ZPAL Boxers Win National Championships
COLUMBUS-Zanesville’s Police Athletic League boxing team finished two weeks of national tournaments on the road at the top.
Michael Roark, Travis Jerig and Jake Harper all competed in Nevada at the National Junior Golden Gloves Tournament. All three gave it everything they had and came up just short of winning it all.
The day after returning to Ohio, the three were joined by 12 of their teammates for the Ohio State Fair National Boxing Tournament where they cashed in and won it all.
Michael Roark won the senior division at 165 pounds adding the championship to his growing list of achievements. The tournament marks his last in the junior Olympic division and will move into the open men’s division in time for the 2012 U. S. Olympic Team qualifications beginning this fall.
Travis Jerig made it count winning his championship by defeating Hugo Garcia of Pittsburg in the semi’s and had to box his own teammate- Marques McPeck in the finals. Jerig’s fifth national title came for the first time at 132-pounds in the intermediate division after moving up from 125.
Jake Harper won his first national title bout defeating Tommy Tremains of Lancaster in his finals at 125 pounds in the intermediate division. His achievement comes in only his second year of boxing and promises to be just the beginning for the top athlete.
Akeem Mayle won his second Ohio State Fair title running unopposed at the 106-pound weight in the junior division.
The rest of the team competing included Jacob Luckett, Skyler Gill, Chris Hasten, Andrew Weaver, Jeshua Luckett, Zakery Rolllins, Matt McLendon, Zach Gibson, Dylan Eitnier and Josh Newton. Second place finishes were from Skyler Gill, Jacob Luckett, Marques McPeck, Jeshua Luckett, Zakery Rollins, Andrew Weaver and Matt McLendon.
ZPAL team trainers T. J. Hartmeyer and Les Hasten worked the team throughout the championships. “We have won the state fair tournament every year since 2000,” Hartmeyer said. “We have grown so much that we are starting to dominate entire divisions and are competing against ourselves sometimes.”
Zanesville’s Police Athletic League team won the tournament team award for the Intermediate division championship. The intermediate division is 13 and 14 year olds at all weights.
