By JOSE FERNANDEZ
Sports Writer
Kiley Cox def. Sarah "Crazy Stupid" Lovejoy
Sophomore Kiley Cox started the bout strong, as she landed punch after punch, and held on for a split-decision victory over senior Sarah Lovejoy. Lovejoy took a defensive approach in the first round, but came out more aggressively in the later rounds. Her change in strategy seemed to pay off as she landed a one-two combination and several body shots that rattled the sophomore. Cox, however, never went on the defensive and kept pounding the senior with jab after jab in the second round, which helped sway the fight in her favor. With both fighters losing steam in the third round, Cox landed a right hook that caused Lovejoy to lose her footing, giving Cox the final edge she needed.
Clare "Do Work" Burke def. Courtney "Watch the Right Hook" Wright
Senior Clare Burke came out aggressively and held on for a split-decision victory over freshman Courtney Wright. Burke set the tone early, landing a powerful right hook at the start of the first round. Even though Wright landed strong body shots, Burke continued to pound the freshman with hook and jab combinations that forced Wright to go on the defensive. In the third round, Wright rallied and came out strong, landing body and headshots that pushed Burke around the ring. However, Burke landed the final blows, as she retaliated with a flurry of body shots that helped her secure the victory.
Anna "Heff"Heffrondef. Erin "The Lion" O'Brien
Veteran senior and captain Anna Heffron dominated in a unanimous decision victory over junior Erin O'Brien. Both fighters came out swinging and traded blows through the first round. Heffron took advantage of her longer reach and landed several one-two combinations that seemed to fluster O'Brien. However, O'Brien came back with a burst of jabs to the head of Heffron to keep the first round close. In the second round, Heffron began to take over, as she landed left and right jab combinations that put O'Brien on the defensive. Although O'Brien tried to rebound in the third round, Heffron was not rattled and continued her offensive by landing a powerful right hook to the junior's head, effectively sealing the victory.
Mary Sheprodef. Therese "T-Pain" Germain
In a fight that started slowly but heated up in the later rounds, second-year law student Mary Shepro defeated junior Therese Germain by unanimous decision. The first round was mostly characterized by the defensive approach that both fighters took and few punches were thrown. In the end, it was Shepro that made the biggest move before the end of the first round, landing a straight right and a left hook before the bell. Germain started the second round with a strong jab to the head, which put Shepro on the defensive, but the law student regained her ground and landed a flurry of body shots and a powerful one-two combination to end the round. Both fighters entered the final round aggressively and traded jabs, but Shepro landed a one-two combination that sealed the deal and gave her the victory.
Grace "In Your Face" Choedef. Amanda Leung
In a nail-biter that went back and forth, sophomore Grace Choe came out on top in a split-decision victory over junior Amanda Leung. Both fighters came out swinging, as they traded body shot after body shot to set the tone for the rest of the fight. Choe, however, took advantage of her longer reach in the second round and began to land headshots while she dodged her opponent's counterattack. Still, Leung did not let the fight slip away, as she landed a one-two combination that visibly rattled Choe for a moment. But in the third round, Choe regained her form and with a barrage of effective combinations, secured the victory.
Ryan Russ def. Meave"Maeverick" Donovan
Senior Ryan Russ started the bout off strong by landing a right hook that set the tone for the rest of the fight. Freshman Meave Donovan had moments where she seemed to be taking control of the fight, as she landed successive one-two combinations that got the crowd going. Russ, however, kept her ground and came back with a flurry of body shots that made the freshman get back in the defensive. By then, Russ took advantage and continued to land right hooks to the body of Donovan. This trend continued in the third round, as a left jab to Donovan's head kept Russ in control and gave her a unanimous decision victory over the freshman.
Cathy "Chuka-what"Chukwulebedef. Victoria "Every KO begins with" Kay
The battle between two seniors came to an early end, as Cathy Chukwulebe pushed her classmate Victoria Kay around the ring before the referee stopped the fight in the third round. Chukwulebe came out of the gates with a very aggressive approach that exploited her height advantage over Kay. However, Kay did not shy away from the challenge, as she met Chukwulebe punch for punch. The fighters traded blows in the first round, as Kay landed multiple one-two combinations to Chukwulebe's body, and Chukwulebe retaliated with jab and hook combinations to Kay's head. The difference in target area, however, proved to be crucial to the outcome. The referee had to stop the fight for Kay twice before he officially called the fight in favor of Chukwulebe in the third round.
