 USA Boxing National Championships flyweight bronze medalist John Franklin (Fort Carson, Colo.), 2010 USA Boxing National Championships bantamweight bronze medalist Roman Morales (San Ardo, Calif.), 2010 USA Boxing National Championships lightweight silver medalist Eric Flores (Ingle, Calif.), 2010 National PAL Middleweight Champion D’Mtirius Ballard (Temple Hills, Md.) and 2010 Under 19 Heavyweight National Champion Joshua Temple (St. Louis, Mo.) will complete the U.S. roster competing in France.
The U.S. squad departed for France on Wednesday and made the two and a half hour drive to Abbeville, France today in preparation for Saturday’s USA vs. Italy Dual. The squad will spend several days training in France before returning to action on Friday, November 26. Team USA will face off with squads from France, Ukraine, and Hungary in the Four Nations tournament, November 26-27 at the Palais Des Sports in Berck Sur Mer.
Coaches Joe Zanders (Long Beach, Calif.), Barry Hunter (Fort Washington, Md.) and Ray Paxton (Shreveport, La.) will lead the team into action in France. Deni Auclair (New Rochelle, N.Y.) will serve as Team Manager with Tom Cleary (Cincinnati, Ohio) working as the AIBA official and Dr. Ken Kurt (Racine, Wis.) joining the squad as the Team Physician.
Sosa, Spence, Ballard and Thompson are all fresh off victories at the 2010 National PAL Championships, where they each claimed the first berths in their weight divisions in the U.S. Olympic Trials. The France trip is the second international competition in Europe in the last few months for Sosa, Spence, Spencer and Thompson following the European Challenge in August.
U.S. Roster
106 lbs: Diego Hurtado, Sparks, Nev.
114 lbs: John Franklin, Fort Carson, Colo.
123 lbs: Roman Morales, San Ardo, Calif.
132 lbs: Eric Flores, Ingle, Calif.
141 lbs: Pedro Sosa, New York, N.Y.
152 lbs: Errol Spence, Desoto, Texas
165 lbs: D’Mitrius Ballard, Temple Hills, Md.
178 lbs: Jeffrey Spencer, Fort Carson, Colo.
201 lbs: Joshua Temple, St. Louis, Mo.
201+ lbs: Lenroy Thomspon, Uniondale, N.Y.
Head Coach: Joe Zanders, Long Beach, Calif.
Assistant Coach: Barry Hunter, Fort Washington, Md.
Assistant Coach: Ray Paxton, Shreveport, La.
Team Manager: Deni Auclair, New Rochelle, N.Y.
AIBA Official: Tom Cleary, Cincinnati, Ohio
Team Physician: Dr. Ken Kurt, Racine, Wis.
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).