(SPOKANE, WASH.) – Just over six months after the Olympic debut of women’s boxing, the elite women’s division claimed the spotlight on the fourth day of competition at the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships in Spokane, Wash. With only three weight divisions being contested in Olympic action in London, several of the United States’ top female athletes were forced to move to different weight divisions following the Olympic Team Trials and many of them enjoyed success in their new weight divisions. While 2012 Olympian Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) competed for a finals berth against a former national team staple, reigning World Champion Tiara Brown (Hyattsville, Md.) and the top light welterweight in the world Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.) faced off on the opposite side of the bracket.

The boxing fans in attendance at the HUB Sports Center waited until the final two bouts in the third ring to watch the biggest names of the session compete for the two berths in the lightweight finale. It was Underwood and former national champion and U.S. Marine Melissa Parker (Spring, Texas) who took the ring first. Parker, a mother of two, who had taken an extended hiatus from the sweet science, kept the bout close as both she and Underwood looked to feel one another out. Underwood began to find her rhythm in the second round, finding openings in Parker’s defense but both enjoyed momentum swings through the middle two rounds. Parker came out aggressive in the final round, looking to take control of the bout, but Underwood wouldn’t be denied and the 2012 Olympian advanced on to the finals with a 3-0 unanimous decision.

Brown and Mayer’s contest was a closely contested showdown between two of the world’s best female boxers, but only one could advance on to the tournament finals to meet Underwood. Mayer looked to use her strong height and reach advantage against the smaller Brown. The two talented ladies traded shots throughout the four rounds, but there could only be one winner after the final bell. It was Brown who was named the victor, taking a close, split decision win. She will battle Underwood in the lightweight championship bout on Saturday, creating a rematch of the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships, which Underwood won by a slim 23-21 margin.

2012 U.S. Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) competed in her first bout of the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships on Thursday, taking the first step toward her seventh gold medal in the event. Esparza left no doubt, completely dominating her opponent with her strong, aggressive styles and clean, powerful punches. Maureecea Lambert (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) knew she was overmatched in her bout with the history-making athlete and she failed to come out of the corner for the third round, granting Esparza the TKO victory. Esparza’s next test will be fellow Olympic Trials participant and Houston-area resident Virginia Fuchs in the flyweight final on Saturday night.

Several top elite males stepped through the ropes for their quarterfinal round bouts with 35 contests taking place at the HUB on Thursday. Two Chicago-based top seeds competed in their first bouts of the tournament on Thursday afternoon and both enjoyed victorious debuts. Olympic Trials flyweight silver medalist Shawn Simpson (Chicago, Ill.) took a unanimous 3-0 decision over Marshall Sanchez (Houston, Texas) in the first bout of the day. His fellow windy city native and 2012 National PAL Lightweight Champion Kenneth Sims, Jr. (Chicago, Ill.) opened action with a unanimous decision victory as well, beating Ramiro Hernandez (Cleveland, Ohio) in the quarterfinal bout.

Two Olympic Trials champions earned quarterfinal wins on Thursday afternoon, beginning with light flyweight titlist Eros Correa (San Jose, Calif.). Correa, who moved up to the flyweight division for the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships, took a 3-0 decision over Ernesto Delgadillo (Dallas, Texas). Super heavyweight Cam F. Awesome (Lenexa, Kansas) debuted his new moniker in winning fashion, claiming a third round TKO over Ryan Watson (Duluth, Minn.) at the 2:20 mark of the last round.

The youth women kicked off tournament competition on Thursday afternoon with a light flyweight showdown between 2012 Junior Olympic National Champions Marisol Lopez (Stratford, Calif.) and Monica Van Pelt (Toledo, Ohio). Lopez pulled out the win on a 2-1 split decision to move on to tomorrow night’s finals where she will battle Monica Suazo (Tucson, Ariz.).

