Wai'anae's Guillermo loses boxing opener
Advertiser News Services
Samson Guillermo's first match in the boxing competition of the Pan American Games ended in a quarterfinal loss to Canada's Andrew Kooner at San Domingo, Dominican Republic, yesterday.
Kooner outpointed Guillermo, of Wai'anae, 37-13, in a three-round bout. Guillermo was the U.S. representative in the bantamweight (119 pounds) division.
"Samson was a little dehydrated today," U.S. head coach Anthony Bradley told usaboxing.org. "He was sick going into the bout and it showed in his performance. He gave us 100 percent of what he had, we could have pulled out of the bout, but we came out as proud Americans and gave it everything we had."
It was the first major international competition for Guillermo, who won the Everlast U.S. Championship and U.S. Challenge earlier this year.
Guillermo, a student at Northern Michigan, already has earned a spot in next year's U.S. Olympic team trials.
In another bout involving a U.S. boxer, Juan McPherson, of Cleveland, stopped Jinner Guerrero of Ecuador in the third round of a 152-pound bout.
The United States maintained a huge lead in the medals race with 149. Cuba is second with 107. The Americans have 63 golds, 42 silvers and 44 bronzes. Cuba has 52-28-27.
JUDO
• Wahiawa's Takata fifth: Wahiawa's Taylor Takata finished fifth in the 60 kilogram (132 pound) division in judo.
Venezuela's Reive Alveranga defeated Takata by an Ippon (10-point) throw 25 seconds into a third-place medal match Saturday.
Takata is a 2000 Iolani School graduate and ranked No. 1 in the United States in the 60kg division.
The defeat damages Takata's hopes of earning a spot in next year's Olympic Games.
The Pan American Games are the second-to-last qualifying event in the Pan American Judo Union, and are given double the weight of the other four qualifying events.
WATER POLO
• Brooks helps U.S. men: Both U.S. water polo teams took gold and qualified for the Olympics.
The men beat Brazil, 13-7, as Tony Azevedo scored two goals, giving him a tournament-high 33.
"Every game, he gave us the goals we needed," team captain Wolf Wigo said.
Goalkeeper Brandon Brooks (Punahou '99) started for the United States and made five saves before being replaced by Genai Kerr in the final quarter.
The U.S. women beat Canada, 7-3, and celebrated by dunking coach Guy Baker in the pool and spreading an American flag above the water.
Goalie Jackie Frank made several superb saves as she held Canada scoreless for more than 12 minutes of the 28-minute game. She allowed just one goal in the second half.
"It feels awesome," she said. "It has always been my dream to go to the Olympics."
TRACK
• Too much caffeine: Surinam's only medalist, 800-meter champion Letitia Vriesde, was stripped of her gold yesterday after testing positive for excessive caffeine.
Vriesde, 38, the defending champion who also ran at the 2000 Olympics, was her country's first Pan Ams champion when she won at Winnipeg in 1999. She's also won silver and bronze medals at the world championships.
It was the first failed doping test at the games.
Pan American Sports Organization President Mario Vasquez Rana said the amount of caffeine in her system was equivalent to "five gallons of coffee," and that Vriesde admitted her guilt.
Adriana Munoz of Cuba will now get the gold in the 800.
BASEBALL
• U.S. reaches final: The American baseball team outlasted Mexico 3-2 in 14 innings and will play Cuba in the final. The Cubans beat Nicaragua, 2-1.
Seth Smith of Mississippi scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 14th inning on a sacrifice fly by Rice's Paul Janish. Huston Street, a closer at Texas, gave the American collegians 8á innings of scoreless relief. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 29.
"It was what we did, I was just one guy out there," Street said. "It was simple: We were out to fight as hard as we could for the team. We played for each other and our country."
The Associated Press, hhsaa.org and usaboxing.org contributed to this report.
