Baraka Bouts concludes quarterfinals with 38 faceoffs
Two boxers spar during the 2019 Baraka Bouts Quarterfinals. The first bouts featured 38 matchups.
Two boxers spar during the 2019 Baraka Bouts Quarterfinals. The first bouts featured 38 matchups.
Sydney “The Sloth” Carlino def. Carrie Davis The first bout of the 2019 Baraka Bouts tournament saw two New Jersey natives square off. Carlino, a junior in Cavanaugh Hall, got off to a fast start in the match. “The Sloth,” somewhat of a misnomer, probed at her opponent with several punches and kept her opponent, a sophomore from Welsh Family Hall, on the defense. Carlino circled Davis continuously, throwing jabs high and low and did not allow Davis an opportunity to build a solid offensive. In the second round, Davis attempted to assert herself by swinging first, but Carlino closed the distance and scored a flurry of fast jabs to Davis’s head. As the stanza wore down, Carlino got one last quick series of strikes in to maintain her momentum heading into the final period.As the final round began, Carlino sat back and let Davis come to her, then used the close quarters to land several strikes again. Although Davis attempted to be more aggressive than in previous periods, the stanza continued to play out as the rest of the match had with Carlino capitalizing as Davis opened herself up during the attempted attacks. Carlino left no doubt, taking the match by unanimous decision.Sara “Mighty Mouse” Braynard def. Darby Tuttle Tuttle, a senior in Lyons Hall, came out with a ferocity, closing the space on Braynard and winding up her dominant hand to throw attempted haymakers. In doing so, she opened herself up to Braynard’s jabs whenever the former dropped her lead hand. Even so, Braynard, a junior from Pasquerilla East Hall, remained on her heels and never established her own offensive sequence.Both competitors were hesitant to throw the first punches of the second round, but both simultaneously engaged. Braynard began to get more aggressive, stepping into her own attacks. At one point, she even managed to land a couple of uppercuts to Tuttle’s jaw as the latter’s strategy continued to expose her.In the final period, “Mighty Mouse” continued to increase her assertiveness, launching a series of attacks as a tight contest wore on. Chants of “Sara B.” echoed from the crowd as Tuttle continued using her power punch method and superior strength while Braynard continued probing for openings to score hits. In the end, the Mouse showed her might as Braynard took the bout by split decision.Kaleigh “Python” Brauns def. Abbe “Call Me” George “Foreman ’Cause I’m Selling Everybody Grills” A junior in Pasquerilla West Hall, Brauns came out the aggressor, attempting to land the first punch as she quickly closed the space on George, a senior and fellow resident of Pasquerilla West. But George immediately repelled the attack and put Brauns on her heels. George continued using quick footwork, trying to find an opening, but found herself in near-constant retreat as Brauns pursued her around the ring. In the second stanza, George landed the first blow and put Brauns on the retreat, but the latter made a nice move and spun to put George against the ropes. Even so, George responded rapidly and pushed Brauns across the ring all the way to the opposite ropes, then continued to chase her. The referee paused the fight right before the round ended to fix Brauns’s headgear and the period ended. Brauns showed aggressiveness again in the third period, but George used her brawn to force Brauns on her heels yet again. Both opponents showed signs of fatigue, but Brauns was resigned to retreating as the toll of George’s punches took effect. However, while Brauns was worn down, she managed to keep her arms up enough during the fight to negate many of George’s attacks, while landing hits as George exposed herself. In the end, Brauns prevailed, pulling out the win by split decision.Molly O’Connor def. Deirdre “Diesel” Lagore Lagore, a sophomore from Lewis Hall, won her share of the attacks in the first period, as O’Connor, a junior in Cavanaugh Hall, was forced to circle the center of the ring and evade her opponent. However, O’Connor managed to string together punches as Lagore’s aggressiveness quickly winded and exposed her. O’Connor was the aggressor in the second period, throwing punches and controlling the offense with intermittent responses from Lagore. Lagore couldn’t match O’Connor’s speed as the latter continued using her footwork to her advantage.In the final period, the two opponents simultaneously attacked