Planting the seeds for collegiate boxing at UTRGV

For the first time in school history, Club Boxing at UTRGV brought home three national titles, which its founder and members said is only the beginning in establishing a long-lasting organization.

The club competed at the United States Intercollegiate Boxing Association Nationals (USIBA) from March 17 through 19 in Atlanta, hosted by Georgia Tech University. Six UTRGV students competed at the event and three brought home national championships in the 140, 154 and 225-plus weight classes.

Founder, president and communication graduate student Noe Mendoza Jr. won the novice and open 140 weight divisions. Biology junior Omar Cortez triumphed in the novice 154 weight division. Henry ‘Mac’ McFarland, who graduated last May with a masters in exercise science but was allowed to compete this year after the event was canceled in 2021, was victorious in the beginners 225-plus weight division.

Not only was it the club’s first time boxing as a team, but psychology senior Leann Villarreal also made school history by being the first female boxer to represent UTRGV.

Villarreal said it feels great making history, especially when walking into local boxing gyms and carrying that title.

“I’ve noticed that if I walk into a boxing gym and there’s, like, younger little girls, they look up to me, like if I’m some kind of, like, superstar,” she said. “The coaches will tell them, ‘Yeah, she’s the first UTRGV female boxer’ and they’re like in awe and … that inspires me. Like, wow, I’m making a difference for these little girls.”

Arielle Caraveo, arts and communication graduate student and vice president of Club Boxing at UTRGV, also made history by being the first female boxing coach to represent the organization at USIBA.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to do something different and represent women and break the stigma that boxing is just for men,” Caraveo said.

Being a first-time mom, graduate student and working full- and part-time jobs has taken a lot of time, commitment and dedication, she said. Yet, Caraveo does not focus on the small inconveniences, but rather on the bigger picture, which is making a lasting boxing club at UTRGV with female representation.

The team was also accompanied by Noe Mendoza Sr., who spent his youth as an amateur boxer in the U.S. and Mexico. Mendoza Sr. also owns Las Brisas Community Boxing Club in Weslaco, which offers free lessons in exchange for passing report cards for grade-school children.

Felix Piedra, strength and conditioning coach for the club, has more than 20 years of experience in boxing as an amateur and professional boxer. Piedra owns Rock Squad Boxing in Mercedes but waives all fees for students who compete. 

Asked how it felt to bring back some hardware, Mendoza Jr. replied, “The feeling itself is kind of indescribable because when I came back to the [Rio Grande Valley] and started this program, I had to do a lot of recruiting … and I’m not going to lie to you, it was more like fate because [the students] fell into the program right when it was created.” 

The Weslaco native, who earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy, started a boxing club at Texas A&M. The experience helped him establish the club at UTRGV in 2021.

Cortez, another Weslaco native, told The Rider he started boxing at the age of 8. He gave it up for a while to play other sports but picked it back up in 2018 and hopes to become a professional boxer in the future.

He said he is thankful to bring home a championship to UTRGV but is also grateful to have the opportunity to make new friends and experiences through the club.

Cortez had the opportunity to fight someone from a more experienced division at the event and took it. He faced off against Erick Benitez-Ramos from Georgia Tech.

“I beat him in his hometown,” Cortez said. “He had 20 people in the crowd and we only had five people here from this club. So, it was more like, ‘Oh, everybody is chanting his name and all that,’ and then it was a cool experience because it made me feel like the underdog, like in the movies. Everyone was like, ‘This guy, he’s gonna lose,’ but I overcame the adversity and the obstacles, and I came home with a belt.”

Villarreal said the club has helped her with her boxing fundamentals and dedication.

“Making it to all the practices, and giving it your all, that’s something it taught me,” she said. “Don’t go into practice with half motivation. Pull through, even if you’re tired, still go do your runs, still do your strength and conditioning in the mornings, before work and still stay on top of your schoolwork.”

Caraveo said she encourages all students to join the boxing club and try it out. She said she thinks it is a great way to stay healthy.

“If you want to get in shape, you know, drop some pounds to get more toned, it’s a great way for that,” she said. “I know school is very stressful and fitness is a great way to relieve stress.”

From July 9 to 16, the three champions will head to Wichita, Kansas, to compete at the USA Boxing Collegiate Championships against the champions of the National Collegiate Boxing Association in their respective weights and divisions.

For questions or information on how to join the club, message the organization via Instagram (@ClubBoxingUTRGV).

“The seed that we planted, we’re going to continue watering over the years so that we can produce many more  champions through this program,” Mendoza Jr. said.