Salmon Arm was well represented in the ring during the BC Amateur Golden Gloves Boxing Championships held in Vernon last weekend. Twenty-year-old Salmon Arm product Derrick Larson took the Golden Gloves title in the Senior Open welterweight division with a unanimous decision over Morris Crow of Lethbridge. Larsen, who trains with Vernon’s CounterPunch Boxing Club, says he came out swinging without thinking, and had to calm down and get his head in the right place so as to land his punches in the right place. “The difference from sparring to getting in the ring, with the talent I have, is night and day,” said Larson after the event. “I get in the ring and forget all my good moves. You’re trying to kill the guy with every punch rather than use your skill. I just had to get my wits about me and try to out-box him.”The event began with a win by the Salmon Arm Bulldogs’ Noah Paterson vs. CounterPunch’s Connor Holliday. The 11-year-old Paterson would go on to fight in the final and take his division with a unanimous win. Fellow Bulldogs also fared well in the event. Meghan Fair worked hard, expecting three other females in her category, according to head coach Peggy Maerz. “She made her weight category, only to learn all the other girls failed to show. She won her division and Junior Golden Girl in the gym,” says head coach Peggy Maerz. On Sunday, Ryan Hornung, 30, competed in the final, winning again to take his title.Arya Jadvani had no one to fight in his category, so was matched in two exhibitions. His first bout, says Maerz, was against an opponent 20 pounds heavier. “Arya showed skill and heart, stealing the show. He was the talk of the crowd, coaches and athletes,” says Maerz. Jadvani was equally impressive in his second exhibition bout. In total, there were 25 bouts over the weekend, and tournament organizer Tony Stamboulieh, who is also head coach at CounterPunch and first vice-president of Boxing B.C., said it was a success.“It really was a good weekend of boxing,” said Stamboulieh. “We put on a really good show. It’s something to be proud of.”-Includes files from the Vernon Morning Star.

Salmon Arm Observer