The 2013 USA Boxing National Championships will move locales on Friday to the Pend Oreille Pavilion at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino. All of the youth men’s and women’s finals will take place in evening action tomorrow at 5 p.m. with the men’s elite semifinals opening the day’s competition at 11 a.m. The senior men’s finals and half of the women’s elite finals will be contested at 1 p.m. on Saturday with the men’s elite and other four women’s championship bouts closing the event in the evening session at 6 p.m.

For full results, bout sheets and tournament brackets for the 2013 USA Boxing National Championships, go to www.usaboxing.org.

Thursday’s Results

11 a.m. session
Elite Women's Division

106 lbs: Elisah Halstead, Philadelphia, Pa., dec. Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2-1

106 lbs: Alejandra Mercado, Rockford, Ill., dec. Melissa Kaye, New York, N.Y., 3-0

119 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Amanda Pavone, Burlington, Maine, 3-0

119 lbs: Ayanna Vasquez, Las Cruces, N.M., dec. Carissa Morton, San Francisco, Calif., 3-0

132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Melissa Parker, Spring, Texas, 3-0

132 lbs: Tiara Brown, Hyattsville, Md., dec. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., 2-1

152 lbs: Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., dec. Nisa Rodriguez, Bronx, N.Y., 2-1

152 lbs: Fallon Farrar, Staten Island, N.Y., won on a TB over Amournix Stamps, Milwaukee, Wisc., TB

Youth Men's Division

114 lbs: Antonio Vargas, Kissimmee, Fla., dec. Timothy Jarman, St. Louis, Mo., 3-0

114 lbs: Brent Venegas, III, Elk Grove, Calif., dec. Arnold Alejandro, Grand Prairie, Texas, 3-0

132 lbs: Lamont Roach, Upper Marlboro, Md., dec. Anthony Marsella, Smithfield, R.I., 3-0

132 lbs: Genero Gamez, San Diego, Calif., dec. Thomas Velasquez, Philadelphia, Pa., 3-0

152 lbs: Kareem Martin, Clinton, Md., dec. Adrian Gutierrez, Chula Vista, Calif., 3-0

152 lbs: Timothy Lee, Las Vegas, Nev., dec. Fabian Alvarado, Irving, Texas, 3-0

178 lbs: Michael Barreto, Minneapolis, Minn., dec. David Gaitan, North Highlands, Calif., 3-0

178 lbs: Elvis Figueroa, New Haven, Conn., dec. Kadin LeCoure, Butte, Mont., 3-0

Senior Men's Division

123 lbs: Gary Russell, Capitol Heights, Md., won on TKO over Nchatxu Vang, St. Paul, Minn, TKO-1(1:27)

123 lbs: Sharone Carter, St. Louis, Mo., dec. Jaime Estrada, New Windsor, N.Y., 3-0

141 lbs: Patrick Harris, Hyattsville, Md., dec. Damon Allen, Philadelphia, Pa., 2-1

141 lbs: Robert O'Quinn, Lansing, Mich., dec. Kent Cruz, St.Louis, Mo., 2-0

165 lbs: Marquis Moore, Fort Carson, Colo., dec. Tony Lamarr, Fort Worth, Texas, 3-0

165 lbs: Christopher Galeano, Bronx, N.Y., won on a TKO over Ian Green, Patterson, N.J., TKO-3(0:57)

201 lbs: Hakim Lopez, Lithonia, Ga., dec. Adrian Taylor, Dallas, Texas, 3-0

201 lbs: Alvin Varmall, LaPlace, La., won on a TKO over Marvin Carey, Colorado Springs, Colo., TKO-1(0:23)

Elite Men's Division

114 lbs: Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill., dec. Marshall Sanchez, Houston, Texas, 3-0

114 lbs: Cristian Williams, Chicago, Ill., dec. Chayanne Rivera, Bronx, N.Y., 2-1

114 lbs: Eros Correa, San Jose, Calif., dec. Ernesto Delgadillo, Dallas, Texas, 3-0

