On Saturday, Lauryn Elmore (female, 65 kg), Joseph Awinongya (male, 80 kg), Kayla Moore (80+ kg), and Nnajai Wright (90+ kg) made their tournament debuts, each securing gold medals. All four boxers showcased strong performances in their respective bouts, with Elmore, Moore, and Wright winning via unanimous decision, while Awinongya achieved a referee stops contest (RSC) in the second round.
Following his match, Awinongya expressed satisfaction with removing some ring rust and gaining valuable experience ahead of the upcoming Brandenburg Cup. He noted, “When it comes to the Brandenburg Cup, I know I will have quickness, those quick-twitch muscles. I saw that all of them performed today. I am glad I will be able to put that in my next fight in Brandenburg.”
Also winning a gold medal was Salim Ellis-Bey (male, 60 kg), who earned a 3-2 split decision victory against Yahir Diaz Martinez. As the captain of the USA Youth High Performance Team, Ellis-Bey demonstrated strong leadership throughout the tournament in Las Vegas.
Completing Team USA’s gold medal tally were two athletes from Hawaii: Lorenzo Patricio (male, 50 kg) and Alexis Tangaro (female, 54 kg), both of whom won decisively with 5-0 unanimous decision victories.
Team USA also secured two silver medals from Landon Patricio (male, 55 kg) and Jose Vasquez (male, 70 kg), both of whom had successful tournaments, with Vasquez recording three victories and Patricio four.
Overall, the Youth High Performance Team, consisting of 10 members, achieved seven gold and two silver medals. The team will now prepare for the Brandenburg Cup, set to take place in Germany from July 29 to August 3, with members arriving for training camp on July 6 at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.