UNLV boxing team brings some silver home from Reno

Dean Juipe

Thursday, April 12, 2001 | 10:12 a.m.

With five of its nine-man delegation having reached the finals, the opportunity was there for the UNLV club boxing team to win at least one national championship.

But the Rebels were blanked in the finals, held last weekend at Nevada-Reno, and left the national championships hoping for better results next year.

"We were poised to win one or two of the final matches, but it just didn't happen," coach Skip Kelp said. "I thought we were going to come back home with a couple of wins, but you have to be a little lucky and we weren't."

UNLV did have one national champion, although Xenon Mallari's victory at 106 pounds did not officially count toward the team championship due to the lack of competitors at that light weight. Mallari, a freshman, was one of only three boxers entered at 106 pounds.

Air Force won the team title, followed by Penn State, Navy and UNLV.

The five Rebels who made it to the finals in their respective weight classes yet failed to win the championship match were Linden Manlataou (112 pounds), Joey Song (119), Manny Libatique (125), Max Raymond (195) and Louis O'Hiaeri.

"We didn't do as good as we set out to do," Kelp said. "But it was the most competitive national tournament since its inception and we had a great team that bonded into a family. It was a tough week but it was very rewarding for me personally, and I think for all the guys."

Kelp expects to see seven members of his 2000-01 team back next season, including Mallari, Manlataou, Libatique and O'Hiaeri, plus Lyle Nixon (132 pounds), Jose Gonzalez (139) and David Wengell (156).

"With the kind of depth we had this season and the number of fighters we'll have back next season, we'll be all that much better," Kelp said. "There's way more reason to be positive than not."