SALT LAKE CITY — Carlos Monroe and his Florida teammates arrived in Salt Lake City around midnight, exhausted and ready for bed after more than 10 hours of traveling.
Instead of immediately going to bed to get some rest before their 6 a.m. wake-up call, however, their coach sent them on a run.
“They were upset,” said Florida coach Jason Galarza with a smile. “They wanted to relax. But we needed to try and get used to the altitude. ... Just walking up the steps here is hard.”
That paid huge dividends as the Florida team went 3-1 in its first four bouts of the 2013 national Golden Gloves tournament at the Salt Palace. The fights continue all week, culminating with the championships Saturday night at 7 p.m.
“It really helped,” he said. “It’ll help the guys who fight (Tuesday) even more.”
Monroe fought Utah’s Danny Galloway on Monday night in the most competitive weight class — 165 pounds. Monroe’s quick hands helped him defeat Galloway.
“I got to sleep about 2 a.m.,” said Monroe, who was still battling cottonmouth because of the altitude adjustment. “We had to run because we’re at seal level. ... I think I got two hours of sleep.” His eyes were bloodshot and he said his run, while just a couple of miles, was very difficult.
“My heart started beating and I had really bad cottonmouth,” he said. “Luckily, I box 165 but I walk around at 160, so I can drink as much as I want.”
He got into boxing at age 10 after participating in karate and football.
“I just couldn’t see myself doing anything else,” he said of boxing. “Everyone said I was kind of quick, so I stuck with it.”
Like many of the Golden Glove athletes competing this week, he hopes to make boxing his career eventually.
“Chasing the dream is once in a lifetime,” said the 18-year-old, who moved from Atlanta to Florida about five months ago. “I’m not going to lose my wits or my smarts.”
Utahn Andrew Scott lost his heavyweight bout (201 pounds) to Eddy Guillen of Kansas City, Mo. Scott, 33, trains boxers and said retirement is next for him.
“I was exhausted,” he said. “It was a great learning experience to do this. I think it shows how much more in shape you need to be to compete here. I thought I was, but I proved I wasn’t.”
The Rocky Mountain Region’s third boxer, Wyoming fighter Abram Martinez, lost his 141-pound bout to Alemeo Carter of Kansas City, Mo.
Five other members of the Rocky Mountain Region and four Utahns will compete in Tuesday’s first-round bouts, which begin at 6 p.m. at the Salt Palace.
The complete results for Monday night's first round:
In 123-pound division: Francisco Martinez, Texas def. Gregorio Aguilar, Iowa; Sharone Carter, St. Louis def. D’andres Hockerson, Buffalo; Daniel Long, Cincinnati def. Austin Deubelbeiss, Indiana; Alex Barrientos, Toledo def. Marco Briceno, Wisconsin; Dominic Lessueur, New England def. Elijah Pierce, Kansas-Oklahoma; Jaime Estrada, New York Metro def. Joshua McShane, Hawaii; Gary Antonio Russell, Washington DC def. Quincy Means, Mid-South; Misael Reyes, Kansas City def. Mitchell Foley, Knoxville;Jarrell Barbour, Nevada def. Herkin Delarosa, New Jersey; Ja’rico O’Quinn, Detroit def. Sergio Garcia, Upper Midwest; Alex Roman, Florida def. Eric Miller, Cleaveland; Eduardo Vasquez, Colorado/New Mexico def. Uriel Valdovinos, Omaha.
141-pound division: William Madera, Buffalo def. Tim Ramos, England; Sonny Fredrickson, Toledo def. Burim Bequiri, Michigan; Alfonso Olvera, Nevada def. Patrick Harris, Washington DC; Kenneth Thomas Jr, Indian def. Wesley Ferrer, New York Metro; Kevin Cruz, Iowa def. Deontae Jordon, St. Louis; Eddie Ramirez, Chicago def. Thomas Mattice, Cleveland; Dylan Henry, Omaha def. Austin Duley, Mid-South; Julian Rodriguez, New Jersey def. Miguel Canino, Wisconsin; Nicholas Torrance, Knoxville def. Evander Lamourt, Florida; Alemeo Carter, Kansas City def. Abram Martinz, Rocky Mountain; George Rincon, Texas def. Robert O’Quinn, Detroit.
165-pound division: Michael Guerrero, Kansas City def. Moses Taylor, Detroit;Martin Schuh, Iowa def. Jake Harper, Tri-State; Ian Green, New Jersey def. Louis Holloway, St. Louis; Carlos Monroe, Florida def. Daniel Galloway, Rocky Mountain; Kameron Jones, Texas def. Curtis Hill, Indiana; Troy Moody, Knoxville def. Victor Toney, Cleveland; Quillisto Madera, California def. Jerome Featherstone, Washington DC; Caleb Plant, Mid-South def. Oliver Rivera, Omaha; Jeff Camp, Cincinnati def. Marquise Staples, Washington; Jamey Swanson, Nevada def. David Rivera Jr, Buffalo.
201-pound division: Earl Newman, New York Metro def. Christopher Crockett, Cincinnati; Tristan James, Iowa def. Hakim Lopez, Knoxville; Darnell Price II, Washington DC def. Antonio Salazar, Upper Midwest;Kyrone Davis, Pennsylvania def. Gerald Schifone, New England; Deandre Ware, Toledo def. Anthony Rose, Upper Midwest; Eddy Guillen, Kansas City def. Andrew Scott, Rocky Mountain; Elmer Rivera, Nevada def. Ryan Webb, Tri-State; Ezra Scott, Buffalo def. Ibn Richardson, New Jersey; Joshua Templ, St. Louis def. Angel Dominguez, Toledo; Varden Khachatryan, California def. John Asi, Hawaii; Jamel Burnside, Florida def. Travon Sargent, Kansas/Oklahoma; Donald Cobb Jr, Colorado/New Mexico def. Nick Mazurek, Chicago.
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