Santiago seventh at Junior Olympics

Corning youth boxer Jose A. Santiago came in seventh place in the USA Boxing Junior Olympic National Championships last month in Marquette, Mich.

Santiago, a 16-year-old junior at Centennial High School, won his first bout but came down with a stomach flu and was defeated in the next round by eventual middleweight champion Donald Anderson.

“He (Donald) had the advantage, but he was good, there’s no doubt about it,” said Santiago’s father and coach, Jose Santiago. “I’m proud of Jose.”

There were 11 boxers in Santiago’s middleweight class (155-165 pounds) and age division (15-16 years old). The first-round victory sent him into the quarterfinals.

Santiago battled Julian Vahn of Topeka, Kan. in the first bout and rallied from behind for an 8-4 win. He trailed Vahn 4-3 going into the third and final round.

The scoring system required landing a three-punch combination to earn a point, which meant Santiago unleashed a flurry of hits in the last 90 seconds to win the match.

In the quarterfinals, Santiago had to compete against a much more experienced boxer. Anderson is a southpaw with over 100 fights. Santiago said he had never fought a left-hander before, but the loss proved something important to everyone, including himself.

“I fought with the best,” he said. “He ended up winning the whole thing.”

Santiago’s illness didn’t help his chances, as he dropped four pounds overnight, going from 162 to 158 in the weigh-ins. Anderson went ahead 15-0 on Santiago, which constituted a technical knockout.

“It was a great experience for me. I never really expected to go somewhere like that,” Santiago said. “It opened up how big boxing is to me and how far I can go.”

Next year, Santiago will have to fight adults, as age 17 is the start of the Open Division. Basically at 17, he could fight anybody — from ex-Marines to Navy Seals or Green Berets — any amateur boxer 17-and-over.

That doesn’t deter him, however, and it doesn’t deter his father.

The elder Santiago, representing Northern California, was one of two coaches for Team California at the tournament. The state had 15 fighters, nine of whom came home with medals. Three of those were female boxers.

Santiago Boxing Club will continue to train local fighters who have the dedication and drive to succeed. The Santiagos their hard work will earn them another trip to nationals in 2009.