each other, but Lagore found another gear and used her brute strength to push O’Connor back. Lagore continued fighting with everything she had left in the tank, not allowing O’Connor to build momentum as she had in the previous periods. Lagore desperately tried to keep her arms up as the final seconds wore down and O’Connor landed a few more shots. Ultimately, Lagore couldn’t make up the difference and fell to O’Connor by split decision.Bridget “Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Ray” Callaghan def. Lora Sonnick Callaghan, a senior from Pasquerilla West Hall, came out the aggressor in the match. Whereas the previous bouts in Ring A featured an agility-oriented fighter vs. a power-puncher, both competitors had a good mix of quick footwork and strong hits. Neither competitor was able to establish supremacy in the first round.In the second period, Callaghan, a senior from Cavanaugh Hall, again initiated the conflict, but Sonnick would respond. A strong Cavanaugh contingent in the crowd roared as Sonnick managed to briefly put Callaghan on the defensive, but still neither could establish a clear advantage as they both landed hits in close quarters.As the final stanza unfolded, it played out in similar fashion to the first two. Callaghan once again was the instigator and managed to build up a relatively long attack, but Sonnick responded yet again. Just as Callaghan seemed to have Sonnick on her heels, the latter would throw punches back and force her opponent back. Sonnick managed to have one more brief attack before the final bell rung. In the end, Callaghan came out with the unanimous win by wearing Sonnick down enough to find openings.Laura “Rad Dad” Hernandez def. Ana “Valkyrie” Miravete At the first bell, Hernandez — a junior from Cavanaugh Hall — came on the attack with high pressure and quick punches, but Miravete — a sophomore from McGlinn Hall — had short strong bursts in between. Still, Hernandez was quick on her feet to come back on the attack. With Miravete backed in a corner, Hernandez turned it on which only spurred Miravete to do the same and have a strong end to the first bout. Miravete came out low and strong in the second bout, knocking Hernandez on her heels and in the corner for a decent bit of the round. Although Hernandez had more power in her fewer punches, Miravete controlled the round with speed and pressure. Both boxers came out timid in the third round until Hernandez jumped into action with a long set of quick, strong punches, knocking Miravete off her balance. Miravete answered swiftly, a set of quick jabs coming in to hit Hernandez, a momentum she attempted to carry until the end despite Hernandez throwing strong hits every so often in between. In the end, it was Hernandez’s strength that lead her to a unanimous decision win in the bout. Rachel “Wine and Dine” Glein def. Zoe “Basket” Case Case, sophomore from Welsh Family Hall, started this match on the attack, with heavy pressure in her multiple jabs leading Glein, a senior from Howard Hall, to duck and back pedal quickly. When she could get a breath, Glein answered with a strong set of punches equally as threatening. As they both caught their bearings again, Case emerged as the aggressor again, which Glein responded to as best she could until the end of the round. At the start of the second, neither came out with any sort of any advantage, both landing great hits until Glein turned it on, and went a long stretch gaining control of the round to the point that Case turned away causing the ref to stop the round. Case was almost counted out. The results of the second round left this round heavily uneven. Glein came out with all the power she had and left Case backpedalling a large amount of the time. Case mustered a few good punches but nothing compared to how she looked in the first round, leading to a unanimous decision in favor of Glein’s moving on to the semifinals. Liz “Lights Out” Kerner def. Elizabeth “The Tank” Pryor Much like her nickname would suggest, Pryor — a senior from Welsh Family Hall — came out with a lot of power, only to be met by a strong and fast combination from her opponent, a sophomore from Pasquerilla West Hall. With both waiting for the other to strike, they each got in a few strong jabs back and forth leaving the first round unclear as to who had an advantage. This time, Kerner came out on the attack with a set from Pryor soon to follow. This was only challenged by Kerner’s combination again who then led the last bit of the round with a solid collection of punches. Kerner again started the round as