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Posted at 10:13 a.m., Sunday, August 26, 2007

Boxing: 11 qualify for United States Olympic team

By CHRIS DUNCAN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON — Gary Russell Jr. dominated Roberto Marroquin, and Raynell Williams outlasted Hylon Williams today in the final two matches of the U.S. Olympic boxing trials.

Russell beat Marroquin 18-14 to win the 119-pound (bantamweight) spot on the Olympic team, while Raynell Williams won 24-22 to take the 125-pound (featherweight) berth.

The 19-year-old Russell, of Capitol Heights, Md., pounded Marroquin with a flurry of punches in the opening seconds of the match and never lost control. In the third round, Russell sent Marroquin into the ropes with a hard right, then landed two quick lefts to take a 16-9 lead into the final round.

In the second fight, Raynell Williams built a 10-point lead in the first two rounds, then hung on as Hylon Williams rallied back.

Raynell Williams, an 18-year-old from Cleveland, slipped to his knees early in the third round and took a hard right after he got up. He took a 21-15 lead into the final round. Hylon Williams connected with two hard rights in the fourth round, but it wasn't enough.

Both sets of fighters were meeting for the third time this week.

On Saturday night, Russell beat Marroquin 25-13 to avenge a first-round loss on Monday that dropped Russell into the consolation bracket. Raynell Williams edged Hylon Williams 17-16 on Wednesday, but lost the rematch 20-16 to force Sunday's rubber match.

The fighters in the other nine Olympic weight classes made the team with victories on Saturday night — Luis Yanez (106 pounds), Rau'shee Warren (112), Sadam Ali (132), Javier Molina (141), Demetrius Andrade (152), Shawn Estrada (165), Christopher Downs (178), Deontay Wilder (201) and Michael Hunter (201-plus).

(Downs is an Army staff sergeant formerly stationed at Schofield Barracks, who began his boxing career in Hawai'i.)

The next step is the World Championships in Chicago on Oct. 23-Nov. 3. The top eight finishers in the light flyweight (106) to light heavyweight (178) divisions and the top four from the heavyweight and super heavyweight classes will qualify for Beijing.

Two continential qualifiers will be held in early 2008 at sites to be determined.