114 lbs: Malik Jackson, Washington, D.C., dec. Zoo Vang, St. Paul, Minn., 3-0

132 lbs: Kenneth Sims, Jr., Chicago, Ill., dec. Ramiro Hernandez, Cleveland, Ohio, 3-0

132 lbs: Luis Sedano, Duarte, Calif., dec. Demetrius Johnson, St. Louis, Mo., 2-1

132 lbs: Tracy Alexander, Compton, Calif., dec. Avery Sparrow, Conyers, Ga., 2-1

132 lbs: Cresencio Ramos, San Antonio, Texas, dec. Charles Vasquez Vera, New Port Richey, Fla., 3-0

152 lbs: Thomas Hill, Milwaukee, Wisc., dec. Hakim Bryant, Asbury Park, N.J., 2-1

152 lbs: Tony Losey, Wichita, Kan., dec. Patrick Torres, Keaau, Hawaii, 3-0

152 lbs: Jamontay Clark, Cincinnati, Ohio, dec. Rashidi Ellis, Lynn, Maine, 3-0

152 lbs: Chordelle Booker, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Ve Shawn Owens, St. Louis, Minn, 2-1

178 lbs: John Magda, Rutherford, N.J., dec. Ramond Negron, Miami, Fla., 3-0

178 lbs: Reece Bennett, San Clemenete, Calif., dec. Jasper McCargo, Oakland, Calif., 3-0

178 lbs: Ronald Mixon, Los Angeles, Calif., won on a TKO over Gregory Soileau, Marion, La., TKO-2(2:00)

178 lbs: Geremias Torres, Holyoke, Maine, dec. Xavier Hayden, Minneapolis, Minn., 3-0

201+lbs: Paul Koon, Philadelphia, Pa., won on a TKO over Shane Evans, Houston, Texas, TKO-2(2:52)

201+lbs: Cam F. Awesome, Kansas City, Kan., won on a TKO over Ryan Watson, Duluth, Minn., TKO-3(2:20)

201+lbs: Elvis Garcia, umatilla, Ore., dec. Ojayland Brown, Sacramento, Calif., 3-0

Youth Women's Division

106 lbs: Marisol Lopez, Stratford, Calif., dec. Monica Van Pelt, Toledo, Ohio, 2-1

106 lbs: Monica Suazo, Tucson, Ariz., dec. Yajaira Ramirez, McKinney, Texas, 2-1

5 p.m. session

Elite Women's Division

112 lbs: Virgina Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, dec. Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J., 3-0

112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, won on TKO over Maureeca Lambert, Glen Ellyn, Ill., TKO-2(1:59)

125 lbs: Rianna Rios, Alice, Texas, dec. Karla Herrera, Los Angeles, Calif., 2-1

125 lbs: Jennifer Hamann, Seattle, Wash., dec. Monayah Patterson, Warren, Mich., 3-0

141 lbs: Faith Franco, Duarte, Calif., won on TKO over Griselda Madrigal Santana, East Wenatchee, Wash., TKO-3(0:47)

141 lbs: Bertha Aracil, Yonkers, N.Y., dec. Aleah Dillard, Dallas, Texas, 2-1

165 lbs: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., won on a walkover over Jasmine Acevedo, Beeville, Texas, W/O

165 lbs: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Alicia Napoleon, Lindenhurst, N.Y., 3-0

Youth Men's Division

108 lbs: Nico Hernandez, Wichita, Kan., dec. Joshua Franco, San Antonio, Texas, 3-0

108 lbs: Gilbert Renteria, Houston, Texas, won on TKO over Martin Delgado, Dallas, Texas, TKO-2(1:13)

123 lbs: Francisco Martinez, Dallas, Texas, dec. Matthew Guerrero, Manteca, Calif., 3-0

123 lbs: Jarico O'Quinn, Lansing, Mich., dec. Ramon Cardenas, San Antonio, Texas, 3-0

