Women begin 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials journey on the second night of boxing in Lafayette

Lupe Gutierrez vs. Jasmine Hampton

One of the most anticipated weight classes in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Boxing, the 54 kg, had a bout all boxing fans were waiting for. Two boxers with impressive accolades in their career go head-to-head in the first round, as Jasmine Hampton (Ann Arbor, Mich.), the 2023 USA Boxing Elite National Qualifier champion, defeated Lupe Gutierrez (Fountain, Colo.), 2020 Olympic Trials winner.

Hampton took the first round 4-1 and the second round 5-0 after she landed multiple hooks on the 2015 Junior World Champion. Knowing the first fight was the hardest, Hampton wanted to leave everything she had in the ring.

"Got the ring rust off, and the first fight is usually the hardest, so I am looking forward to Thursday," Hampton stated after her victory. "Just to go hard and to fight every fight like it is my last one. I have been here before, and I try to soak it in and take it day by day. I focus on what is in front of me." 

Gutierrez came out firing in the third round and didn't give up until the final bell as she took the final round, 3-2. However, it wasn't enough, as Hampton won via a unanimous vote. 

Hampton will now move on to the quarterfinals and go up against the highly talented Jewry Rodriguez (Humble, Texas), whom she met at last year's National Championships quarterfinals. Rodriguez, the two-seed in the bracket and the 2021 Junior Pan American Games Champion, took that decision unanimously. 

Chantel Navarro (Glendale, Calif.) dominated over Lia Lewandowski (Berlin, N.J), as Navarro gave her opponent two 8-counts in the first round. Navarro's combination punches were too much for Lewandowski, as she took round one 5-0, which included one judge scoring it 10-8. 

"This is my first fight out here, leaving my mark on this weight class. I'm not here to play around, and I'm here to win it all," stated Navarro after her bout.

Navarro didn't let up as she landed left jabs early in the second round, opening her right hook. The referee called a third 8-count in the second round and then quickly called the bout off at the 2:37-minute mark. 

Navarro will face the top seed Yoseline Perez (Houston, Texas), the 2022 Youth World Champion and Santiago 2023 Pan American Games team member. The two met in the 2021 Youth National Championships finals, where Perez took the unanimous decision victory. Still, the rematch is shaping up to be exciting, as Navarro showed off her power tonight and will be tested against Perez's international experience. 

 This evening, the other 54 kg bout was Sa'rai Brown-El (Marietta, Ga.) against Summer Griffiths (Myrtle Beach, S.C.). Brown-El, the bronze medalist at the 2022 Youth World Championship, dominated in all fashions of the bout. Brown-El, who was making her elite debut, won unanimously, including one 10-8 score in the first and third rounds. 

"I went in there to make a statement; all my hard work will shortly turn into success," Brown-El stated after her elite debut. "I am coming in as the youngest in my weight class and ready to win." 

The victory moves Brown-El to a quarterfinal matchup between the bracket's fourth-seed, Shera Mae Patricio (Waianae, Hawaii). The young boxer will have a tough matchup against Patricio, the reigning USA Boxing Elite National Champion, who brings her international experience to the ring

Lisa Greer (Colorado Springs, Colo.) defeated Jessica Lampron (Boston, Mass.). Greer, the 2023 USA Boxing Women's Championships Champion, won all five judges' cards, from start to finish throughout the bout to advance to a quarterfinal bout against Karla Hall (Henderson, Nev.). 

Casey Dial (Clarksville, Tenn.) grabbed her unanimous decision victory after taking all three rounds, 5-0, over Alexandra Plichta (Austin, Texas). Dial will face Jessica Capurso (Sayville, N.Y.) during Thursday's quarterfinals.  

Talia Halvorsen (Harwood Heights, Ill.), the youngest female boxer in these trials, landed multiple combinations on Kamyra Ndango (Houston, Texas) to begin her tournament run with a unanimous decision victory.

"I came out here with every intention to win," Halvorsen stated after her impressive victory. "So, I need to keep doing my thing, keep learning, and keep listening to my coaches, and hopefully, I come out with that gold."

Halvorsen will face Jilian Petroglia (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), the two-seed in the bracket on Thursday. 

Competition will continue tomorrow, as the men's quarterfinal bouts will begin at 6:00 p.m. The 2023 USA Boxing National Championships will continue at the CAJUNDOME with two sessions, 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. CT. 

The noon session will see our first champions crowned in the female bantam and intermediate divisions. 

Boxing at the National Championships and the Olympic Trials tournament information, including bout sheets, results, and live stream information, can be found here.