Sports
Unbeaten Welterweight Rohan Polanco At Forefront Of Dominican Boxing Renaissance

As Rohan Polanco was playing basketball with his friends in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, his attention was drawn elsewhere.
Around the corner was a boxing gym. Curiosity eventually drew the 13-year-old to the gym and he signed up to join. The rest is history.
“I used to play baseball, but my favorite sport was basketball,” Polanco told The Ring. “The first time I put on gloves, I fell in love. It was like love at first sight, and it came really easy to me because I really liked it. My mom would send me to baseball, but I wouldn’t go. I preferred to stay in boxing, and because I love boxing, it came so easy to me.”
“It’s almost every division from middleweight down,“ boxing author and historian Jose Corpas told The Ring. “This is the deepest pool [of Dominican talent] that you’ve seen.”
“We have more support,” Puello told The Ring. “Now, it’s easier for Dominican boxers to go everywhere, and mostly to the USA. That’s the door we have open right now. That’s why you see a lot of fighters making a lot of noise.”
Cruz brothers
The first fighter from the Dominican Republic to win a world title was Carlos “Teo” Cruz (42-13-2, 14 KOs), who spent much of his career training and fighting in Puerto Rico, like many fighters from the Dominican Republic at that time. He became the WBC lightweight champion when he defeated Puerto Rico’s Carlos Ortiz by split decision in Santo Domingo on June 29, 1968. Cruz’s triumph fulfilled the groundwork that was first laid by Dominicans Luis Emilio Perez (40-10-9, 12 KOs) and Carlos Perez (24-15-2, 12 KOs).
“When we start talking about Dominican history in boxing, you need to mention Carlos Teo Cruz,” Puello said. “[He was] the first one. He was the person who opened the door for all the champions you see now and all the champions who will come in the future. So that means a lot for me. Cruz was the main guy who opened the door, and now everybody’s coming through.”
Cruz won two fights after winning the title, including a unanimous decision over Mando Ramos (37-11-1, 23 KOs), but lost in a rematch by 11th-round stoppage due to cuts in February 1969. Cruz won four straight fights following the loss to Ramos, but a chance to become a two-time champion never came to fruition.
Cruz and his wife, Mildred, and their two children died in a plane crash in February 1970, on a flight from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico.
“The headlines in Puerto Rico said two countries are mourning today,” Corpas said. “Carlos lived in Puerto Rico and was married to a Puerto Rican. When he died, both the Puerto Rican and the Dominican newspapers were saying, ‘We’re mourning right now.’”
After his death, his younger brother, Leonardo “Leo” Cruz, went on to win the WBA junior featherweight title in a rematch against Argentina’s Sergio Victor Palma (52-5-5, 20 KOs) in June 1982. The win made Teo and Leo (41-7-3, 18 KOs) the first Latin brothers to win world titles. Leo defended his title three times, which still stands as the record for title defenses of one belt for a boxer from the Dominican Republic.
Good fighters came and went from the Dominican Republic before, during and after Leo’s reign as champion. Eleoncio Mercedes won the WBC flyweight title with a split decision over Freddy Castillo in November 1982. Miguel Montilla ascended the ranks but fell short twice against Colombia’s first world champion, Antonio Cervantes, in 1979 and ’80, and Aaron Pryor in 1982. Cervantes and Pryor are in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Rafael Torres became the first WBO minimumweight champion in 1989, while Hector Acero Sanchez, Julio Cesar Green and Luis Santana won world titles in the 1990s.
Including Teo and Leo, 27 fighters from the Dominican Republic have won world titles. Among them, Guzman and Katy Wilson Castillo are the only two-division champions. Guzman and Leo are the only fighters to notch multiple title defenses of a single belt.
Joel Guzman influence
However, consistent opportunities were still scarce for fighters from the Dominican Republic.
“In the ’90s, there were a lot of good Dominican boxers,” Guzman told The Ring. “But because they were seen here as opponents, they were good, but they were offered a fight when they were not ready, or they did it for the money. I was one of those who changed the mentality of the new school of Dominican boxing.
