For the first time in its long history, the Fairview Boxing Club is set to host the Montana State Golden Gloves this Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19 at the Fairview High School old gym. Eight teams from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Canada are expected to attend, giving tournament goers over 30 bouts of boxing over the two day event. The excitement starts at 7pm Saturday with $15 adult admission and $8 for students. The entertainment continues at 1pm Sunday with a $5 admission fee.
This is a progressive sanctioned USA tournament. Winners from the Fairview event will go on to regionals in Salt Lake City, then on to the finals in Las Vegas in late May. Champions may then move on to the USA Travel Team which competes worldwide, then to the Olympics.
The main event will include Cody Washlager, Silver Gloves National Champion from Helena matched against a really good boxer from Saskatchewan. Local boxer Kyler Anderson will also be a main event attraction. 2007 Lightweight USA Champ Duran Caffero from Helena will also be in Fairview helping out with the tournament. Caffero runs a training camp which has helped many boxers including Anderson.
Proceeds from the tournament go towards sending boxers to regionals and nationals; providing tournament trophies, jackets and t-shirts; and providing a Fairview Senior scholarship for the eighth year in a row.
Fairview coach Kirby Sundheim is excited about the number and quality of boxers in the Golden Gloves. Eight boxers from Fairview will compete including Cody Williams at heavyweight and 17 year old Kyler Anderson who currently has a 5 and 1 record. Braden Burman, Liam Baxter, Alainah Baxter, Mason Schirman, Martin Manuel and Rowan Bushnell round out the team.
The club has competed in 5 or 6 tournaments so far. Next up is the Casper Jr. Olympics where Alainah and Martin will be competing. Then the whole team will go on to Great Falls for the Montana State Novice tournament. The club's motto is "Fight for the athlete in you" which Sundheim says will carry the boxers throughout their lives, learning to stand up for themselves, be active, be productive and push themselves every day.
In addition to Sundheim, Ken Kilen, Jeff Ketterling, Danny Ferral and Dustin Manuel will officiate and assist at the Golden Gloves. Sundheim, who has a long amateur boxing history, credits his wife Kristi Kaiser for getting him into coaching and encouraging him all along the way. She will also be officiating this weekend.
Sponsors have been phenomenal this year according to Sundheim, making the whole program possible.
The Golden Gloves was started when Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward conceived the idea of a city-wide amateur boxing tournament in 1923, to be sponsored by the newspaper. Each champion was awarded a miniature golden glove, which gave the tournament its name. The mission statement of Golden Gloves of America Inc. is to provide an activity and safe environment that promotes and enhances the physical and emotional well-being and social development of young athletes; develops individual athletic skills, work ethic, discipline, sportsmanship, self-respect and pride; and provides entertainment to citizens of the community. In seeking to fulfill its mission, the Golden Gloves of America, Inc. has 30 franchises, which sponsor hundreds of programs competing in local and regional tournaments and in a National Tournament of Champions each year.
For more information, contact Sundheim at 406-855-9182, or check out the Fairview Boxing Club on Facebook.
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