Grace Choe def. Kelly “I don’t think you’re ready for this Jelly” Smith
Senior Grace Choe of Ryan overpowered junior Kelly “I don’t think you’re ready for this Jelly” Smith of Lyons by unanimous decision.
In the first round, the match was fairly even, as both competitors matched each other blow for blow.
Choe, wearing blue, came out ready to fight in the second round, though. She mixed jabs and hooks to land a shot on Smith’s head. However, Smith remained valiant, despite being noticeably exhausted by the end of the round.
Smith threw the first jab of the third round, but eventually Choe once again backed her into the corners and controlled the remainder of the fight.
Maggie Long def. Shannon “The Glommer” Bugos
By split decision, senior Maggie Long defeated classmate Shannon “The Glommer” Bugos.
The match was fairly even throughout the entirety of the first round, but Long, wearing blue, was dominant with her cross in the second round. She landed punch after punch to control the round.
Round three opened up with both girls landing several strong blows. Both were visibly exhausted but continued to push themselves until the end.
Throughout the match, Bugos threw many uppercuts and hooks. Long was strong with her jab and right, however, and ultimately came away with the victory.
Mary Kate “Happy Feet” Vicenzi def. Maria “Bringin’ in the” Do
Senior Mary Kate “Happy Feet” Vicenzi emerged victorious by split decision against senior Maria “Bringin’ in the” Do.
In the first round, Vicenzi landed several strong punches, including shots between Do’s gloves, while Do spent her time chasing Vicenzi around the ring.
Vicenzi displayed great footwork in the second round and put herself into favorable positions to land punches, but Do responded with one strong flurry and a few shots to Vicenzi’s body to end the round.
In the last round, Do held her position strong in the center of the ring. However, Vicenzi maintained her energy and circled Do while landing several strong blows to finish the match.
Shannon “The Asian Shannon” Hennessey def. Madalyn “Mo Chuisle” Schulte
In the battle of freshmen, Shannon “The Asian Shannon” Hennessey of Breen Phillips defeated Madalyn “Mo Chuisle” Schulte of McGlinn by a split decision.
Hennessey, wearing blue, came out strong with a mix of head and body shots. She backed Shulte into a corner, but Schulte recovered with a strong combination.
It appeared Schulte could not break the defense set up by Hennessey in the second round though, as Hennessey came out with a strong flurry, but when she let her hands down she received a hard hook from Schulte.
Hennessey opened the third round by getting Schulte up against the ropes. Hennessey landed body shots which eventually pushed to the victory.
Serena Chan def. Melanie Justice
In a split decision, senior Serena Chan of Cavanaugh defeated freshman Melanie Justice of Welsh Family.
With an up-tempo start, the two had many exchanges in the center of the ring. Chan opened with a nice combination, but Justice had a few counter jabs to end the first round.
The second round saw a lot of back and forth action between the two as Chan continued the pressure, but Justice responded with hooks to the jaw.
Justice was the aggressor to start off round three, but Chan responded by hitting Justice with the hook and a few combinations.
There was a small exchange to end a slower-paced final round, and Chan emerged victorious.
Bernie “Feel the Bern” Jordan def. Anna Schierl
Senior Bernie “Feel the Bern” Jordan overpowered sophomore Anna Schierl of McGlinn by split decision.
Jordan, wearing gold, opened the match by landing several hooks to Schierl’s body. Schierl used the jab to defend herself, but Jordan ended the round with multiple power shots.
The second round started with Schierl backing Jordan up against the ropes. Schierl landed a strong combination of punches, but Jordan responded with hooks to the jaw and a combination of her own to back Schierl into a corner to end the round.
Schierl backed Jordan into a corner to start off the final round while exchanging quick jabs. Jordan connected a few more times, but a winner was not clear at the end of the round until the referee raised Jordan’s hand in triumph.
Shannon Martin def. Sophia Hooper
By unanimous decision, senior Shannon Martin bested junior Sophia Hooper of Breen Phillips.
Martin opened the match with ten consecutive quick jabs. Hooper spent the round defending herself and trying to find a way inside, but was unsuccessful.