141 lbs: Alexis Urbina, Phoenix, Ariz., dec. Salvador Perez, Oxnard, Calif., 3-0

141 lbs: Deville Alexander, Houston, Texas, dec. Abel Mendoza, Hobbs, Minn., 3-0

165 lbs: Javier Martinez, Milwaukee, Wis. dec. Furqan Raschke, Sherman Oaks, Calif., 3-0

165 lbs: Alex Rincon, Carrollton, Texas, dec. Aaron Katzman, Menlo Park, Calif., 3-0

Elite Men's Division

123 lbs: Jesus Vasquez, Englewood, Colo., dec. Gabriel Montoya, Cheyenne, Wyo., 3-0

123 lbs: Stephen Fulton, Jr., Philadelpia, Pa., dec. Jerrell Babour, Tacoma, Wash., 3-0

123 lbs: Eduardo Martinez, Aurora, Ill., dec. Cameron Springer, Marietta, Ga., 3-0

123 lbs: Edwin Sandoval, Bakersfield, Calif., dec. Fidel Cervantes, Kansas City, Kan., 2-0

141 lbs: Jayquran Hazel, Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Mike Goins, Grandview Hts, Ohio, 2-1

141 lbs: Nicholas Jefferson, Tacoma, Wash., dec. Manuel Dunham, Seattle, Wash., 3-0

141 lbs: Jose Alday, Odessa, Texas, dec. George Rincon, Carrollton, Texas, 2-1

141 lbs: Arthur Karl, Milano, Texas, dec. Carlos Castillo, Tucson, Ariz., 2-0

165 lbs: Le'Shawn Rodriguez, Shirley, N.Y., dec. Kalvin Henderson, Fayetteville, Ariz., 3-0

165 lbs: Kyrone Davis, Wilimington, Del., dec. Louis Holloway, St.Louis, Mo., 3-0

165 lbs: Jonathan Esquivel, Anaheim, Calif., dec. Kamil Abdulzhanov, Brooklyn, N.Y., 3-0

165 lbs: Daniel Thomas, Concord, Calif., won on TKO over Frederick Wilson, Cleveland, Ohio, TKO-3 (2:15)

201 lbs: Javonta Charles, Las Vegas, N.V., won on knockout over Joseph Martinez, Duarte, Calif., KO-1 (2:39)

201 lbs: Joshua Temple, St. Louis, Mo., won on knockout Chris Campa, Louisville, Ky., KO-1 (1:32)

201 lbs: Earl Newman, Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y., dec. Kent Brinson, Monroe, Mich., 3-0

201 lbs: Michael Hilton, Trenton, N.J., won on TKO over Atenion Eatman, Durham, N.C., TKO-3 (1:53)

Senior Men's Division

132 lbs: Javar Jones, Anderson, Ill., dec. Kenneth DeJesus, San Antonio, Texas, 3-0

132 lbs: Canton Miller, St. Louis, Mo., won on TKO over Tyquan Boyd, Neward, N.J., TKO-2 (2:31)

152 lbs: Reyes Marquez, Colorado Springs, Colo., dec. Delorien Caraway, St.Paul, Minn., 2-1

152 lbs: Melquiades Ramirez, Denver, Colo., won on TKO over Peter Cortez, Reno, Nev., TKO-2(1:18)

178 lbs: Steven Nelson, Colorado Springs, Colo. won on TKO over Scott Beal, Seattle, Wash., TKO-1(2:00)

201+lbs: Stephan Shaw, St. Louis, Mo., dec. Owen Minor, Worcester, Mass., 2-1

201+lbs: George Faavae, Carson, Calif., dec. Frankie Bolton, Conley, Ga., 2-1

Friday’s Bout Sheets

Elite Men’s Semifinals - 11 a.m.

108 lbs: Leroy Davila, New Brunswick, N.J., vs. Melik Elliston, Denver, Colo.

