Saturday, January 27
USAFA
12:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy

vs

USAFA West Invitational

Photo by: Rick Thompson
Air Force Dominates Field at USAFA West Invitational
1/27/2024 8:17:00 PM | Boxing
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force boxing team had a stellar afternoon in the ring at the Cadet Gym Boxing Room, as they dominated the competition at the first-ever USAFA West Invitational on Saturday, Jan. 27. Collecting 10 wins in the first session and nine in the second against six of their regional counterparts, the Falcons combined to finish the day with a 19-5 mark. 10-2, 9-3
Sophomore Carson Watkins kicked off the event by making quick work of Santa Clara's Ethan Chung in a referee-stopped victory (second round) in the 123-pound bout. Watkins was one of three Falcons in the first session to win before the final bell, as sophomores Chinonye Mbanugo and Nick Post also captured early victories. Mbanugo forced the first standing eight just seconds into her 142-pound contest with Santa Clara's Emma Rose Alva and caused the referee to end the bout before the first bell, while Post came out strong in his 176-pound bout with Gavin Wowak of UC Davis and forced the referee to stop the contest in the second round.
Freshman Noah Gilley earned a unanimous decision in his 156-pound bout with Santa Clara's Ryan Sintchak, while classmates Ellison Tayor (177 pounds, vs Nevada's Aaron Rawland) and Julianna Morris (132-pounds, vs Santa Clara's Bianca Martinez), sophomore Jake Edwards (156 pounds, vs Santa Clara's Dylan Goron) and senior Nasir Rashid (185 pounds, vs Nevada's Leif Norden) also swept the judges' votes in their respective bouts.
Two others won by split decision in the early session, as freshman Michael Scappaticci overcame two standing eights in the first round to win the decision in his 153-pound bout against Nevada, while classmate Naomi Brabham earned the nod in her 115-pound bout with Aisha Santosh of UC Davis.
FIRST SESSION RESULTS
123-lbs.: Carson Watkins (Air Force) RSC-2 Ethan Chung (Santa Clara)
153-lbs.: Michael Scappaticci (Air Force) dec. TBA (Nevada)
156-lbs.: Noah Gilley (Air Force) dec. Ryan Sintchak (Santa Clara)
165-lbs.: Misael Renteria (UC Davis) dec. Keillan Laurenceau (Air Force)
177-lbs.: Ellison Taylor (Air Force) dec. Aaron Rawland (Nevada)
132-lbs. (w): Julianna Morris (Air Force) dec. Bianca Martinez (Santa Clara)
115-lbs. (w): Naomi Brabham (Air Force) dec. Aisha Santosh (UC Davis)
142-lbs. (w): Chinonye Mbanugo (Air Force) RSC-1 Emma Rose Alva (Santa Clara)
176-lbs.: Nick Post (Air Force) RSC-2 Gavin Wowak (UC Davis)
156-lbs.: Jake Edwards (Air Force) dec. Dylan Goron (Santa Clara)
185-lbs.: Nasir Rashid (Air Force) dec. Leif Norden (Nevada)
144-lbs.: Jacob Lesny (Santa Clara) dec. Dylan West (Air Force)
Following a short break, Air Force returned to the ring for another session of competition – this time facing teams from Cal, Washington and Utah. Three more Falcons forced the referees to call their victories before the final bell, while sophomore Charlotte McPhee earned a walkover win at 115 pounds. Junior Cass Rosa earned her 132-pound victory in less than two minutes, as she defeated California's Jennifer Fang in the opening round, while classmate Luke Kohout earned a 156-pound win over Washington's Omar Vergara in the second round and freshman Jonathon Watson – a late 170-pound add to the card – downed California's Ethan Ryder in the third round.
Junior Andrew Lu earned the Falcons' first victory of the second session, as he nabbed the split decision win over Washington's Bruno Zhang at 125 pounds. Air Force earned closed out the night with four more victories by decision. Freshman Josh White earned the unanimous vote in his 156-pound bout with Cal's Aiden Hernandez, while senior Andrew Ison (170 pounds, vs Washington's Oswaldo Perez), classmate Joe Wilson (190 pounds, vs Robert Zhao) and sophomore KJ Johnson (139 pounds, vs California's Aaron Tirado) also won by decision.
SECOND SESSION RESULTS
147-lbs.: Riad Ghandour (California) dec. Geoffrey Kim (Air Force)
125-lbs.: Andrew Lu (Air Force) dec. Bruno Zhang (Washington)
115-lbs. (w): Charlotte McPhee-Gillum (Air Force) walkover
147-lbs.: Josh Strong (Utah) dec. Curtis Jett (Air Force)
156-lbs.: Josh White (Air Force) dec. Aiden Hernandez (California)
170-lbs.: Andrew Ison (Air Force) dec. Oswaldo Perez (Washington)
135-lbs.: Aljandro Rojas (California) dec. Dominic Feliz (Air Force)
132-lbs. (w): Cass Rosa (Air Force) RSC-1 Jennifer Fang (California)
156-lbs.: Luke Kohout (Air Force) RSC-2 Omar Vergara (Washington)
170-lbs.: Jonathon Watson (Air Force) RSC-3 Ethan Ryder (California)
190-lbs.: Joe Wilson (Air Force) dec. Robert Zhao (Washington)
139-lbs.: KJ Johnson (Air Force) dec. Aaron Tirado (California)
