What better way to celebrate St. Patty's Day than by going out and watching a brawl?
This weekend, the Penn State Boxing Team will host the NCBA Northeast Regional Championships at the White Building. There will be nine fights tonight and 12 tomorrow, both nights starting at 7. The other schools competing will be Lock Haven, Shippensburg, Mansfield, VMI and Army.
The winners and runners up in each weight class will receive automatic invitations to nationals in Reno, Nev., next month. Boxers finishing third will be eligible for one of the at-large bids that are divided up between the three regions.
"It's going to be a very competitive tournament," said Penn State coach Bill Wrable. "We traditionally have one of the toughest regions in the country. The last two years, the 132-pound champ and runner up from our region met for the national title."
Representing Penn State will be 112-pound Jon Whitbred, 132-pound Nick Bair, 139-pound Doug Bayly, 147-pound Nathan Labuda, 156-pound Alex Komlev, 165-pound Miles Rivas, 185-pound Briama Cooper and heavyweight Rick Slater. The fight card will not be announced until 3 this afternoon.
Bayly looks to repeat as regional champ by continuing his undefeated run for the season. Also attempting to retain titles are Labuda and Cooper, although both have changed weight classes since last year. Slater and Komlev will try to return to championship form by regaining the regional titles they won two years ago.
Bair returns to 132-pound weight class after fighting up at 139 and 147 earlier this season. Wrable described his foray into the heavier weight classes as good for Bair, saying it sharpened his skills and taught him to handle larger fighters.
Dangerous opponents that loom on the horizon for Penn State include 147-pound Commanche Garcia and 185-pound Chuck Mustacchio from Lockhaven. Both are defending champs and are having excellent seasons.
The team stayed together over spring break, looking to rebound from a lackluster showing at Navy Feb. 24. The week included a pair of trips to Navy for sparring. Team president Komlev describes the team as on the same page and reaching their collective peak.
"We've worked pretty hard these last few days," Wrable said.
"We'll know Saturday night if it was worth it."
