By Lawrence Powell
Spectator
NovaNewsNow.com
Cyrus Taylor of Middleton’s Pegasus Amateur Boxing Club, and a student at MRHS, earned a silver medal at the recent National Youth and Junior Amateur Boxing Championships held in Halifax at the Delta Halifax Hotel.
The final team selection for senior men’s and woman’s teams were also held during the same tournament, making for lots of excellent boxing and a very busy week, said Taylor’s coach Bruce Harkness.
There were five boxers entered in Taylor’s division (66 kg Junior Boys) representing Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and of course Nova Scotia. All the athletes had to make weight on the first morning of the competition and again on the morning of there boxing matches.
The draw to see who would box who was all done by computer with Taylor getting a bye to the quarter finals where he fought a very tough Terrelle Morriseau from Alberta on Thursday afternoon, defeating him in a 11-1 decision. That advanced Taylor to the gold medal match with Josue St.Cyr of Quebec on Friday afternoon.
“This gold medal match was as exciting as I have ever seen, with Taylor coming back to the corner after the first round with an injured nose,” said Harkness. “I noticed a bit of a nose bleed during the action in the first round and thought to myself, ‘Cyrus has never had a nose bleed during training or during a bout.’”
Harkness said Taylor soldiered on and fought the rest of the bout with a very painful nose and losing a very close 8-5 decision.
“Undoubtedly Cyrus was upset with this, losing in the gold medal match that he worked so long and hard for,” said Harkness. “We are all very proud of Cyrus. This is a huge accomplishment winning a silver medal at the National level and shows the tremendous character and courage of this young man. He fought the majority of the fight injured and left it all in the ring. You can’t ask any more of an athlete than that.”
Harrkness said Tayor did Middleton, Pegasus Amateur Boxing Club, and Nova Scotia proud.
“We’ll give Cyrus a bit of a break until his nose feels better, then its back to work to prepare for next February’s Canada Winter Games, also hosted in Halifax,” Harkness said. “Hopefully we meet St. Cyr in the final then.”
Nova Scotia had 24 boxers entered in the Halifax championships coming away with 12 medals -- four Gold, five Silver, and three Bronze.
LOCAL BOXERS
Selene Best and Matt Whitford, both of the Evangeline Trail Amateur Boxing Club of Kentville, both earned Gold, Best in the Jr Female 57 kg and Whitford in the Jr Boys +81kg. Ty Pinio also from the Kentville club earned silver in the 48 kg Jr Boys.
Chantelle Doucette earned a spot on the National B team in the Female Final Team Selection with two very impressive wins over Quebec and Ontario; Doucette is from Coldbrook and fights out the Tiger Boxing Club in New Minus.
Brett Fraser of Bridgewater won the Gold medal in the youth male 54 kg class.
Anyone interested in amateur boxing, whether you want to compete down the road or recreationally, can contact Harkness at 825-1671 or email harkness@eastlink.ca