Five other Falcons – senior Keillan Laurenceau (165 pounds), senior Dylan West (144 pounds), sophomore Dominic Feliz (135 pounds), freshman Curtis Jett (147 pounds) and freshman Geoffrey Kim (147 pounds) also took part in today's historic event at the Cadet Gym, but fell in their respective bouts.
The Falcons returns to action next weekend (Feb. 2-3), when they head to Seattle for the WAC Main Event.
Sophomore Carson Watkins kicked off the event by making quick work of Santa Clara's Ethan Chung in a referee-stopped victory (second round) in the 123-pound bout. Watkins was one of three Falcons in the first session to win before the final bell, as sophomores Chinonye Mbanugo and Nick Post also captured early victories. Mbanugo forced the first standing eight just seconds into her 142-pound contest with Santa Clara's Emma Rose Alva and caused the referee to end the bout before the first bell, while Post came out strong in his 176-pound bout with Gavin Wowak of UC Davis and forced the referee to stop the contest in the second round.
Freshman Noah Gilley earned a unanimous decision in his 156-pound bout with Santa Clara's Ryan Sintchak, while classmates Ellison Tayor (177 pounds, vs Nevada's Aaron Rawland) and Julianna Morris (132-pounds, vs Santa Clara's Bianca Martinez), sophomore Jake Edwards (156 pounds, vs Santa Clara's Dylan Goron) and senior Nasir Rashid (185 pounds, vs Nevada's Leif Norden) also swept the judges' votes in their respective bouts.
Two others won by split decision in the early session, as freshman Michael Scappaticci overcame two standing eights in the first round to win the decision in his 153-pound bout against Nevada, while classmate Naomi Brabham earned the nod in her 115-pound bout with Aisha Santosh of UC Davis.
FIRST SESSION RESULTS
123-lbs.: Carson Watkins (Air Force) RSC-2 Ethan Chung (Santa Clara)
153-lbs.: Michael Scappaticci (Air Force) dec. TBA (Nevada)
156-lbs.: Noah Gilley (Air Force) dec. Ryan Sintchak (Santa Clara)
165-lbs.: Misael Renteria (UC Davis) dec. Keillan Laurenceau (Air Force)
177-lbs.: Ellison Taylor (Air Force) dec. Aaron Rawland (Nevada)
132-lbs. (w): Julianna Morris (Air Force) dec. Bianca Martinez (Santa Clara)
115-lbs. (w): Naomi Brabham (Air Force) dec. Aisha Santosh (UC Davis)
142-lbs. (w): Chinonye Mbanugo (Air Force) RSC-1 Emma Rose Alva (Santa Clara)
176-lbs.: Nick Post (Air Force) RSC-2 Gavin Wowak (UC Davis)
156-lbs.: Jake Edwards (Air Force) dec. Dylan Goron (Santa Clara)
185-lbs.: Nasir Rashid (Air Force) dec. Leif Norden (Nevada)
144-lbs.: Jacob Lesny (Santa Clara) dec. Dylan West (Air Force)
Following a short break, Air Force returned to the ring for another session of competition – this time facing teams from Cal, Washington and Utah. Three more Falcons forced the referees to call their victories before the final bell, while sophomore Charlotte McPhee earned a walkover win at 115 pounds. Junior Cass Rosa earned her 132-pound victory in less than two minutes, as she defeated California's Jennifer Fang in the opening round, while classmate Luke Kohout earned a 156-pound win over Washington's Omar Vergara in the second round and freshman Jonathon Watson – a late 170-pound add to the card – downed California's Ethan Ryder in the third round.
Junior Andrew Lu earned the Falcons' first victory of the second session, as he nabbed the split decision win over Washington's Bruno Zhang at 125 pounds. Air Force earned closed out the night with four more victories by decision. Freshman Josh White earned the unanimous vote in his 156-pound bout with Cal's Aiden Hernandez, while senior Andrew Ison (170 pounds, vs Washington's Oswaldo Perez), classmate Joe Wilson (190 pounds, vs Robert Zhao) and sophomore KJ Johnson (139 pounds, vs California's Aaron Tirado) also won by decision.
SECOND SESSION RESULTS
147-lbs.: Riad Ghandour (California) dec. Geoffrey Kim (Air Force)
125-lbs.: Andrew Lu (Air Force) dec. Bruno Zhang (Washington)
115-lbs. (w): Charlotte McPhee-Gillum (Air Force) walkover
147-lbs.: Josh Strong (Utah) dec. Curtis Jett (Air Force)
156-lbs.: Josh White (Air Force) dec. Aiden Hernandez (California)
170-lbs.: Andrew Ison (Air Force) dec. Oswaldo Perez (Washington)
135-lbs.: Aljandro Rojas (California) dec. Dominic Feliz (Air Force)
132-lbs. (w): Cass Rosa (Air Force) RSC-1 Jennifer Fang (California)
156-lbs.: Luke Kohout (Air Force) RSC-2 Omar Vergara (Washington)
170-lbs.: Jonathon Watson (Air Force) RSC-3 Ethan Ryder (California)
190-lbs.: Joe Wilson (Air Force) dec. Robert Zhao (Washington)
139-lbs.: KJ Johnson (Air Force) dec. Aaron Tirado (California)
Five other Falcons – senior Keillan Laurenceau (165 pounds), senior Dylan West (144 pounds), sophomore Dominic Feliz (135 pounds), freshman Curtis Jett (147 pounds) and freshman Geoffrey Kim (147 pounds) also took part in today's historic event at the Cadet Gym, but fell in their respective bouts.
The Falcons returns to action next weekend (Feb. 2-3), when they head to Seattle for the WAC Main Event.
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