CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- It was the moment they'd all been waiting for. More than 20 All-Marine Boxing hopefuls gathered inside the Geottege Memorial Field House here awaiting their fate Nov. 22. Only 10 would join an already established team that includes six nationally ranked fighters.
Selected was: Staff Sgt. Lee Crisp; Sgt. Brain Clookey; Cpls. James Brown, Ward Wright and Carly Batey; Lance Cpls. Leon Jackson, Christopher Govan, Franki Bentencourt and Nathan Headd; and Pfc. Eric Canales.
Before the official announcement, local Marine Corps Community Services Sports Director Sid Meyerson encouraged the All-Marine hopefuls to keep fighting hard. Boxing Head Coach Master Sgt. Robert J. Michaels joined Meyerson and told the ones not selected to not loose their "hunger" and keep pressing for next year.
"If you're not selected, it's not because you aren't any good. Don't get discouraged, but come to the gym," Michaels reiterated several times.
Sergeant Maj. Michael Cline told the hopefuls that being on the team requires more than just boxing. He reminded them to remember they are Marines first.
"Our number-one goal for this year is to win the All Armed Forces Tournament Championship and beat Army," said the Headquarters and Support Battalion sergeant major, Marine Corps Base.
Cline said this referring to the Army team beating the Marines in the three previous tournaments.
The new members to the All-Marine Team are joining 1st Lt. Adam Rickenbach; Sgts. Roberto Castillo, Alison Fasano, Joseph Devalle, Gina Rosenberg, Johnnie Edwards, Thomas Jensen, Jennifer Driggers, Anthony Little and Rueben Woodruff; Cpls. Ariel Ovalles, Mike Martinez, Roderick Prevost, Jacob Garretson, Arturo DelaMora, Charles Davis and Kimico Pugh; and Lance Cpl. Roy Avile.
The selection concluded three nights of preliminary bouts that began here Nov. 19 and ended Thursday night in a final fight that brought the crowd alive.
The 152-pound card featured team veteran Sgt. Anthony Little, from Akron, Ohio, against now team member Lance Cpl. Christopher Govan, from Kentucky, in a four-round slugfest. The fight had the crowd on its feet until the final bell.
Although courageous, Govan lost to the nationally ranked Little by decision.
The females also laced up their gloves on the final night as "Women's All-Armed Forces Champion" Sgt. Alison Fasano, from New Haven, Conn., won in a first-round knockout. Plymouth, England, native Cpl. Carly Batey also outpointed Chicago's Sgt. Angelina Summerfield.
Now that the team is selected, its next competition will be Dec. 7 at Fort Bragg, N.C.