Amateur female boxer dies
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Female Boxer Dies After Amateur Bout - 4/5/2005
by Associated Press
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DENVER - A female boxer died from a head injury sustained in ther Colorado Golden Gloves amateur competition, the Denver County coroner's office said.
Becky Zerlentes, 34, of Fort Collins, died Sunday afternoon, Howard Daniel said. The preliminary cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, but results from an autopsy conducted Monday were not immediately available.
Zerlentes was hit by a punch from Heather Schmitz, and despite wearing protective headgear fell unconscious during the third round of a bout late Saturday, USA Boxing spokeswoman Julie Goldsticker said.
Physicians jumped into the ring, but Zerlentes never regained consciousness and died several hours later. Zerlentes had a 6-4 record.
"The USA Boxing family's thoughts and prayers go out to Becky's family and husband; we are deeply saddened by this loss," said USA Boxing president Sandy Martinez-Pino.
USA Boxing is the sanctioning body for amateur boxing. The organization lifted its ban on women in 1993 and currently has 2,200 registered participants.
Zerlentes is believed to be the first of her gender to receive a fatal injury in a sanctioned amateur match in the United States.
Goldsticker said the last death at a USA Boxing event was in February 2001, when heavyweight Quinton Grier, 31, of Springfield, Illinois, died after a match.
