Barry works way up to title bout

Carrie Barry has climbed, step by step, toward a national championship.

Since January of 2002, when the 23-year-old took up the sport, Barry has been to three national championship tournaments.

The first time, she earned a bronze medal after losing in the semifinals. The second time, she moved through the semifinals and lost in the championship bout.

Saturday she goes for the gold.

Barry, from Cement City, Mich., consistently dove inside to score a convincing, 27-8 victory over Maimunah Holland, a two-time black belt and martial arts instructor from South Nyack, N.Y., Thursday at the Spokane Fairgrounds.

“I watched her fight on video from (Wednesday) night,” Barry said, noting that Holland likes to throw big punches and extend her arms to put snap in her hooks and crosses. “I wanted to get inside against her. She’s a tough fighter.”

Barry advances to fight Lissette Medel, from Maywood, Calif., who advanced to Saturday’s 132-pound championship match when the referee in her bout with Kendra Davis, from Wilmington, N.C., stopped the contest 36 seconds into the championship round.

Through the first three nights of the tournament, it’s important to note some of the subtleties of this event. First, there has been no chest-pounding, trash-talking or anything remotely in-your-face about this event.

Instead, every bout ends not with a flurry, but with a sincere round of hugs. More than one referee has jumped in to separate two boxers at the bell only to find themselves sheepishly sharing a vicarious hug. And lest anyone think these hugs are for show, it must also be noted that there generally is at least one more round of hugs after the ringside doctor has finished administering to both combatants.

Second, there has been nothing brutal about the competition.

In fact, the only bloody nose of the competition came from Barry early in the second round.

“Actually, I got it last Saturday – from sparring,” she said. “I was just waiting for it to open up again. I was lucky to get through the first two fights without it starting up again.”

Critics of the sport, who wonder why two women would want to stand in the ring and try to punch the stuffing out of each other, would be surprised by the skill displayed by these women, the best amateurs in the country.

Instead of throwing punches intended to harm an opponent, these women punch with skill and with purpose – more to count coup on an opponent than to cause harm.

“For me it’s about the competition,” Barry said. “I didn’t come from martial arts or anything like that. For me, I came from playing softball and volleyball.

“It means something extra when you’re representing your country at an event like this. It’s about being a national champion.”

Six weight classes saw their championship pairings set.

Gabriella Barragan, a 114-pounder from Hillsboro, Ore., adopted by Spokane’s boxing coaches and by the family of Andrea Kallas, scored an 8-6 victory over Vanessa Greco, from New York, N.Y., to reach the finals where she will fight Sacred Downing, from Trenton, N.J., Downing scored an 11-2 victory over San Diego’s Heather Donohoe.

Defending champion Chris Martinon, from San Jose, advanced to the 119-pound gold medal match when the referee stopped her fight with San Francisco’s Cynthia Talmadge :52 into round three. She will battle New York’s Stella Nijhoff, a 20-3 winner over Leonie Hall, from Vista, Calif.

Teresa O’Toole, from Huntington, N.Y., prevented an all-El Paso championship bout at 125 pounds, scoring a 14-8 victory over Rebecca Rodriguez. Texan Jennifer Han scored a 21-2 victory over Cleo Chan, from Oakland, Calif.

Myranda Benallie, from Shiprock, N.M., had a walk-over victory in her semifinal at 138. Kat Diaz, from New York, N.Y., was disqualified when proof was presented to tournament officials of a kickboxing bout between Diaz and a professional.

Rules prevent an amateur from fighting a professional in any sport, whether paid or not.

Lena Taylor, from Orlando, Fla., earned her way into the final by stopping Angelique Bovee, from White Plains, N.Y., on a 16-11 decision.

New Orleans’ Tiffany Junot scored a 24-11 victory over the Air Force’s Charmaine Carrington to reach the finals at 154, where she will meet Lily Avetyan. The Pasadena, Calif., native scored a 14-2 victory over Triche Rassmussen of Fremont, Calif.