Hannah "The Mean Slovene" Skrbisdef. Erin "Dixie-Danger" Wilson
Sophomore Hannah Skrbis set the tone for the fight early and weathered several rallies by graduate student Erin Wilson to secure a unanimous decision victory. Skrbis stormed out of the gates, landing straight shots to Wilson's head in the first round. Wilson retaliated at the beginning of the second round, but her momentum was short lived, as Skrbis landed a powerful one-two combination followed by a right hook that rattled Wilson. The third round followed the pattern of the second, as Wilson tried to take control of the fight by landing a left hook and a few body shots. However, Skrbis maintained her composure and came back with a one-two combination and a left straight that caused the referee to stop the fight for a few moments. After that, Skrbis held on a little longer to secure the victory.
Contact JoséFernández at jfernan9@nd.edu.
By REBECCA ROGALSKI
Sports Writer
Liz "Beast from the East" Zolperdef. Kendall Johnson
Junior Liz Zolper needed every second of every round to defeat senior Kendall Johnson in a split-decision victory. In the first round, Zolper and Johnson battled aggressively and threw flurries of punches at each other. But Zolper went on the offensive during in the second round, using one-two combinations and other big hits to establish control. Despite showing some fatigue, both boxers fought it out in the third round. Johnson threw a few jabs, but Zolper landed a final pair of decisive punches to secure the victory.
Annalise "Feel the Burn" Burnett def. Sheridan "Sherribomb"Rosner
In a matchup of sophomores, Annalise Burnett came out on top, winning in a unanimous decision over Sheridan Rosner. Rosner came out of the gate strong in the first round, throwing straight and precise punches. Burnett stayed in the fight by throwing jabs and attempting more body shots on Rosner. She then began taking the reigns in the second and third rounds. In the third round, Burnett wore down Rosner, and the judges awarded her the unanimous victory.
Valerie "Valiswag" Williams def. Rachel "The Ringer" Wright
Junior Valerie Williams captured a victory by unanimous decision over senior Rachel Wright. Wright came out strong with a series of jabs and combinations in the first round, but Williams began rolling out punches and held her own against Wright in the second round. During the third round, Williams became more aggressive, utilizing a combination of punches and knocking Wright down. The judges ultimately awarded Williams the victory by unanimous decision.
Jessica Freeman def. Emily "EmDawg"Popovich
Senior Jessica Freeman secured a unanimous victory over sophomore Emily Popovich. In the first round, Freeman and Popovich wore each other down with big punches and body shots. Freeman took the offensive in the second round, using a series of one-two combinations to gain an advantage. In the third round, Freeman stepped up aggressively and threw counter-punches and jabs. Ultimately, the judges declared a unanimous victory for Freeman.
Molly Allare def. Shannon "The Glommer" Bugos
In a contentious bout, junior Molly Allare came out with a unanimous victory over sophomore Shannon Bugos. Allare and Bugos fought aggressively in the first round, as both used combinations and counterattacks. In the second round, Allare fired off a series of jabs and finished the round with a strong hit on Bugos, which allowed her to take control. Allare didn't let up in the third round and was awarded the unanimous victory.
"Muhammad A-Liz" Garvin def. Catherine "I Have the Answers" McQuestion
On the strength of a quick start, senior Liz Garvin defeated sophomore Catherine McQuestion in a unanimous victory. During the first round, Garvin came out strong with quick punches and efficiency, hitting McQuestion with powerful hooks. In the second round, Garvin came out of the gate strong and threw several combinations before McQuestion could prepare to counterattack. Garvin put McQuestion on the defense in the third round and threw a series of jabs and one-two combinations. The judges awarded Garvin a victory by unanimous decision.
Katie Martin def. Brenna Cashman
Sophomore Katie Martin took the reigns in the ring to defeat sophomore Brenna Cashman by a referee-stopped contest in the third round. Martin secured her offensive position in the first round by throwing a series of one-two combinations and jabs. Martin kept Cashman on the defensive in the second round and threw a strong head shot before both boxers started trading punches against the ropes. To start the third round Martin overwhelmed Cashman with combinations and the referee was forced to stop the fight, sending Martin home with the victory.