the aggressor, keeping Pryor on her heels as best she could; the occasional powerful hit from Pryor came through but Kerner kept up control through the round, with the help of her roaring crowd of fans from Pasquerilla West and elsewhere. Kerner’s speed and solid combination led her to a unanimous decision win that will put her through to the semi finals. Allison “Willou-Beast” Blanchard def. Catherine “Brawler” Lawlor These two juniors from Mod Quad faced off from the opening bell. Blanchard, a resident of Pasquerilla East Hall, came out immediately on the attack. Her punches hit quickly and swiftly. While Lawlor, a resident of Pasquerilla West Hall, stood her ground, she could not land too many hits and Blanchard just kept coming. Every swing Lawlor had, Blanchard answered, appearing to have a clear advantage over Lawlor. Unclear as to who was on top at the start of the second round, Blanchard again found her momentum and gained control with help from her fans. Blanchard landed even more hits, forcing the ref stop the match and fix Lawlor’s helmet multiple times. At the beginning of the last round, Lawlor came out with more power than she had the whole match and knocked Blanchard on her heels. Blanchard answered quickly and made the last round quite an even fight, with her fan’s cheers filling the whole room with sound as she did. That sound that only got louder upon the announcement of Blanchard’s unanimous decision win. Dani “Mighty Muffin” Harold def. Alexis “Happy Feet” Moskala Harold, a sophomore from Flaherty Hall, came out strong, laying out a full set of hits before Moskala, a sophomore from Pangborn Hall, answered. Harold quickly regained control and had Moskala backed against the ring for most of the first round. Moskala attempted to get the first jab this round but Harold quickly knocked her off the attack again and forced her to back pedal. Moskala again regained her stance but Harold again found away to hold most of the match with Moskala on the ropes. Again to start the third round, Harold was the clear aggressor, leading Moskala backwards around the ring. She landed one punch that knocked Moskala off her balance and to find herself against the ropes yet again where Harold was able to land a few more and take the advantage. Much to the delight of her supporting fans from Flaherty, Harold won with a unanimous decision.Maggie “Luxembux” Farrell def. Meagan “The Manager” Downes This Walsh vs. Walsh matchup featured Farrell, a sophomore and Downes, a graduate student. Downes got off to a quick start attacking the body of Farrell. Farrell stumbled back after a fluster of shots to the body but was able to respond well landing jabs to Downes head. Farrell started the second round with another big shot to the head of Downes, but Downes was fast to respond to this landing a combination of jabs and hooks of her own. The second round went down as a pretty even fight with both fighters landing plenty of punches. Downes opened the third round wildly swinging wide and going for the head of Farrell, as Farrell responded with shots of her own to Downes head, Downes went low and ended the match as she began, attacking the body of Farrell. Downes attack wasn’t quite enough though as Farrell ended up winning the match by unanimous decision. Julia “Jeezbag” Dodig def. Erin “Houdini II” AlbertiniThe interhall matchups continued as Ryan Hall junior Dodig and fellow Ryan Hall resident senior Albertini faced off in this intense match. Albertini appeared to open the first round on the defense after Dodig landed a plethora of punches to her head. Albertini did manage to respond to these shots but the fight remained heated. Albertini still seemed to remain on the defense in the second but each time her hands went down Dodig would sneak in and land punches. Albertini’s footwork progressively got more shaky as the round went on as a huge shot to the head forced the referee to temporarily stop the fight to check on her. He would do this once more early on in the third round as Dodgi’s merciless attack on her hallmate continued. Dodig was named winner by unanimous decision. Shannon Steines def. Katie “The Wolverine” ZollerSteines, a sophomore representing Howard Hall, was wide eyed as the match began and she would remain so throughout the fight as she opened the first round with a flurry of hooks to the head of Zoller, a senior living off campus. Zoeller had no choice but to cover up her head while Steines grew so confident she eventually threw three right hooks in a row. Steines’ attack continued but Zoller managed to land a few