| Jeffery Salas poses for a picture after winning the Junior Olympic Regional Championships two weeks ago in Colorado Springs, Colo. |
Local high school student and boxer, Jeffery Salas, 15, will be heading to Texas for the Junior Olympic National Championships in boxing after competing in and winning the regional championships two weeks ago.
Salas took home the title of region champion after the region competition in Colorado Springs, Colo., just two weeks ago.
Salas, a resident of Price, began participating in a local boxing club run by the Price Elks Lodge last year after moving to Price from Arizona.
The local Elks Lodge has had a boxing club for less than a year, only starting their boxing club in October of 2004. Having a member of the brand new club be eligible for a national competition is unbelievable since it is almost unheard of for a new club to attend a regional championship and especially a national event.
Salas, along with two of his coaches, Mark Montoya and Rick Morales, will travel to the national championship in Texas next weekend to prepare for the competition.
Salas, currently regional champ in his weight class of 119 pounds, will go against 15 and 16 year old kids from around the entire country during the tournament.
“His chances are really good,” said Montoya about winning during the national tournament. “The kid he had to beat [during the regional competition] was pretty much the top fighter.”
With the support of his coaches, family and friends, Salas should have no problem making an impact in Texas at the national championship.
If he takes first or second place during the national championship, which his coaches say he has a good chance of, Salas will be eligible to attend an international tournament.
A dinner and fund raiser is to be held in Salas’ honor to aid in raising money for the trip to Texas for Salas, Montoya and Morales. This event will be at the Price Elks Lodge on Friday, June 17, where food and entertainment will be provided from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.