In a slow second round, Hooper landed several body shots on Martin. The round ended with Martin landing a jab and a cross to Hooper’s head.
To start the third round, Martin landed a flurry of blows to push Hooper back. Martin controlled the ring in the third round, landing jabs from the outside and hooks on the inside, and was rewarded with the win.
Maria Aranguren def. Mackenzie O’Brien
Sophomore Maria Aranguran of Welsh Family was winner by a referee stoppage against junior Mackenzie O’Brien of McGlinn.
Both boxers were entangled and bouncing around the ring from the start of the match. Aranguran, wearing blue, backed O’Brien into a corner and followed it up by two strong rights.
O’Brien came out with a strong combination but was knocked down by a strong right hook to the jaw from Aranguran. O’Brien recovered by backing Arangulan into the ropes.
Both boxers landed vicious combinations, but O’Brien dropped her hands so the referees stopped the round.
After an eight second count, the referee decided to end the match in favor of Aranguran.
Emily Laurent def. Mari “Make Them Sorry” Tumminello
By split decision, senior Emily Laurent of Badin overpowered junior Mari “Make Them Sorry” Tumminello of Welsh Family.
With a very defensive opening, both boxers looked to size up the other to start the bout. Laurent broke the stalemate with a stiff right to Tumminello’s head. Tumminello answered back with several combinations of punches to both the body and the head.
Tumminello controlled the ring for most of the second round. She pushed Laurent around the ring, but, by the end of the round, Laurent managed to launch a series of close-range exchanges.
Laurent dominated to open the third round, keeping Tumminello at bay with a series of jabs and hooks. Laurent used her height advantage, and Tuminello was unable to land her punches, resulting in Laurent winning the match.
Leana Jonassaint def. Kerstin “T Rex” Strom
Senior Leana Jonassaint of Ryan defeated graduate student Kerstin “T Rex” Strom by split decision.
Strom started off with a set of vicious uppercuts to the body of Jonassaint to get her against the ropes and then pinned her in the corner with a set of hard hooks. Jonassaint responded with a strong combination, and the round ended with both fighters entangled in the middle of the ring.
In round two, neither fighter managed to gain the upper-hand. Jonassaint stood her ground and did not back down to Strom in the third round, resulting in the split decision in her favor.
Kathryn “Trodaire” Kehoe def. Mary “Little Patriot” Haley
In a split decision, sophomore Kathryn “Trodaire” Kehoe of Lewis toppled senior Mary “Little Patriot” Haley.
Kehoe threw uppercuts to the head while Haley depended on quick jabs to the body. The first round ended with Kehoe in control.
In a tight second round, Kehoe continued with jabs to the head, while Martin used hooks to the body.
Martin defended herself by keeping her hands up for the start of round three, but Kehoe landed a strong punch to Martin’s face at the end of the match. This led to Kehoe being named as the winner.
Jessica “The Wrapper” Wilson def. Renee “Rage Cage” Griffin
The bouts in Ring B commenced when Farley junior Renee “Rage Cage” Griffin fought Ryan sophomore Jessica “The Wrapper” Wilson.
Editor's Note: Griffin is a Sports Writer for The Observer.
The round started quickly as Griffin used her height to her advantage and pressured Wilson into a corner. Wilson began aiming for Griffin’s body to great effect, especially in the second round when “The Wrapper” began to pummel Griffin’s body, forcing her onto the defensive. Griffin came back reinvigorated in the third round and racked Wilson with blows to the head, but she soon tired and Wilson jumped on the opportunity to pummel Griffin with multiple final punches to secure the victory by split decision.
Casey “Burn the Boats” Gelchion def. Marissa Kivi
Badin junior Casey “Burn the Boats” Gelchion defeated Lewis freshman Marissa Kivi in a split decision.
The match began with Kivi creeping close and pursuing Gelchion across the ring step by step. Rounds one and two were similar with Kivi initiating attacks and Gelchion defending and countering in response.
In round three, Kivi landed some blows to the head. Gelchion pushed Kivi back as she delivered punches to Kivi’s body. Towards the end of the round, Gelchion delivered a blow to Kivi’s face, drawing blood from Kivi’s nose. The round earned Gelchion the victory in a split decision.