punches here and there, however Steines attack proved to be too much for her to endure as early in the second round Zoller was forced to wrap Steines up temporarily stopping the fight. Zoller appeared to catch a second wind in the third and final round but it was too little too late, as Steines was declared winner by unanimous decision. Stephanie “Stinger” Stenger def. Georgia MuddStenger, a junior from Farley hall started out on the attack early in the first round appearing far more energetic than Mudd. Looking like far more than an amateur, Stenger landed heavy shot to Mudd’s head and body, a junior representing Welsh Family Hall. Stenger landed her shots perfectly and retreated and covered up at the ideal moments, the ref called a stop early in the first round to check on Mudd and would do so once more in the second round as Stenger’s flurry of heavy head and body shots continued. Mudd was able to respond with a solid combination late in the second round but it was already decided at this point, Stenger was declared winner after the referee stopped the fight before the bell to conclude the round would sound. Mags “Little Bull” Roccato def. Kelly Ward Both fighters were going after the others’ heads in the first round. Ward, a sophomore representing Pangborn Hall, and Roccato, a sophomore representing Walsh Hall, both lacked defense in the first. Ward went low in the second and attacked the body of Roccato. After Roccato noticed this she would attack the head of Ward when she went under. Ward took note and attacked the head of Roccato. It may have taken too long for Ward to notice as a cut opened up. Roccato opened up the third round strong attacking the gash on Ward’s nose. Ward found herself against the ropes throughout the third as Roccato’s attack continued. Roccato was declared winner by split decision.Carly “The Wall” Hall def. Ruth Knobloch Hall, a junior representing Pasquerilla East, opened up the first round landing heavy punches to the head of Knobloch, a sophomore representing Walsh Hall. Knobloch was able to sneak through Hall’s attack a few times but ultimately Hall appeared dominant in the first round. Knobloch started on the attack in the second round, landing shot to Halls’ head. Knobloch managed to knock Hall over in the second after a massive shot to her head. The referee paused the bout to check on Hall, but she had landed plenty of shot of her own on Knobloch in the second, the fall being one of her only faults. Both fighters came out swinging in the third and final round, perhaps feeling the pressure of the big moment, Knobloch was able to knock Hall down once more in the third but she resiliently got back up and attacked the head of Knobloch, landing plenty of headshots. Despite being knocked down twice in the match Hall was declared winner by unanimous decision.Shannon “Shillelagh” Stenger def. Nicole BarbaWhat these two fighters lacked in size they made up for in power. Stenger, a senior living off campus, and Barba, a graduate student representing Farley Hall, both came into the fight swinging fast and often. Stenger was able to land a good combination to finish off the round before the bell sounded. Stenger flourished in the second round, guarding at the right times and attacking when Barba looked unprepared. Despite Barba sneaking through her attack on a few occasions Stenger appeared more dominant in the second as well. The third round started with both fighters in their guarded stance but it would be Stenger who would break the ice, sending her opponents’ eyes and head away from the ensuing attacks. Stenger was declared winner by split decision. Maggie Gallagher def. Bridget “Rob ‘Em” RobertsRoberts began the fighting throwing strong combinations at the head of Gallagher and landing a majority of them. Gallagher, a freshman representing Howard Hall, attacked the senior, Roberts, representing Lewis Hall, perhaps to a fault. Gallagher would retreat and would force Roberts to get closer and closer to her opponent, giving Gallagher a prime opportunity to attack. When Roberts went on attack she wasn’t able to dodge the counter of Gallagher and this same style of fighting would boil over into the second round. As Roberts attacked, Gallagher countered at the perfect times. Gallagher took some damage to her head early in the third round but as the round went on she was able to maintain composed and ready for the attacks of Roberts. Gallagher was declared winner by unanimous decision. Killian “Big Red” Mountford def. Bri “Skinny Legend” Niemoeller Two juniors would face off in this matchup: Niemoeller