Going into this weekend's regional championships at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the Penn State boxing team has a sense of urgency about them.

Coach Ed Davis has taken on a more serious approach, now prowling the side of the ring and barking instructions at his fighters.

Gone are the practices with a jovial air about them, as the entire team seems to have intensified its approach, even though it's sending only three boxers to fight.

Boxers Mory Diane (175 pounds), Joe McDonald (185 pounds) and Ian McGroarty (147 pounds) will be fighting this weekend.

Both Diane and McDonald are in their senior years, while McGroarty is a junior.

The top two or three fighters from every weight class advance to nationals in Reno, Nev.

McDonald and McGroarty will be fighting on Friday and Saturday, while Diane will fight on Sunday because there are more fighters in his class.

Diane qualified for nationals at last year at regionals but could not make the trip because of a paperwork problem.

Davis will not be able to make the trip this weekend, so club assistant Jack Rohrabaugh will replace him in the team's corner, and he will be joined by team member Steve Bumbaco. Bumbaco has too much amateur experience to fight, but he has the boxing know-how to help the fighters in the ring.

The change to a heightened intensity is palpable across the board, from how the fighters will have to train to how they will have to be prepared physically.

"Regionals are more intense, because they are so much more strict about everything," club president Chris Picerni said. "For everyone's weight, they will have to be exactly where they are supposed to be, not an ounce over. For the other tournaments, it was give or take three pounds, but now it's serious."

Diane was one of the fighters on the team who had to work a little harder to shed some pounds for the upcoming weekend's fights.

"I am feeling a little iffy coming into this weekend, because I am cutting weight and that alone is a lot of work," Diane said.

Diane, however, still has a well-structured game plan going into the weekend.

"I am going to try to move a lot, and clench him if I get into a bad spot. I'll use my weakness against my opponent, because that's kind of my weakness. But other than that, I just have to be serious and go hard the entire fight," Diane said.

McDonald is undefeated this season, having won all three of his bouts. Diane is 1-2 going against the top competition this year, as his win was against the defending national champion in his weight class. McGroarty is 2-1.

Although Davis will not be able to make the trip with the team this weekend, he did have some parting words of wisdom for Diane.

"If you take your more violent persona into the right, you are going to nationals," he told Diane. "Violently take away that young man's opportunity. In the ring, there is one opportunity. If you don't take it from him, he will take it from you."