Air Force Academy

Feb. 7, 2007

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. - An exciting month of Academy boxing action kicks off tomorrow (Feb. 8), as Air Force opens competition for the 2007 Wing Open Tournament. Five preliminary bouts will be contested in the Cadet Gym's Upper Boxing Room on Thursday (Feb. 8), beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Throughout the next four weeks, the original group of 57 hopefuls will be narrowed down to 24 finalists throughout the preliminary rounds.  The champions of the Wing Open will form the core of the team that will represent the Academy in national competition. The weight divisions begin at 112 pounds and continue through 125, 132, 139, 147, 156, 165, 175, 185, 195 and heavyweight.

This year's field promises to be one of the finest cards ever assembled. Air Force returns eight Wing Open champions and nine runners-up. In addition, three defending national champions will step into the ring, along with three other NCBA All-Americans.

The first round of competition opens on Thursday (Feb. 8), with five preliminary bouts in two weight classes. Junior Daryn Nelson will take on freshman Frederich Diederich at 156 pounds to see which one will advance to the quarterfinal round, while freshman Matt Bottorff will take on classmate John Doeseckle in the night's other 156 pound contest for the right to advance to the next round.

The final three fights all feature boxers from the 165-pound weight class. Freshmen Joel Holley and Quinton Croff will compete in the first match for advancement, while sophomore Hyongdong Kim and junior Aubrey Aldridge will toe the line in the next bout. The night's final contest at 165 pounds will feature a pair of freshmen in Robert Steigerwald and Ian Lee.

The five winners will advance to the 13-bout quarterfinal round, which is slated for Thursday, Feb. 15. Action begins at 4:30 p.m., in the Upper Boxing Room of the Cadet Gym.

ABOUT THE WING OPEN

The tournament is an extension of the boxing class and intramural program that is offered to the Cadet Wing in the fall. Although boxers have the opportunity to compete at Friday Night Fights and various National Collegiate Boxing Association events throughout the year, every contender is always eyeing the beginning of February when the Wing Open tournament begins.

"This is always an exciting time of year," head coach Eddie Weichers says of the tournament. "All of the boxers bring such a strong will to win. That is what makes these matches so intense. Every single one of them knows that they are just one bout away from the Wing Open Championship round. Clune Arena is where they all want to be."

The first three rounds of the Wing Open Tournament are held in the Upper Boxing Room of the Cadet Gymnasium. The intensity builds throughout each round and soon, only one thing is certain ... the capacity of the boxing room is not enough to contain the thrill of collegiate boxing.

Since its inception, the finals of the Wing Open has become one of the most anticipated events on the Academy's calendar, as the atmosphere of Clune Arena is nearly as entertaining as the projected bouts.  Cadets usher the spectators to their seats, while the Cadet Drum and Bugle Corps entertain the crowd.

In the 49-year history of the Wing Open, 10 cadets have made their mark by winning their division title for four consecutive years -- Jim Ingram (1964), Gary Vasek (1968), "Buzz" Dyre (1969), Charlie Stallworth (1973), Alex Cline (1980), Ricky Graham (1982), Bryan Dunn (1993), Mike Benza (2000), Joel Rivera (2001) and Darren Smith (2005).

In addition to the entertainment aspects of the Wing Open, the Falcons have dubbed the event "Fighting for a Cause". Since 1984, the Air Force boxing team and the Wing Open have donated more than $210,000 to worthwhile causes and families in need throughout the Colorado Springs area.

And although the championship is a culmination of a year of hard work and dedication for the winning boxers, it is also the start of a second season of competition. The 12 Wing Open victors, or "The Dirty Dozen", form the nucleus of the Academy team that will compete at the regional and national meets.

To date, Air Force has won 18 of the last 27 national team championships, and boasts a history of 96 national champions and 258 All-Americans.