representing Lewis Hall and Mountford representing Walsh Hall. Both fighters came out of the gate swinging, but Mountford appeared to land more shots early in the round. However as the round progressed Niemoeller was able to play defense and find her groove, landing several jabs to the head and sides of Mountford. All-in-all at the end of the first both fighters looked to be toe-to-toe on the scorecard. The second round got everyone in the crowd on their feet. Mountford landed a big shot to begin and Niemoeller’s foot work got sloppy. Niemoeller was able to respond with a huge series of right hooks to Mountford’s head. Niemoeller and Mountford still appeared to be toe-to-toe on the scorecard. Sensing this, both fighters gave it their all the third round, leaving everything they had in the ring. The fight went until the final bell much to the delight of the crowd, and Mountford was declared winner by split decision. Megan “Mamba” Voigt def. Maddie “No Pain No” HeynVoigt, a sophomore representing Howard Hall, threw the first punch of the match and proceeded to unleash an absolute flurry of punches on Heyn, a senior from Flaherty, when she noticed she was on her guard. Heyn stood no match against Voigt’s blazing punches, as she would find herself up against the ropes twice in the first round. Heyn’s hair fell below her mask in the second round as Voigt continued aggressively attacking her head and body. The referee called a stop to the fight at one point as both fighters appeared to be pushing off each other. Voigt was up and one of her feet off the stool ready for the third, about ten seconds before Heyn. Voigt, to much amazement, was at no loss of energy in the third round and continued with lethal, speedy combos. Voigt was named winner by unanimous decision after unleashing an absolute pounding on her opponent that should send fear into her opponent in the semi-finals.Sydney “Syd the Kid” Baker def. Alexa “The Flexa” BradleyBradley, a senior representing Pasquerilla East Hall, threw the first punch of the match, but her opponent, Bradley, a junior representing Lewis Hall, was quick to respond. The first round saw both fighters trade plenty of hooks and jabs while only covering up when they deemed completely necessary. Baker turned the tide in the second with a strong counter to Bradley’s opening punch, sending her off of her feet and onto the mat. Bradley was not down and out though. After taking a few more shots from Baker, she responded sending Baker up against the ropes to conclude the second. Both fighters entered the match with undoubtable energy. Neither one of them could win and this round would likely decide it all. While Baker attacked her opponents body, Bradley attacked her head. The third and final round appeared as close as all the rest, the judges all seemed to be in agreement though as Baker was declared winner by unanimous decisionHalle “The Hail Storm” Truett def. Allison “Bdirty” Berding Truett, a senior representing Howard Hall, and Berding, a grad student living off campus, punched gloves to start the fight, but Truett ultimately seemed to land a few more. After trading more punches in the second Berding appeared to be getting the better of her opponent with big right hooks. Berding concluded the round with a big jab to the forehead of Truett. The fighters would touch gloves before they would go for blood in the final round. Truett seemed to be getting the better of her opponent in the most crucial round of the fight and the referee temporarily stopped the fight in the third and final round to check on Berding. When the referee resumed the fight just ten seconds remained, Berding — absolutely drained — did not go on attack until another five had passed. Truett was declared winner by unanimous decision. Caitlyn “The Warden” Ward def. Grace “Distraction in Action” Fick Fick, a sophomore in Lewis attacked the body of Ward, a graduate student living off campus, to begin the fight. Fick attacked Ward’s left side with big right hooks. But Ward seemed unphased on the stool while Fick was breathing heavily. Heading into the second Ward seemed far more prepared for battle. Ward opened landing critical combinations to both the head and body of Fick, but primarily the head. Ward still remained calm and composed on the stool while the referee had to tell Fick several times to depart from her corner. When Fick would attack Ward would move her head back and her hands forward, which resulted in Fick absorbing several heavy shots at the hands of Ward. In the end, Ward was declared winner by unanimous decision.