“When I came here after the Olympics in 1996, there weren’t a lot of good Dominican fighters here. Some people would see me sparring and think I’m Black because I look different. It’s the reason I started putting the Dominican flag on my trunks because everybody thought, ‘Oh, he’s Dominican, but he’s from the Bronx,’ but I didn’t speak English. I’m from DR.”
The seeds for this renaissance were largely planted by Guzman, 2008 Olympic gold medalist Felix Diaz and Cuban trainer Armando Hernandez, who is the longtime coach for the Dominican National Team. Guzman (34-1-1, 21 KOs) won titles at junior featherweight and junior lightweight. Before that, he went 310-10 as an amateur and won the Pan American Games in 1995 and fought at the ’96 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, before turning pro the following year. At his peak, Guzman was one of boxing’s best talents in the lower weight classes.
Guzman fought in the Dominican Republic for the first time in over three years in December 2006 to make the first defense of his WBO junior lightweight title. He delivered a dominant showing en route to a unanimous decision victory against Antonio Davis.
Guzman’s strong performance came with numerous prominent promoters in attendance, including Oscar De La Hoya, International Boxing Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions CEO. Dominican journalist and YouTuber “Broadway Joel” credits Guzman’s performance against Davis as a turning point in drawing more attention to boxers from the country.
“While they were there, they were like, ‘Hey, man, if they’re producing them like Joan Guzman, we want to sign a few.’ Guys like Argenis Mendez, Claudio Marrero, Juan Carlos Payano, a lot of those guys got that opportunity because when Joan Guzman had that show, all those promoters went over there and were scouting, essentially. So, I think as far as the backing [and] the support, I think where that started was from that show. That’s the one where a lot of people started finding more interest in investing in Dominican boxers.
“Joan came across at a time when you had much more access to see things. He had cable, he had Internet, so he profited from that, plus he was a beautiful fighter to watch. Joan Guzman was very influential.”
“I wanted to change Dominican boxing,“ Guzman said. “My first defense of the title in the Dominican Republic, a lot of promoters were there and Dominican boxing changed. Oscar De La Hoya and a lot of good promoters were there and started signing Dominican fighters.”
Payano went on to be a two-time Olympian (2004 and ’08) and won the WBA bantamweight title in 2016.
Hernandez has played a vital role in the development of the fighters who have emerged from the Dominican Republic. Few countries, if any, have had more sustained success on the amateur scene and in the Olympics than Cubans, and Hernandez brought that school of teaching to the Dominican Republic. The discipline that Hernandez has instilled in his fighters slide has extended well beyond boxing.
“We had a trainer over there, Armando Hernandez, who we’ve had since we were kids, and he implemented discipline in us,” Polanco said. “He taught us discipline, and that’s why Dominican boxing is changing a lot, because we grew up with that discipline and the discipline that you need to be successful in professional boxing.”
“When I do my interviews, when I ask the same question you ask, his name comes up, and something specifically Elvis Rodriguez told me was he teaches you discipline,” Joel said. “He teaches you how to be structured in everything, not just boxing.”
With Hernandez’s guidance, the Dominican Republic has produced more quality prospects and had two fighters win bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Light heavyweight Cristian Javier Pinales at light heavyweight and flyweight Yunior Alcantara Reyes became the first Dominican tandem to win medals at the same Olympics.
Diaz defeated reigning gold medal winner, Thailand’s Manus Boonjumnong, to win the gold at junior welterweight at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, making him the first and only fighter from the island to accomplish the feat. Pedro Nolasco was the first fighter from the Dominican Republic to medal the Olympics in 1984 in Los Angeles, where he won bronze at bantamweight.
Corpas also credits Shuan Boxing Promotions for its role in putting on events and helping get more fighters from the Dominican Republic more opportunities.
“Those were pivotal moments,” Corpas said of Guzman, Diaz and Shuan Boxing. “Then you had all the Cuban trainers come into the Dominican Republic. Shuan Boxing, they were one of the first steady, reliable Dominican promoters that were putting on regular shows. They didn’t have any stars until recently, but you get all that work. You get all that practice and now the trainers have become better, the gyms can operate, and it has a trickle-down effect and that’s where you’ve seen a lot of that. Those are the roots, and now you see the flowers coming out.”
