It is said that experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want. So Penn State’s boxers gained some valuable experience when they won only one of their seven bouts at Lock Haven University last Saturday.
Despite the grim sound of having only one victory, the boxers feel that they have gained something more valuable than a win — they have gained experience. And this experience will help them to become the boxers that they want to be.
Most of them have only boxed their first collegiate bouts within the past three weeks. As a result, most of the boxers are facing more experienced opponents. Despite these odds, Penn State’s boxers have managed to make most of their bouts come to close decisions.
Paul Maginnis, in his third collegiate bout, had Penn State’s only victory this weekend when he defeated Ken Barile, an All-America boxer from Western New England College. Maginnis knocked Barile down in the second round, but Barile managed to survive the standing eight count. The bout ended in the third round when the referee decided that Barile could not handle any further abuse from Maginnis.
Penn State Boxing Coach Bill Wrable said that Maginnis’ victory came at a good time, and that he was learning quickly. Wrable said he has high expectations for Maginnis and the rest of the boxers.
Seth Lyter had a heart-breaking loss to Dave Smith, an All-America heavyweight boxer from Miami of Ohio University. Lyter learned that he can stand with the best heavyweights in the country. The bout came to a close decision in the third round, but it was in favor of Smith.
“Seth showed some major improvement in this match. He gave this kid a real bout,” Wrable said.
In another bout, Ben Ladrido lost when the referee made a questionable decision to stop the match in the third round, feeling that Ladrido was unable to continue. Ladrido said that he did not have the same feeling.
“I didn’t feel that I was hurt,” he said. “I threw the last punch. I was disappointed in the stoppage, but hey that’s fuel for the fire. You live and learn. It gives me something to work harder for.”
Wrable also expressed sincere dissapointment in the stoppage. He feels that things may have ended differently if the referee had let the match continue. Wrable also acknowledges that the boxer’s safety is a priority with the referee, but he cannot help but have mixed feelings.
Co-captain Jon Wood, who was undefeated until this week, suffered his first collegiate loss to Robert Ford of Central Conneticut State University. He didn’t feel that his head was in the match until the third round. He said that if he would have boxed the whole match like he did in the third round that he might have won.
Howie Rodgers, Mike Joyce and Kevin Cull also lost bouts for Penn State.
The Penn State boxers are scheduled for three tentative bouts for Saturday Feb. 22, at Shippensburg.
“The (boxers) are half way there,” Wrable said. “This week made them take a long look at themselves. What’s important is that they are gaining experience.”