108 lbs: Paul Leblanc, Kailua Kona, Hawaii, vs. Leopaldo Martinez, Laredo, Texas

114 lbs: Shawn Simpson, Chicago, Ill., vs. Cristian Williams, Chicago, Ill.

114 lbs: Eros Correa, San Jose, Calif., vs. Melik Jackson, Washington DC

123 lbs: Jesus Vasquez, Englewood, Colo., vs. Stephen Fulton, Jr., Philadelphia, Pa.

123 lbs: Eduardo Martinez, Aurora, Ill., vs. Edwin Sandoval, Bakersfield, Calif.

132 lbs: Kenneth Sims, Jr., Chicago, Ill., vs. Luis Sedano, Duarte, Calif.

132 lbs: Tracy Alexander, Compton, Calif., vs. Cresencio Ramos, San Antonio, Texas

141 lbs: Jayquran Hazel, Brooklyn, N.Y., vs. Nicholas Jefferson, Tacoma, Wash.

141 lbs: Jose Alday, Odessa, Texas, vs. Arthur Karl, Milano, Texas

152 lbs: Thomas Hill, Milwaukee, Wis., vs. Tony Losey, Wichita, Kansas

152 lbs: Jamontay Clark, Cincinnati, Ohio vs. Chordelle Booker, Brooklyn, N.Y.

165 lbs: Le’Shawn Rodriguez, Shirley, N.Y., vs. Kyrone Davis, Wilmington, Del.

165 lbs: Jonathan Esquivel, Anaheim, Calif., vs. Daniel Thomas, Concord, Calif.

178 lbs: John Magda, Rutherford, N.J., vs. Reece Bennett, San Clemente, Calif.

178 lbs: Ronald Mixon, Los Angeles, Calif., vs. Geremias Torres, Holyoke, Mass.

201 lbs: Javonta Charles, Las Vegas, Nev., vs. Joshua Temple, St. Louis, Mo.

201 lbs: Earl Newman, Jr., Brooklyn, N.Y., vs. Michael Hilton, Trenton, N.J.

201+ lbs: Edgar Medina, Tucson, Ariz., vs. Paul Koon, Philadelphia, Pa.

201+ lbs: Cam F. Awesome, Kansas City, Kansas, vs. Elvis Garcia, Umatilla, Ore.

Youth Division Finals – 5 p.m.

106 lbs/female: Marisol Lopez, Stratford, Calif., vs. Monica Suazo, Tucson, Ariz.

108 lbs/male: Nico Hernandez, Wichita, Kansas vs. Gilbert Renteria, Houston, Texas

114 lbs/male: Antonio Vargas, Kissimmee, Fla., vs. Brent Venegas III, Elk Grove, Calif.

123 lbs/male: Francisco Martinez, Dallas, Texas vs. Jarico O’Quinn, Lansing, Mich.

125 lbs/female: Dezaree Negrete, Calumet City, Ill., vs. Dida Gonzalez, Houston, Texas

132 lbs/male: Lamont Roach, Upper Marlboro, Md., vs. Genaro Gamez, San Diego, Calif.

132 lbs/female: Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass., vs. Marlisa Stamps, Milwaukee, Wis.

141 lbs/male: Alexis Urbina, Phoenix, Ariz., vs. Deville Alexander, Houston, Texas

152 lbs/female: Taylor Carroll, Monroe, Mich., vs. Samantha Kinchen, Lexington, Ky.

152 lbs/male: Kareem Martin, Clinton, Md., vs. Timothy Lee, Las Vegas, Nev.

165 lbs/male: Javier Martinez, Milwaukee, Wis., vs. Alex Rincon, Carrollton, Texas

178 lbs/male: Michael Barreto, Minneapolis, Minn., vs. Elvis Figueroa, New Haven, Conn.

201 lbs/male: John Luna, Milwaukee, Wis., vs. Alberto Fundora, Tampa, Fla.

USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States’ member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).