Jenna “Navi” Ivan def. Melissa “TKO” Ricker
In a split decision, Ryan senior Jenna “Navi” Ivan defeated off-campus senior Melissa “TKO” Ricker.
From the start, both boxers exchanged blows and fought in close quarters with the referee having to separate them on multiple occasions.
In the second round, Ricker used her height and renewed energy to pressure Ivan into a corner, but Ivan was able to limit the damage.
The third round provided a tightly-contested, high-energy finish to the fight. Ivan went for body shots, while Ricker attempted to land punches to Ivan’s head. In the end, Ivan won the match by split decision.
“C’mon” Eileen McTigue def. Heather “Light as a Feather” Schloss
Badin junior Eileen McTigue bested Welsh Family sophomore Heather Schloss by unanimous decision. McTigue jumped right into the first round to put Schloss on the defensive, but Schloss quickly recovered and was able to land punches to McTigue’s head and body.
The two fighters danced across the ring in round two, both taking and giving a beating with strong jabs.
Immediately after the start of the third round, Schloss racked her opponent, but she soon tired and McTigue came back with a vigor that sealed her unanimous victory.
Caroline Skulski def. Kiley Cox
Lewis junior Caroline Skulski went head to head with Badin senior Kiley Cox and emerged victorious by split decision.
Cox entered the ring in the first round steady and focused with a quick series of one-two punches that kept Skulski on her toes.
The second round proved challenging for Cox, as she had headgear trouble Skulski was able to take advantage of, landing shots to Cox’s head. In the third round, both fighters went all in and let down their defense to get in as many punches as they could.
Skulski went for the body and Cox the head to end the match with a split decision in Skulski’s favor.
Marcela Abud Bertini de Rezende def. Marissa Campili
Breen-Phillips freshman Marcela Abud Bertini de Rezende pulled out a split decision win over Pasquerilla East sophomore Marissa Campili.
On her toes, Campili started quickly and managed to land a few shots on her opponent, but Abud Bertini de Rezende was ready and ducked and blocked away from most of the swings. Campili controlled round one and only allowed Rezende to get in a few counterattacks.
However, the freshman stepped up on the offensive in the second round. She forced Campili into a corner and applied enough pressure to knock her opponent down. Not to let that slow her, Campili popped back up and renewed her offensive efforts at the end of the round.
With energy that matched the first round in intensity, both boxers battled throughout the third round in a back and forth contest. With a bit of blood, Rezende took the win on a split decision.
Jackie “Jack Attack” Brebeck def. Mary “Swervin” Irving
In a split decision, Cavanaugh freshman Jackie “Jack Attack” Brebeck defeated Pangborn senior Mary “Swervin” Irving.
The fight began with Brebeck on the attack in the first round, as she tried to get around Irving’s tight blocking and counterattacks to land punches.
In round two, Irving went out on the offensive and managed to find the mark on blows to both the head and body of Brebeck, although she also took a few punches herself.
As fatigue began to set in for both fighters, Irving kept after Brebeck, chasing her with punches while also protecting her own face. However, it was not enough, as Brebeck took the win in a split decision.
Lauren “Mad Dog” Mathias def. Erin Bradford
A battle of the Pasquerillas featured Pasquerilla West junior Lauren “Mad Dog” Mathias against Pasquerilla East sophomore Erin Bradford.
Although both boxers initially came out punching quickly, they soon slowed, which allowed for a more deliberate matchup. At the end of the first round and into the second, “Mad Dog” was finally able to break through Bradford’s defense and pummel her with blows to the head and body.
An injury to Bradford’s hand paused the second round, but she was patched up and was able to land some hits on Mathias at the very end of the second and beginning of the third rounds.
Mathias regained control in the third round and finished with a victory by unanimous decision.
Kaley “Let’s Go” Cohen def. Ashley “Big Berd” Berding
Breen-Phillips junior Kaley “Let’s Go” Cohen fought off-campus law student Ashley “Big Berd” Berding.