Isabel “Goose” Gese def. Abby “Jabby” Korn
Both fighters came out aggressively, with each landing a head shot in the opening seconds. Badin junior Isabel Gese quickly backed Farley senior Abby Korn into a corner, but Korn quickly jabbed her way out, before taking a shot to the chin that briefly stunned her at the end of the first round. In round two, junior Isabel Gese found a hole in Korn’s defense and landed multiple face shots before Korn responded with aggressive boxing, granting Gese little room and landing a series of body shots to make the bout a little closer heading into the third round. Featuring extremely active feet, “Goose” evaded one of Korn’s efforts to start round three and pummeled her back into the corner, landing several more body blows. Gese held a strong defensive pose to see out the rest of the round. Thanks to her aggressive approach and bevy of decisive blows, Gese earned a unanimous decision to advance to the semifinals.
Molly “You’re So Tall” Hartlage def. Bridget “The Exhibit” Lumb
The Pasquerilla West intra-dorm battle started fast-paced with junior Bridget Lumb struggling to evade senior Molly Hartlage’s lengthy reach but also landing multiple blows around and below her opponent’s defense. At the end of round one, Hartlage delivered a powerful blow that sent Lumb to the mat. She would rise quickly but the round ended on that note. Lumb approached round two a little more defensively, and a more cautious offensive approach allowed her to find some more room for body blows. However, Hartlage continued to battle and landed several looping hooks to swing momentum to her side heading into the final round. With a clear edge heading into round three, Hartlage approached the final round defensively, allowing Lumb little room to attack. In the waning seconds, Hartlage sealed her victory with a powerful hook that sent Lumb staggering into the ropes. Minutes later, the judges officially announced Hartlage’s victory by unanimous decision.
Kate “Whack” Zawacki def. Abby “Not Too Shabby” Leone
The fight was extremely evenly matched in round one. Both McGlinn senior Kate Zawacki and sophomore Abby Leone darted in for fast combos and backed out again in favor of defense. No decisive blows were landed and the bell signaled to end the round. Both fighters entered the second round with a game plan, as Zawacki went up and over the hands of Leone, who opted for a lower and quicker attack. Zawacki landed a few more shots and her closed stance made for a difficult target for Leone. The round continued evenly, and neither boxer appeared to have a decisive edge when the bell rang. Zawacki and Leone were both relentless in their efforts to find a decisive combo in round three, but no clear advantages were gained. Near the end, Zawacki was able to live up to her nickname and send Leone’s chip snapping back with a strong shot. Zawacki’s consistent efforts earned her a unanimous decision victory to send her through to the semifinals.
Katie “Eye of Harm” Harmeyer def. Mary “Treble Damage” Gunther
The round started in entertaining fashion as both boxers sacrificed defensive for aggressive combinations. Off-campus second year law student Mary Gunther landed a plethora of body blows but often left herself exposed to straight jabs at her chin before the bell signaled to end a back-and-forth first round. Gunther began to creep ahead at the start of round two, keeping her hands up while sending Harmeyer snapping back, but the Walsh Hall sophomore responded well to give herself a chance heading into the third round. Walsh sophomore Katie Harmeyer came out with urgency in the third round, chasing Gunther around the ring and landing several hard shots. Gunther tried to maintain her defense and landed a few counter-attack shots, but Harmeyer largely controlled the third round. Harmeyer’s strong finish swayed the judges, and she won via split decision.
Julie “All I Do Is” Nguyen def. Erin “Rodgers is better than Brady” Fennessy
The smaller fighter by a significant margin, Pasquerilla West senior Julie Nguyen came out strong, utilizing active feet and strong combinations to crack Walsh sophomore Erin Fennessy’s defenses multiple times.The match took a defensive turn, and Nguyen appeared to have the advantage at the first bell. Both fighters took a more defensive approach to the second round, but Nguyen once again cracked several hooks. However, Fennessy found a hole for the first time and sent Nguyen staggering against the ropes with a stiff jab. With strong defense and a series of body blows, Fennessy seized control of the round and rode her momentum to the bell. With the bout up for grabs, both fighters searched for a decisive blow to sway the judges. Fennessy landed a shot to Nguyen’s chin to get the first such punch, but Nguyen stayed active and relentless, landing several hard shots to Fennessy’s face before the bell ended one of the most competitive rounds of the day. The result of the match felt up in the air until a split decision result in favor of Nguyen was announced.
