The Cranbrook Eagles Boxing Club was down at Boxing BC 2019 Provincial Championships, where they had four boxers compete.
Connor Ferrier, Ty Kolbeck, and Dylan Clark all received gold in their respective weight divisions. Nike Blackmore came away with a silver medal.
“The matchups that we had were good matchups. The kids fought well, unfortunately, we didn’t have a lot of wins,” said head coach Tom White.
Kolbeck, Ferrier and Clark were all uncontested. To get them a fight they were moved up in weight divisions.
“Unfortunately we just didn’t get a lot of wins, but the experience and fights we did end up making because there were not a lot of competitors in their weight class, it went well,” said White.
The fights in themselves were victories because they were fighting opponents older and larger than them.
“They took on bigger opponents, and we had a couple spilt decision losses that when you are stepping up to bigger, older competitor and the bout doesn’t get stopped, those are moral victories and we can use those for stepping stones to advance our fighters,” said White.
For White, he said the highlight of the weekend in Abbotsford was Kolbeck.
“Ty is our biggest improvement boxer. He has come from not really noticeable to the shining star in our club,” said White about the 14-year-old.
“He is stepping up – it’s amazing. Ty is just having an awesome trajectory of performance this year.”
From the weekend White said he wanted the boxers to gain confidence that they could get into the ring with bigger, older opponents and hold their own.
“I always say you gain more from a loss than you do with a win. The only thing you gain is a swelled head (in a win). On a loss you come back hungrier and wanting, craving that win a little more,” he said.
Clark didn’t end up fighting while he was at provincials because the person challenging him had broken his wrist beforehand. Clark’s opponent received a medical pass, but the two will meet in Vancouver Jan. 26 to get into the ring.
“We know a little bit about him so we’re just going to work. He’s left-handed so he’s going to have his opposite foot forward, which is usually a little awkward, but we are prepared for it,” said Clark.
To win his fight in January, he said he’s going to have to throw double the punches back at his opponent.
“Usually I’m a counter puncher, so if he’s going to throw one punch I have to throw two punches. I need to be more aggressive than him,” he said.
If Clark wins his fight he will be heading to the 2019 Canada Winter Games.
“January will be exciting. Probably the biggest fight of my life,” he added.
White had a lot of good things to say about the boxers and is geared up for the new year.
“We have Ty who is coming from the bottom to the top and just progressing. We have Dylan, who in my eyes is one of the most skilled boxers to come out of this club … then Nike is just the toughest training, hardest heavyweight, he’s a superstar himself … and Connor has really become a sweet boxer. It’s nice to see. We have a good bunch of kids down here -it’s exciting.”
Blackmore, Kolbeck and Clark have been selected to represent British Columbia at the Canadian Championships, which will be held in Langford. The three of them will also attend the provincial team training camp in March.
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