Cohen started the first round fiercely, racking Berding with punches that quickly put her on the defensive, and things stayed that way for the rest of the match. Although Berding was able to land a few sporadic jabs, Cohen relentlessly came after her with powerful punches to the head and body.
Before the beginning of the third round, Berding was checked multiple times by medical personnel before being cleared to keep fighting. Although Cohen controlled all three rounds and came away with the unanimous win, Berding had a boisterous cheering section backing her.
Jenna Martin def. Kathryn “The Kicker” Thompson
Kathryn “The Kicker” Thompson, a junior from Lewis, went glove to glove with Jenna Martin, a sophomore from Breen-Phillips, and won the bout via unanimous decision.
The fighting started quickly and in close proximity, as Martin used her height and longer arms to her advantage to land punches to Thompson’s head.
The fight continued in round two with more defense, as the fighters made efforts to evade and block punches. Thompson gained some control toward the end of the round to keep Martin out of the middle, and in round three she kept on the offensive and even gave Martin a bloody nose.
After first aid officials cleaned the blood up, the boxers powered through their exhaustion to push each other up and down the ring, but Martin walked away with the victory by unanimous decision.
Maeve “Maeverick” Donovan def. Joy “No Mercy” Choe
In what turned out to be one of the fiercest and most-anticipated battles of the night, Lyons junior Maeve “Maeverick” Donovan bested Ryan sophomore Joy “No Mercy” Choe in a display of form and execution.
The fighters started off round one with strong jabs and blocks on both sides. Donovan gained the upper hand, as she pursued Choe around the ring and delivered direct punches that found their mark at times.
As round two started, Choe came out looking to turn the bout around and gain the upper hand, but Donovan quickly forced her back on the defensive. After several sequences and combinations, Choe needed to get cleaned for her bloody nose before the fighting could resume. With just a little bit of time left in the second round, Choe retaliated and landed some key punches on Donovan.
Both fighters proceeded into the third round still on the balls of their feet and keeping their form tight. Donovan fought more conservatively by evading and blocking more in the third round rather than maintaining her previous chase around the ring. After pausing to wipe blood off faces and gloves, the fighters got in a few more hits each before the end of the match. Donovan took the victory in a unanimous decision.
Katelyn “Wailin” Whelan def. Catherine Levy
In a unanimous decision, off-campus senior Katelyn “Wailin” Whelan defeated Welsh Family junior Catherine Levy.
The fighters fought a deliberate and strategic first round and landed few but powerful hits.
In the second round, Levy pressured Whelan into a corner, but Whelan was quickly able to recover and do the same to her opponent.
The third continued much the same with both fighters waiting for the other to slip up before they made a move. Late into the round, Whelan took a chance and delivered a series of punches to Levy’s body and head to seal the unanimous victory.
Rachel Ganson def. Maria “Mad Dog” Noel
Pasquerilla West junior Maria “Mad Dog” Noel and Pasquerilla East junior Rachel Ganson took the ring, with Ganson taking the split-decision victory.
Ganson started the first round quickly and forced Noel to the outside of the ring with powerful punches to the head and body, but she also took some strikes to the head from Noel.
Ganson again closed in on Noel in the second round, and although she often came close to cornering her opponent, “Mad Dog” always wormed her way out of danger.
The boxers fought closely in the third round with Noel landing punches to Ganson’s face, forcing Ganson to grab Noel so the referee would pull them apart. Ganson came back with a series of powerful late punches to pull out a split-decision victory.
Imani “Parks and Wreck” Parker def. Kaitlin Abrams
In the last fight of the night in Ring B, Lyons senior Imani “Parks and Wreck” Parker bested off-campus law student Kaitlin Abrams.
Both girls started on the offensive, looking to land hits early on, and Abrams managed to push Parker off to the edge multiple times until the end of the round, when Parker gained control of the ring.
In the second round, Abrams landed punches to Parker’s head as the undergraduate delivered some to her body. Parker soon earned the upper hand and pursued Abrams around the ring, landing powerful blows to her opponent’s head.
In the third round Parker continued to follow Abrams and did not give her time to recover, delivering punch after punch while Abrams attempted to keep space between them. The match concluded with a unanimous victory for Parker.