(Editor’s Note: Fennessy is a photographer for The Observer).
Cam “Cant Touch This” Dowd def. Anne Marie “Go Ham” Hamon
The first round feature small flurries of action, with no decisive edge being gained, but much of much of the first 75 seconds was spent with both boxers in defensive poses, sizing each other up. After a break to reconsider their approach, both fighters came out wildly aggressive in the second round, with Pasquerilla East senior Anne Marie Hamon usually initiating the action with quick combos. Badin sophomore Cam Dowd seemed content to stay away and counter-attack when Harmon came close. Just prior to the bell, Hamon landed a looping hook to the side of Dowd’s head. Dowd came out with a stunning aggressive attack and overwhelmed Hamon’s defenses, sending her crashing to the mat. Hamon appeared injured on the fall, and the referee halted the contest, granting Dowd the victory.
Jen “Kinetic Jenergy” Lies def. Emily “All Smiles” Wilborn
Lewis senior Jen Lies landed the first big shot of the round with a hook shot , which she followed with a straight jab between sophomore Emily Wilborn’s fists. Wilborn stayed aggressive, but Lies kept her hands up and landed several more straight jabs to take control of the bout before the first bell. Wilborn found more success in round two; she still gave up a few shots between her gloves, but she delivered a series of combinations that at one point appeared to daze Lies. Lies settled back into defensive boxing to minimize damage, but Wilborn pushed her against the ropes and didn’t let her out, earning a clear advantage in round two. With the result very much in doubt, both boxers came out aggressive, but it was Wilborn who found success pushing Lies around the ring and finding space between her opponent’s gloves. In the waning seconds before the bell, Lies would land several shots on Wilborn’s chin that sent the Howard Hall fighter staggering against the ropes. The judges appeared swayed by the quality of the blows Lies landed both in the first round and in the final thirty seconds, deciding it was enough to grant her a unanimous victory.
Welsh Family senior Delany Bolton came out strong with a bewildering series of combinations but Lewis junior Jenna Whelan held strong, blocking most of the blows and unleashing a few counter-attacks of her own to stay relatively even in round one. Leading with her left, Whelan immediately pushed Bolton back with a left jab and right hook to start the second round. The left jab was a powerful weapon all round as Bolton seemed unable to generate much offense before the bell, but she did not give up any decisive blows either. Whelan came out extremely aggressive but got caught off-balance in her approach and quick body blow from Bolton sent her to the floor. She rose quickly, but Bolton used the breather to generate momentum and push Whelan around the ring. The end of the round came slowly as neither competitor attempted to expose their defenses in the final seconds. Bolton’s consistent defense and the occasional powerful shots she landed was enough to earn a unanimous victory.
Marisa “One Punch” Perino def. Sam “I’ll Beat You For” Sherman
Both fighters preferred to lead with a jab, and follow with a hook. Their similar styles led to a relatively even first round, as both Pasquerilla West senior Marisa Perino and graduate student Sam Sherman parried blows with ease. Perino was able to land one solid shot around Sherman’s gloves but her advantage, if any, was minimal. Sherman was able to land some looping hook shots out of the gate, but Sherman utilized a series of hard short punches to the body to largely control the bout when the bell rang for the second time. Perino seemed to feel the urgency in the third round, continuing to approach the off-campus fighter with hard right hooks. Adding a short left jab added some variety to her repertoire and Sherman stayed defensive for the majority of the third round, unable to generate any consistent momentum. A rollercoaster from start to finish, the final match in Ring B was awarded to Perino by split decision.
