Friday, February 28
USAFA
6:00 pm MT
Air Force Academy
vs
Wing Open Championships
Photo by: Justin Pacheco
Air Force Boxing Heads to Clune Arena for Wing Open Championships
2/27/2025 10:13:00 AM | Boxing
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. – The Air Force boxing team heads under the lights of Clune Arena tomorrow night (Feb. 28) for a very special edition of Friday Night Fights, as 20 Falcons step into the ring for the final 10 bouts of the 68th-annual Wing Open Tournament.
The 10-bout show, which will be broadcast live on the Mountain West Network, is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. (MT) – although fans are encouraged to arrive early (approximately 5:40 p.m.) for a pre-show ceremony recognizing the team's seniors and the first class of inductees into the Air Force Boxing Ring of Honor. Tickets for the Wing Open can be purchased online at AFTickets.com.
The 2025 card features a pair of reigning Wing Open champions in sophomore Julianna Morris and senior Peyton Glenn, as well as three prior champions – the senior trio of Luke Kohout, Billie Botes, and Cass Rose – who are on the hunt to regain their spot on the Wing Open Champions' wall.
Morris will look to retain her 125-pound title in a championship fight with last year's 132-pound finalist junior Elise Bell, while Glenn will aim to defend her 139-pound title in this year's final with sophomore Katie Beavis. Kohout, who missed last season's tournament with injury, has captured back-to-back NCBA national titles since his Wing Open win in 2023, and will look to regain the 147-pound championship in this year's fight with newcomer Jaydan Douglas. On the women's side, Botes – a former champion (2023) and finalist (2024) at 139 pounds, will face freshman Sela Panuve in the first 156-pound final for both boxers, while Rosa. who captured the 125-pound title as a freshman and was a finalist in that division last year, has moved down to the 119-pound weight class where she will face sophomore Samantha Villa.
Four other former finalists are also returning to Clune Arena in 2025 – including both contenders in the 132-pound championship fight, as last year's runner-up junior Dominic Feliz will toe the line with sophomore Sebastyan Correa Rios, who took second in the 139-pound final last spring. Junior Duong Tran, a two-time finalist in the 125-pound bracket, will face freshman Juneau Kim in his third trip to the Wing Open finals, while sophomore Ellison Taylor – the 175-pound runner-up as a freshman – has dropped down a weight class and will face freshman Djibril Curley in the 165-pound final this year.
The final four contenders of the 2025 Wing Open are first-time finalists. Sophomore Kenichiro Leong and freshman Russell Klug will face off in the 139-pound final, while sophomore Connor Herford and junior Thomas Kensinger will close out the night in a heavyweight battle.
Nine boxers have already secured their Wing Open titles for 2025, either as an unopposed contender or after winning their championship bout earlier in the tournament. Sophomore Naomi Brabham picked up her second title in the women's 112-pound weight division following a victory on Feb. 22, while freshman Maya Lee (women's 147 pounds) and sophomore Noah Gilley (men's 156 pounds) claimed their first Wing Open titles during championship wins that night. Junior Chinonye Mbanugo – the reigning NCBA national champion at 132 pounds – picked up her third Wing Open title in that weight class after going unopposed this season, while senior Andrew Lu regained his 119-pound title and junior Neo Takazawa added the title of "175-pound champion" to his bio after winning the 156-pound title last fall. Three others – freshman Nebi Tsarni (women's 165 pounds), sophomore Justin Bonilla (men's 185 pounds) and junior Christian Hughes (men's 195 pounds) – claimed their first Wing Open titles after going uncontested.
The champions of the Wing Open will form the Air Force squad that will represent the Academy at the National Collegiate Boxing Association events – which begin with the NCBA Western Regionals next weekend (March 6-8) at the Academy (tickets available here).
ORDER OF BOUTS | RED CORNER LISTED FIRST
[w] 119-lbs.: Samantha Villa (CS-27) -vs- Cass Rosa (CS-08)
[m] 125-lbs.: Duong Tran (CS-35) -vs- Juneau Kim (CS-30)
[w] 125-lbs.: Elise Bell (CS-16) -vs- Julianna Morris (CS-10)
[m] 132-lbs.: Dominic Feliz (CS-02) -vs- Sebastyan Correa Rios (CS-37)
[w] 139-lbs.: Katie Beavis (CS-30) -vs- Peyton Glenn (CS-06)
[m] 139-lbs.: Russell Klug (CS-31) -vs- Kenichiro Leong (CS-01)
[m] 147-lbs.: Jaydan Douglas (CS-12) -vs- Luke Kohout (CS-05)
[w] 156-lbs.: Billie Botes (CS-14) -vs- Sela Panuve (CS-18)
[m] 165-lbs.: Djibril Curley (CS-30) -vs- Ellison Taylor (CS-34)
[m] HWT: Connor Herford (CS-04) -vs- Thomas Kensinger (CS-17)
RING OF HONOR: Air Force Boxing will induct the first class into its newly-created Ring of Honor prior to the start of the Wing Open Championships. Longtime coach Eddie Weichers, as well as former boxing standouts Arturo Alvarado, Mike Benza, and Ricky Graham will be honored as the program's inaugural class of honorees. (click here for full release)
The 10-bout show, which will be broadcast live on the Mountain West Network, is slated to begin at 6:00 p.m. (MT) – although fans are encouraged to arrive early (approximately 5:40 p.m.) for a pre-show ceremony recognizing the team's seniors and the first class of inductees into the Air Force Boxing Ring of Honor. Tickets for the Wing Open can be purchased online at AFTickets.com.
