BOXING
Florida Golden Gloves champions Gabriel Soto-Ayala (119 pounds), Toribio Ramirez (125) and Johnny Rivera (132) recently competed in the National Silver Gloves Championships in Kansas City, Kan.
Soto, 13, ranked No. 3 nationally in his weight class, saw his record slip to 21-3 via a first-round loss. Ranked no. 2 nationally, Ramirez, 15, was 2-0 before losing to a two-time national champ and improved to 29-3. Raked No. 4, Rivera, 13, dropped a 3-2 decision to another two-time national champion. All three fight out of Dan Soto’s Gym and Fitness Center in Kissimmee.
HOCKEY
The 16-and-under Midget Select Junior Seals defeated the Tampa Raiders 6-5 in triple overtime to win the annual Presidents Cup at JP Igloo in Ellenton. Coach Martin Smyth’s Junior Seals of the Orlando Area Amateur Hockey Association were 5-0 in the tournament, defeating the Raiders 4-0, Houston Hitmen 2-1, Oak Ridge Ontario Kings 3-1 and Brandon Ice Bolts 5-1 to reach the final.
Celebration’s Chris Moysey and Myles Lutheran and Kissimmee’s Jason Nadeau and Matt Wargo led the Junior Seals, a team that placed second in the Florida Youth Hockey Championships. The team skates to Ellenton Feb. 28 for the Southeast District qualifier.
SOFTBALL
Jenny Buckman, a Florida Tech sophomore and Osceola High School graduate, has been selected Sunshine State Conference pitcher of the week after going 2-0 via a 5-3 win over St. Thomas and 4-3 win over Warner Southern. Buckman yielded six runs (two earned) on eight hits and struck out eight over 14 innings. frank carroll