Mia “Mayhem” Lecinski def. Mallory “Mad Jab” Spiess
The opening fight of the quarterfinal round of Baraka Bouts inside Ring B featured a matchup between two fierce competitors in Lyons Hall sophomore Lecinski and Ryan Hall senior Spiess. In the first round, both girls came out swinging, with Lecinski managing to land her jab efficiently from the start. Malloy was able to use her height and length to create some separation between the two, but struggled to get her left hand up to defend herself from Lecinski’s blows. At the start of round two, Lecinski began attacking the body of Malloy, and was able to deliver some heavy blows to the senior’s head. Malloy stayed persistent in her attacks, and was able to land several combination 1-2 punches to both the head and body of Lecinski. By the third round, despite both girls noticeably battling fatigue, they continued to trade blows and work as hard as they could. When the final bell rang, it was clear that Lecinski had been in control for most of the contest. The sophomore pulled out the victory via unanimous decision.
Theresa “T-Pain” Rogers def. “Grizzly” Blair Wigney
Flaherty junior Rogers faced off against off-campus graduate student Wigney in the second match of the night. From the beginning, it was clear that the two were equally matched. The two fighters exchanged left and right hooks, with Wigney patiently timing her blows and Rogers attacking the grad-student’s body relentlessly. By the time the second round came around, both girls seemed to be tiring out by the end after both came out firing. The two traded jabs and haymakers to the body and head, and in the third round Rogers took control. The junior was relentless in her offensive attack on Wigney and was successful in marching her back toward the ropes several times thanks to a barrage of strong punches. This contest was tightly contested, and Rogers ultimately came out with the victory on split decision.
Nora Tucker (Welsh Fam) def. Abby “Fry you Like” Rice (Pasquerilla West)
Welsh Family Hall sophomore Nora Tucker and Pasquerilla West senior Abby Rice squared off in third fight of the night. Tucker came out of the gates hot, forcing Rice against the ropes two different times. Both fighters were able to connect on several strong punches, but neither backed away for a moment. Tucker was targeting Rice’s head whereas Rice was going after Tucker’s abdominal area. At the start of the second round, Tucker threw some vicious punches to the head of Rice and almost got her in the corner. Rice struggled to connect on her punches at Tucker, who was doing an exceptional job of keeping her hands up to cover. In the final round, Tucker further asserted her dominance by switching target areas and attacking Rice’s weak points. While Rice landed good punches to Tucker’s head, she was also taking a lot of heat herself. In the end, with the crowd going wild, Tucker won by unanimous decision.
Gwen “Mary Lou” McCain def. Avery “Hurricane” Garrity
When the first bell rang, Avery Garrity, a Pangborn sophomore, assumed the offensive early and went on the attack. Garrity landed several punches and was doing a good job of covering herself up before McCain knocked her down right in front of the judges thanks to significant blows to the head. The pair traded blows to the head in the second round, before McCain really took it to the next level. The second round was cut short after Garrity seemed a little shaken up, and in the third round McCain didn’t let up, punching Garrity almost until her headgear fell off. Garrity hung in for the whole contest, but was outplayed by the senior. McCain came out victorious via unanimous decision.
Both fighters opened the fight on the attack. Huffman, a senior in Lewis, was able to unload on her fellow Lewis hall member. The referee stopped the fight twice in the first round to check on McNally, a freshman. Huffman continued to land hits while McNally was forced onto the defensive. At the end of round two, both fighters were visibly tiring. Huffman was awarded the victory by unanimous decision.
Sophia “Lights Out” Sheehy def. Mia Farlekas
The fight opened aggressively, with both fighters landing hard punches in the first round, which was very competitive. Sheehy landed multiple hits to the head in the second round, but appeared to be off balance and Farlekas, a junior in Pasquerilla East, took advantage, landing multiple shots to the body, and tiring out the junior from Cavanaugh. In the third round, Farlekas had Sheehy on the ropes, but both fighters were tiring. It was a very evenly matched fight, but Sheehy was named winner by unanimous decision.
