CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- -- Marine Corps Boxing Team hopefuls here gathered at Goettege Memorial Field House last night as the team began its preliminary tryouts.
Fighters came from as far away as Japan to the local Carolinas to participate in the 16-card event that carried on late into the evening.
The three-day slugfest scheduled to conclude Thursday features the Corps' best fighters competing against one another for a spot on this year's roster.
Hopes are high for newcomers who anticipate making a team that already features six nationally ranked fighters, and ambitions of winning this year's All-Armed Forces Tournament Championship. The team is again coached by Master Sgt. Robert J. Michaels.
In recent years, Marine boxers have fallen short in defeating their nemesis Army at the AAFTC. Army has won the past three years. The Marines have placed second.
Another aspiration many fighters have is a possible selection for the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. A committee will select members this spring.
Those who make this year's team will go on to participate in several other high profile events to include the local Golden Gloves, the U.S. National Boxing Championships and the National Police Athletic League Tournament.
Preliminary bouts will conclude tonight. Last night's results are as follows:
Pfc. Eric Canales, 141, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif., defeated Lance Cpl. James Dinella, 141, of 2nd Marine Division here.
Corporal James Brown, 141, from Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, bested Marine Corps Air Station New River's Cpl. Corey Allen, 141.
Cpl. Roy Aviles, 141, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif., defeated Lance Cpl. Leon Jackson, 141, from 2nd Force Service support Group here.
Cpl. Ariel Ovalles, 152, with 2nd Marine Division here, defeated fellow 2nd Marines Division's Lance Cpl. Robert Roberson, 152.
Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii's Pvt. Amaury Torres, 152, knocked out 2nd Marine Division's Pfc. John Sandlin, 152.
Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune's Lance Cpl. Christopher Govan, 152, knocked out fellow Lejeune Marine Pfc. Randy Lowe, 152.
Nationally ranked Cpl. Roderick Prevost, 165, from Camp Pendleton's 1st Marine Division, knocked out 2nd Marine Division's Lance Cpl. Michael Montemayor, 165.
Cpl. Arturo DelaMora, 165, from Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz., outpointed 1st Marine Division's Lance Cpl. Ismael Delgado, 165.
Lejeune's Lance Cpl. Javier Fuentes, 178, outpointed Cpl. Luis Alvarez, 178, from Marine Barracks Washington.
2nd Force Service Support Group's Cpl. Anthony Doughty, 178, bested Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Va.'s, Cpl. Eric Thompson, 178.
Cpl. Ward Wright, Cherry Point Air Station, defeated 2nd Marine Division's Lance Cpl. Nathan Headd.
Sgt. Brian Clooky, 178, with II Marine Expeditionary Force here, defeated 2nd Marine Division's Lance Cpl. Peter Rhodes, 178.
Lance Cpl. Jimmy Owensby, 201, from Marine Corps Base, Okinawa, Japan, defeated Lejeune-Marine Lance Cpl. Gary Little, 201.
Corporal Joseph Laster, 201, from 2nd Marine Division, defeated 2nd FSSG's John Miranda, 201.
Corporal Brian McGinnis, 201, with 2nd Marine Division, out pointed II MEF's Lance Cpl. Fernando Ibarra, 201
Nationally ranked Cpl. Charles Davis, 201, from 2nd Marine Division, out pointed Marine Corps Reserve's New Orleans, La.'s Staff Sgt. Lee Crisp.