Lack of aggression torpedoes Boxers at Navy Invite

Confidence and aggression are two essential ingredients for success in any sport.

On Saturday, the Penn State boxing team learned a meaningful lesson on the importance of the two factors at the U.S. Naval Academy Invitational in Annapolis, Md.

Penn State was victorious in only one of its four bouts. The lone winner was freshman Glenn Miller as he claimed a split decision in the 175-pound class.

The boxers said they need to attack quicker and stay off their heels.

"I could've done a lot better," Miller said. "I wasn't really aggressive. As a team, we need to be more aggressive and dictate the fight from the beginning, instead of waiting."

Freshman Doug Bayly, junior James Cammarota and sophomore Jesse Bond all lost split decisions for Penn State. Bayly's bout received a standing ovation from the crowd as he traded back-and-forth punches in a classic clash. The fight left him stumbling and exhausted, but standing.

"Rarely do you get a bout with a standing ovation," Penn State coach Bill Wrable said. "Doug was so tired. They went toe-to-toe and by the end of the match both guys were spent."

Not only was the crowd entertained, but Bayly enjoyed the fight as well. In his third fight, he realized he must get in better shape before contending in regionals.

"The fight was action-packed, it was a crowd-pleaser," Bayly said. "It was the most fun I ever had. I think I fought great, but I was too intent on beating him. I know now that if I want to win, I've got to get in a little better shape and work on my skills."

Bond was defeated by Lock Haven All-American Tony Penecale in a match he said represented a major step both physically and mentally for him. Most importantly, he learned a lot about the need for confidence.

"I could've fought much better," Bond said. "I didn't throw enough punches. I need just a little more fine-tuning. There's a lack of confidence on ourselves. A lot of us come out on the defensive end, which doesn't do us any good. But we all learned something."

Wrable felt the experience Bond gained was significant and taught him to step into the ring with fire and intensity.

"Jesse was tentative and that's where experience comes into play," he said. "He's got to get more aggressive. Had he been more aggressive, he might have won. If he didn't learn anything from this match, he'll never learn anything."

Wrable, in his eighth year as coach, sensed a lack of tenacity and confidence at the six-team tournament, a trend he'd like to see reversed.

"We have to get more confident. In a close match, if you have any self-doubt it's going to affect you. Instead of thinking, 'I'm going to do my best,' we have to think, 'I'm gonna win.' There's a fine line between cockiness and confidence."

Two other boxers, freshman Justin Punshon and junior Dave Smythe, made the journey but did not fight because their Citadel opponents suffered injuries prior to the tournament.

The team competes in its final tournament of the regular season in Kentucky this weekend. It hopes to polish any remaining imperfections before hosting the Northeast Regionals on March 21-22.

"There's still some room to be in better condition -- as always," Wrable said. "In another two weeks we'll be where we're supposed to be."