For the third consecutive year, Sanctuary Boxing Club of New Kensington sent boxers to USA Boxing's national tournament in Wichita, Kansas.
This time the team came home with a gold and a bronze medal.
Makia Wade, 10, joined Sanctuary Boxing Club a year ago and quickly became national champion, defeating Ricky Lopez by a 5-0 unanimous decision.
Rich Cantorina, head coach and owner of Sanctuary Boxing Club, was impressed with how Wade used his reach to his advantage.
“She's good at keeping the distance and it's frustrating,” Cantorina said. “By the time they realize it, it's too late. My opponent, Ricky Lopez from Texas, was like a different weight class. Makia is taller than Lopez. She was fighting all day and it was hard to fight her and it was hard to find your way.”
His coach said Wade's hard work, dedication and natural talent led to the gold medal.
“She's only been here a little over a year, but she's improved quickly,” Cantorina said. “She has natural talent, and I think her cheerleading background has helped her sense of rhythm and physique. She reminds me of Thomas Hearns – tall, slender, and has really good use of her range.”
Wade said he came into the school with one goal: to become a national champion.
“I knew I could win, so that's what I was thinking about,” Wade said. “I knew I could win, and I was confident. (Lopez) wasn't my size, so I really tried to stay back for her.”
Wade's friend, Natalie Griggle, wanted to get Wade into the gym, and she learned quickly: Wade went on to win the state championship, beating a two-time national champion.
She said her best boxing moment so far was beating a boxer at Dubois who she had lost to at a regional tournament a few months earlier, which showed she had learned and grown since her last fight.
Katie Kerez, 12, who won a bronze medal at the U.S. nationals, is a gym leader and was pleased with Wade's performance.
“I'm really proud of her,” Kerez said. “She's helped us out in the gym in a lot of ways and it was really cool to see her beat her opponents. She's a cool girl, a really nice kid, and fun to laugh with and train with. She helps us get better every day.”
Kerez came one step closer to winning the title, entering the tournament ranked 8th in the nation and winning the bronze medal.
“It was awesome, it was a great experience,” Kerez said. “It's something a lot of people don't get to experience, and win or lose, it was just a great experience.”
Kerez said she has progressed and gotten better since her first appearance at the national tournament in 2022. Kerez won state and regional titles, earning her a chance at the national silver glove award this year.
“I noticed that they both listen very well to the coach's instructions,” Cantorina said. “It's like playing a PlayStation game. They both sit in the corner of the court, I tell them to throw a jab, and in milliseconds the jab comes out. They both listen very well. They're very focused on the court, and in the gym they listen very well.”
Cantorina said he has his students help facilitate the class, and he said teaching others boxing and their strategies helps slow the pace for his students.
Kerez has been boxing at Sanctuary for over three years and, once a “silent assassin,” is now seen as an outspoken leader and another coach.
“She's grown so much, not just as a fighter, but as a person,” Cantorina said. “She's really grown up to help little kids. She's such a role model. Little girls look up to her when they come to the gym. They're always watching what she's doing. They copy what she does. She stays after training to give them hugs and high-fives.”
Cantorina said Kerez is showing improvement and that he has never seen a player with such a good balance of life, talent and work ethic, and he believes a national title is within reach.
“The way I put it, the line in front of us is a lot shorter than the line behind us and she's going to win one soon,” Cantorina said. “I don't think she's going to win just one. I think she's going to win a lot. Her goal is to be an Olympic champion and I think she will. I truly believe she's going to be the first kid from Pittsburgh to go to the Olympics.”
