U.S. Women’s Olympic Trials Day 1 Results, Day 2 Brackets

By Ryan Maquiñana

The inaugural U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women completed its first night of competition at the Pend Oreille Pavilion in Airway Heights, Wash.

With only the flyweight, lightweight, and middleweight divisions eligible for London 2012, the 24 combatants put together a spirited effort to commence the double-elimination tournament Monday night.

Streamed live on Universal Sports, a total of 12 bouts and one walkover occurred, with the Winners’ Bracket and Challengers’ Bracket taking shape once the night was complete.

Among those victorious were well-profiled six-time national flyweight champion Marlen Esparza of Houston, Tex., and five-time national champ Queen Underwood of Seattle, who campaigns at lightweight.

Esparza’s archrival, Pan Am Games representative Christina Cruz of New York City, also won her opener, while a pair of Barry Hunter-trained lightweights, Tiara Brown and Asia Stevenson, went a combined 1-1 in their respective bouts.

The middleweight division yielded one upset as former Junior Olympics phenom Claressa Shields of Flint, Mich., who prepared for Trials by sparring local pros like Andre Dirrell, defeated Pan-Am Games representative Franchon Crews of Baltimore, Md., by decision.

Tuesday night’s action can be seen live starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on Universal Sports Live Stream.

MONDAY’S RESULTS

FLYWEIGHT (112 LBS.)
Marlen Esparza (Houston, Tex.) def. Cynthia Moreno (Phoenix, Ariz.), by walkover
Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.) dec. Taversha Norwood (Marietta, Ga.), 24-15
Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) dec. Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, Texas), 15-12
Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.), dec. Latonya King (Harrison Township, Mich.), 34-11

LIGHTWEIGHT (132 LBS.)
Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.), dec. Bertha Aracil (Yonkers, N.Y.), 22-12
Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.), dec. Lisa Porter (Northridge, Calif.), 27-10
N'yteeyah Sherman (Barberton, Ohio) dec. Asia Stevenson (Washington, D.C.), 42-17
Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.), dec. Patricia Manuel, (Long Beach, Calif.), 18-13

MIDDLEWEIGHT (165 LBS.)
Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.), dec. Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.), 31-19
Andrecia Wasson (Centerline, Mich.), dec. Dara Shen (Alexandria, Va.), 34-9
Tiffanie Hearn (San Diego, Calif.), dec. Tiffanie Ward, (Hacienda Heights, Calif.), 18-17
Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, Pa.), dec. Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.), 16-10

TUESDAY’S BOUT SCHEDULE

(Challengers’ Bracket fights are elimination bouts)

FLYWEIGHT (112 LBS.) – WINNERS’ BRACKET
Marlen Esparza (Houston, Tex.) vs. Alex Love (Monroe, Wash.)

Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) vs. Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.)

FLYWEIGHT (112 LBS.) – CHALLENGERS’ BRACKET

Taversha Norwood (Marietta, Ga.) vs. Cynthia Moreno (Phoenix, Ariz.) – Norwood wins by walkover
Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, Texas) vs. Latonya King (Harrison Township, Mich.)

LIGHTWEIGHT (132 LBS.) – WINNERS’ BRACKET
Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) vs. Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.)

N'yteeyah Sherman (Barberton, Ohio) vs. Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.)

LIGHTWEIGHT (132 LBS.) – CHALLENGERS’ BRACKET

Bertha Aracil (Yonkers, N.Y.) vs. Lisa Porter (Northridge, Calif.)
Asia Stevenson (Washington, D.C.) vs. Patricia Manuel, (Long Beach, Calif.)*

MIDDLEWEIGHT (165 LBS.) – WINNERS’ BRACKET
Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) vs. Andrecia Wasson (Centerline, Mich.)

Tiffanie Hearn (San Diego, Calif.) vs. Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

MIDDLEWEIGHT (165 LBS.) – CHALLENGERS’ BRACKET

Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) vs. Dara Shen (Alexandria, Va.)*
Tiffanie Ward (Hacienda Heights, Calif.), vs. Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.)

*BoxingScene.com is waiting for confirmation that Manuel and Shen have reportedly pulled out of their respective bouts and would therefore be eliminated by walkover.

Ryan Maquiñana writes a weekly column for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (CSNBayArea.com). He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine’s Ratings Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com , check out his blog at norcalboxing.net or follow him on Twitter: @RMaq28.