Shippensburg gets bell rung by Boxers

Being a collegiate athlete and having to compete against an opponent in that opponent's home gym can be more intimidating than standing in the path of an oncoming train.

Penn State boxer Kurt Decker faced intimidation head on this weekend when he stepped into the ring against Shippensburg's Chris Holterman at Saturday's Shippensburg University Invitational. With a boisterous crowd pulling for Holterman, Decker's work was cut out for him.

But when the bell rang to start the bout, the 147-pound Decker was not thinking about the crowd. He blocked out outside distractions and focused on the task at hand.

"I went in feeling pretty good," Decker said. "Normally, I get too aggressive early, so I tried to back off and watch what he'd do."

Holterman didn't do much. The result was the Shippensburg boxer's not lasting through the second round, as Decker's punches dazed his opponent and caused the referee to stop the bout.

"Kurt stunned him in the first and stopped him in the second," Penn State coach Bill Wrable said. "He's starting to see things a little better. He's a strong fellow."

Decker was one of only three Penn State boxers to fight Saturday, though five bouts had originally been scheduled. Gotce Peev did not make the trip because of illness, and Brad Raybold's slated opponent never showed.

At 139 pounds, Penn State's Mike Brown won a judge's decision against Navy's John Sheppard. Brown now has won three bouts in the last three weekends, a feat he credits to Wrable's stressing of hard work.

"It was a tough fight, but I've still got a long way to go," Brown said. "Our practices are getting more intense, and I don't expect them to get any less intense. Coach has made me really realize the value of hard work. This is the first time I'm really working."

The lone Penn State boxer to lose Saturday was heavyweight Tim Scott, who dropped a judge's decision to Navy's Jarrold Donaldson. Scott was knocked down in the second round but bounced back up to put in a strong third-round effort.

"He definitely showed some heart," Wrable said. "Tim is not in shape, and that's why he got knocked down in the second."

Penn State will host its second home meet of the season Saturday night in White Building. The meet is a final tune-up before the Northeast Regional, coming March 21-22 in White Building.