The 2025 card features a pair of reigning Wing Open champions in sophomore Julianna Morris and senior Peyton Glenn, as well as three prior champions – the senior trio of Luke Kohout, Billie Botes, and Cass Rose – who are on the hunt to regain their spot on the Wing Open Champions' wall.
Morris will look to retain her 125-pound title in a championship fight with last year's 132-pound finalist junior Elise Bell, while Glenn will aim to defend her 139-pound title in this year's final with sophomore Katie Beavis. Kohout, who missed last season's tournament with injury, has captured back-to-back NCBA national titles since his Wing Open win in 2023, and will look to regain the 147-pound championship in this year's fight with newcomer Jaydan Douglas. On the women's side, Botes – a former champion (2023) and finalist (2024) at 139 pounds, will face freshman Sela Panuve in the first 156-pound final for both boxers, while Rosa. who captured the 125-pound title as a freshman and was a finalist in that division last year, has moved down to the 119-pound weight class where she will face sophomore Samantha Villa.
Four other former finalists are also returning to Clune Arena in 2025 – including both contenders in the 132-pound championship fight, as last year's runner-up junior Dominic Feliz will toe the line with sophomore Sebastyan Correa Rios, who took second in the 139-pound final last spring. Junior Duong Tran, a two-time finalist in the 125-pound bracket, will face freshman Juneau Kim in his third trip to the Wing Open finals, while sophomore Ellison Taylor – the 175-pound runner-up as a freshman – has dropped down a weight class and will face freshman Djibril Curley in the 165-pound final this year.
The final four contenders of the 2025 Wing Open are first-time finalists. Sophomore Kenichiro Leong and freshman Russell Klug will face off in the 139-pound final, while sophomore Connor Herford and junior Thomas Kensinger will close out the night in a heavyweight battle.
Nine boxers have already secured their Wing Open titles for 2025, either as an unopposed contender or after winning their championship bout earlier in the tournament. Sophomore Naomi Brabham picked up her second title in the women's 112-pound weight division following a victory on Feb. 22, while freshman Maya Lee (women's 147 pounds) and sophomore Noah Gilley (men's 156 pounds) claimed their first Wing Open titles during championship wins that night. Junior Chinonye Mbanugo – the reigning NCBA national champion at 132 pounds – picked up her third Wing Open title in that weight class after going unopposed this season, while senior Andrew Lu regained his 119-pound title and junior Neo Takazawa added the title of "175-pound champion" to his bio after winning the 156-pound title last fall. Three others – freshman Nebi Tsarni (women's 165 pounds), sophomore Justin Bonilla (men's 185 pounds) and junior Christian Hughes (men's 195 pounds) – claimed their first Wing Open titles after going uncontested.
The champions of the Wing Open will form the Air Force squad that will represent the Academy at the National Collegiate Boxing Association events – which begin with the NCBA Western Regionals next weekend (March 6-8) at the Academy (tickets available here).
ORDER OF BOUTS | RED CORNER LISTED FIRST
[w] 119-lbs.: Samantha Villa (CS-27) -vs- Cass Rosa (CS-08)
[m] 125-lbs.: Duong Tran (CS-35) -vs- Juneau Kim (CS-30)
[w] 125-lbs.: Elise Bell (CS-16) -vs- Julianna Morris (CS-10)
[m] 132-lbs.: Dominic Feliz (CS-02) -vs- Sebastyan Correa Rios (CS-37)
[w] 139-lbs.: Katie Beavis (CS-30) -vs- Peyton Glenn (CS-06)
[m] 139-lbs.: Russell Klug (CS-31) -vs- Kenichiro Leong (CS-01)
[m] 147-lbs.: Jaydan Douglas (CS-12) -vs- Luke Kohout (CS-05)
[w] 156-lbs.: Billie Botes (CS-14) -vs- Sela Panuve (CS-18)
[m] 165-lbs.: Djibril Curley (CS-30) -vs- Ellison Taylor (CS-34)
[m] HWT: Connor Herford (CS-04) -vs- Thomas Kensinger (CS-17)
RING OF HONOR: Air Force Boxing will induct the first class into its newly-created Ring of Honor prior to the start of the Wing Open Championships. Longtime coach Eddie Weichers, as well as former boxing standouts Arturo Alvarado, Mike Benza, and Ricky Graham will be honored as the program's inaugural class of honorees. (click here for full release)
Players Mentioned
139 lbs.
/ Boxing
132 lbs.
/ Boxing
195 lbs.
/ Boxing
139 lbs.
/ Boxing
112 lbs.
/ Boxing
147 lbs.
/ Boxing
156 lbs.
/ Boxing
147 lbs.
/ Boxing
132 lbs.
/ Boxing
156 lbs.
/ Boxing
139 lbs.
/ Boxing
HWT
/ Boxing
195 lbs.
/ Boxing
119 lbs.
/ Boxing
132 lbs.
/ Boxing
156 lbs.
/ Boxing
156 lbs.
/ Boxing
139 lbs.
/ Boxing
125 lbs
/ Boxing
132 lbs.
/ Boxing
132 lbs.
/ Boxing
156 lbs.
/ Boxing
125 lbs.
/ Boxing
156 lbs.
/ Boxing
175 lbs.
/ Boxing
139 lbs.
/ Boxing
175 lbs.
/ Boxing
119 lbs.
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