This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
South Ogden teenager Diego Alvarez seemingly came out of nowhere last spring to win the Rocky Mountain Region Golden Gloves boxing championship before going on to become the state's first Golden Gloves national champion in 25 years.
Will another hero emerge this weekend?
The tournament featuring the top amateur boxers from four states (Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and Utah) begins at 7 p.m. Friday and continues at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Salt Palace Convention Center, the same venue where Alvarez defeated Nevada's Fernando Martinez 4-1 last May to win the championship belt at 114 pounds.
Alvarez, 17, went unopposed in last month's Golden Gloves state tournament and also will go unopposed this weekend. Hence, he already has qualified for the Golden Gloves National Tournament of Champions May 1 to 6 in Lafayette, La.
"It's kind of a bummer, but that will make me even more hungry to compete in Louisiana," said Alvarez, a senior at Two Rivers High, an alternative high school in Ogden.
Here are the other Utahns who won state championships March 11 and are expected to compete this weekend, with weight and boxing club affiliation: Matt Searle, 123, Fullmer's Gym; Gabriel Chairez, 132, Independent; Milo Gutierrez, 141, Fullmer's; Jon Bryant, 152, Lights Out; Jacob Peneueta, 165, Independent; Halatoa Pintau, 178, Independent; Skyle Jose Torres, 201, Independent; Siala Siliga, 201+, State Street Gym.
This year's tournament, like last year, will run in conjunction with FitCon Utah at the Salt Palace.
FitCon Utah runs from noon to 10 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in halls 2 through 5 at the convention center.
It bills itself as the premier sports and fitness event in Utah, with more than 30 competitions, 300 exhibitors and 25,000 attendees.
Admission to the boxing tournament is $15 per day or $20 for both days.
Twitter: @drewjay