Carrera Brown def. Mary "The Mean Machine" Green
Sophomore Carrera Brown defeated sophomore Mary Green in a split-decision victory. During the first round, Green put Brown on the defensive. Brown stepped up in the second round and took control with a series of jabs and hooks. To finish out the match, Brown and Green aggressively threw combinations in the third round, but Brown earned the split-decision victory.
Colby "Hammer Down" Hoyer def. Kirby "Super Smash" McKenna
After a grueling fight, junior Colby Hoyer defeated senior Kirby McKenna by split-decision. Hoyer and McKenna counterattacked each other's moves and continuously fought for control in the first round. Early in the second round, Hoyer put McKenna on the defensive with body shots. Hoyer continued her offensive attacks with combinations in the third round and earned the win by split decision.
Contact Rebecca Rogalski at rrogalsk@nd.edu
By MANUEL DE JESUS
Sports Writer
Gina "I'm not sorry" Rogari def. Jennifer "Fitz of Fury" Fitzpatrick
Seniors Gina Rogari and Jennifer Fitzpatrick came out early with blazing speed, but when Fitzpatrick tired, Rogari took advantage and forced the referee to stop the contest in the third round. From the bell, both boxers had high energy, hitting each other with direct jabs. Each fighter went on the offensive while largely ignoring her defensive strategies. Going into the second round, Fitzpatrick began to increase her guard, blocking Rogari's left jabs, but Rogari's strikes could not be denied. The referee had to check on Fitzpatrick during the second round to make sure she could continue. In the third round, Rogari continued her onslaught of blows, and Fitzpatrick's energy and speed slowed. The pivotal moment in the bout came midway through the third round when Rogari landed a powerful left hook to the head of Fitzpatrick, forcing the referee to call the match.
Anna "The maine-iac" Carmack def. Sarah "Maverick" McCarthy
Senior Anna Carmack dominated the first round and held on for a victory by unanimous decision over fellow senior Sarah McCarthy. From the opening bell, Carmack landed multiple heavy shots on McCarthy, who took the hits and fought back with several combinations. However, McCarthy's efforts were in vain, as Carmack continued to force her into the corners of the ring and break through the majority of her defenses with strong right jabs. In the second round, McCarthy began to rally, landing the occasional combination cleanly on Carmack's body and head. McCarthy continued to land punches in the beginning of the third round and broke through Carmack's blocks, which forced her to back into the ropes. When the final bell rang, however, the judges awarded Carmack the victory.
Maggie "Currahee" Adams def. Emily Laurent
From start to finish, sophomore Maggie Adams landed hard shots and clean punches en route to a victory by unanimous decision over fellow sophomore Emily Laurent. Adams, a Pangborn resident, came out in the first round with a quick flurry of left jabs against Laurent. She worked the ring with high energy and made several strikes that cut cleanly through Laurent's defense. By the second round, Laurent lost her speed and struggled to keep up with Adams' high-octane offensive approach. Adams did not relent, hitting Laurent with multiple combinations and shutting down any attempt to counter attack. The strong offense of Adams continued into the third round, which exhausted Laurent even further. Laurent couldn't keep up with jabs throughout the third round and the judges awarded the one-sided matchup to Adams in a unanimous decision.
Tori White def. Amanda Pena
In the final matchup of the night, junior Tori White showed her finesse and technique from the bell to take the unanimous victory over fellow junior Amanda Pena. White, a Ryan resident, used her quickness and size to land hard uppercuts that pushed Pena off balance and into the ropes. Pena, fromWelsh Family, started stronger in the second round, but White stayed strong both offensively and defensively, blocking jabs and counterattacking with hard hooks and uppercuts. Throughout the second and third round, Pena waited for White to initiate contact before trying to attack. White took advantage of this and responded with a plethora of combinations that shattered Pena's blocks and directly hit the head and body. After the final bell, White was given the victory by unanimous decision.
Contact Manuel De Jesus at mdjesus@nd.edu
