Photo by Marcel Vander Wier
HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT – From left, boxers Sean Clarke, Dwight Snowshoe and Jack Ladue put up their dukes at the Yukon Boxing Club Wednesday night. The trio were part of the team that attended Alberta Bronze Gloves recently.
The revival of Yukon boxing continued at the 2015 Alberta Bronze Gloves this month.
The revival of Yukon boxing continued at the 2015 Alberta Bronze Gloves this month.
Three local boxers came home with medals from the weekend event, held in Whitecourt, Alta., Nov. 14 and 15.
Dwight Snowshoe and William Sternbergh both earned gold medals while Jack Ladue took silver.
Sean Clarke and Tyson Brulotte were also members of the team, coached by Jess Staffen.
“We’re building the club back up and becoming more competitive,” Staffen told the Star at the local boxing club in Riverdale Wednesday night.
Staffen said each of his five boxers were technically strong, earning praise from opposing coaches.
Snowshoe earned gold in the 69-kg elite division by decision after going three rounds in both of his bouts.
“I want to win Gold Gloves,” said the 27-year-old Fort McPherson, N.W.T., native who is studying education at Yukon College. “That’s my plan and I won’t be satisfied until I get there.
“I’m not getting any younger and wanted to test my skills,” he said of the experience. “I want to see how far I can take my boxing.
“I thought I would be nervous and have the jitters, but I felt relaxed and was able to think through both of my fights.”
Staffen described Snowshoe’s two bouts as “glorious.” Snowshoe’s punching power helped keep his opponents off-balance throughout.
Meanwhile, Sternbergh’s gold came in the 69-kg youth category after a second-round TKO in his first and only fight of the weekend.
Ladue was knocked out of his only bout in the second round but still came away with a silver medal – the second of his young career.
“I didn’t have much energy and felt really out of shape,” the 16-year-old Porter Creek Secondary School student admitted. “I hadn’t trained as hard as I did last time. I need to improve my cardio and keep my hands up.”
Clarke (60-kg youth division) and Brulotte (60-kg Jr. B) both suffered first-round losses and did not medal.
Clarke was the victim of a headbutt from an older, taller boxer, and was ruled out on a TKO after only two minutes in the ring.
“You can prepare physically, but mentally you can only do so much,” said Clarke of the experience. “The experience in the ring should help my comfort level in the future.”
The 17-year-old is a student at Vanier Catholic Secondary School.
Sternbergh and Brulotte were unavailable for comment.
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