Today, the Penn State boxing club finds out if all the work they have put in since September was worth it.
The NBCA National Collegiate boxing championships begin this afternoon in Reno, Nev. at 2:30 Pacific Time. Semifinals will be held tomorrow night at 7, with the finals Saturday night.
Competing for Penn State is 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. All were regional champs except for Cooper and Rivas, who were runners-up.
In the team tournament, schools will be awarded one point for a first round victory, three points for a semifinal win, and five points for a national championship. Penn State already has one point, on account of Whitbred having a first round bye. Penn State coach Bill Wrable estimates it will take at least 30 points to win a team national title.
The team feels it is poised to make a run at its first team title.
"I think the team's very ready," Whitbred said. "I think we're in shape, it just comes down to doing it now. We're anxious to get going."
The individual fight draws will not be determined until 10 this morning, but Penn State knows which teams pose the biggest threat - Navy, Air Force and UNLV. Navy and UNLV will each fill 10 weight classes with Air Force filling all 12.
Navy and Air Force have combined to win the last 10 national titles. Boxing is part of the required curriculum at both schools creating deep teams, with Air Force having more than 150 fighters competing for the 156-pound weight class. UNLV also has an advantage because of its location at the center of the boxing universe. The team's coach, Skip Kelp, a former pro fighter himself, has been known to bring in professionals to work with the team.
Despite these obstacles, the team feels it can overcome. After a midseason slump, Penn State rebounded to capture six regional titles. Wrable credits the turnabout to the team working together, inspired by Labuda's resurgence.
"Nathan turned everybody around," Wrable said. "Everyone saw him doing what he was supposed to do and followed suit."
One potential worry about fighting in Reno is the pressure of nationals, especially for freshmen Rivas and Whitbred.
"It's all about how you can handle the spotlight," said Labuda. "It can be pretty overwhelming for anyone."
Penn State will look to team president Alex Komlev and senior Doug Bayly, both undefeated, for leadership. For Bayly, this is his last opportunity to capture a national title and he intends to take full advantage.
"You have to take these things one step at a time," Bayly said. "We've taken care of the small steps and now we're ready to take the big ones. . .it's time to lay it on the line."