Polanco could be the future
Polanco isn’t far off from earning his first world title shot.
“He’s definitely the highest-touted prospect,” Corpas said. “Whether or not he’s the best for me remains to be seen, but he’s definitely the highest touted. They’ve really given him a lot of love and support.”
Guzman agreed.
“Rright now, Rohan is the most talented fighter I can see,” Guzman said. “I like the attitude he’s got. He’s like, ‘I’m the man in the ring.’ I like the attitude he’s got because no one sees a Dominican fighter with this kind of attitude.”
Baseball has long been the sport most synonymous with the Dominican Republic. With the success numerous boxers have had, boxing has gone from a sport one would be taking a chance on the island to a more than viable alternative.
“If you want to start in baseball, you need to have more money because you need to pay an instructor [or go to a] baseball school,” Puello said. “When we tried to go to baseball, we didn’t have enough money to pay for all the things necessary to start. When we go to boxing, the teacher says you only need a coach, a pair of shoes, a shirt and you can start now.”
“Soon 10 more years, boxing will be the same as baseball,“ Guzman said.
The groundwork was laid by Teo Cruz, Leo Cruz, Guzman and other former champions and fighters who fell just short of winning a world title, making a name for themselves when it wasn’t as prominent in the Dominican Republic. With the growing support of fans there and top promoters, Polanco could be the one who takes boxing to a stratosphere it has never reached.
“Being one of the faces of boxing in the Dominican Republic means proudly representing my country,” Polanco said. “It involves not only the responsibility to compete and win, but also to inspire young athletes and promote boxing as a sport. It’s also an opportunity to grow the sport in the nation and showcase Dominican talent to the world.”

Sports
Track & Field Opening Indoor Season with Split-Squad Weekend – Penn State
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State track & field is set to begin its indoor slate with a three-meet split-squad weekend. The Nittany Lions will start their week in Philadelphia on Friday, Dec. 5 at the Penn Opener, also competing on Saturday, Dec. 6. On Saturday, there will also be Nittany Lions competing at the Bucknell Opener in Lewisburg, and the Sharon-Colyear Danville Season Opener in Boston on Saturday. Dec. 6.
Penn State is set to begin the 2025-26 indoor season while continuing to build off its success from a season ago. The men’s squad finished 12th in the Big Ten last indoor season while the women finished seventh. The squad returns six All-Americans from last year’s indoor team including 2024 First Team All-Americans Handal Roban and Hayley Kitching.
Head Coach John Gondak enters his 12th season leading the Nittany Lion track & field program. His coaching resume includes 62 First Team All-Americans and 11 Big Ten team titles.
PENN OPENER – Friday-Saturday, December 5-6
Live Results | Watch on Saturday (ESPN+)
Penn State will send seven athletes to compete at the Penn Opener. Maddie Pitts will be the lone competitor on Friday in the pentathlon.
BUCKNELL OPENER – Saturday, December 6
Live Results
The largest group of Nittany Lions will be headed to Lewisburg to compete in the Bucknell Opener. 36 athletes in field events and sprints will be the main competition group for PSU this weekend at Bucknell.
SHARON COLYEAR-DANVILLE SEASON OPENER – Saturday, December 6
Live Results | Watch (FloTrack)
Penn State will be sending 10 athletes to Boston for season opening action. The middle distance/distance group will make up the group competing against some of the top talent in the nation.
FULL 2025-26 INDOOR TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE
Dec. 5-6 – Penn Opener | Philadelphia, Pa.
Dec. 6 – Bucknell Opener | Lewisburg, Pa.
Dec. 6 – Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener | Boston, Mass.
Jan. 17 – Nittany Lion Challenge | University Park, Pa.
Jan. 24 – Penn 10 Team Elite | Philadelphia, Pa.
Jan. 30-31 – Penn State National Open | University Park, Pa.
Feb. 7 – Sykes & Sabock Challenge | University Park, Pa.
Feb. 13-14 – Tyson Invitational | Fayetteville, Ark.
Feb. 13-14 – David Hemery Valentine Invitational | Boston, Mass.
Feb. 20 – Penn State Tune-Up | University Park, Pa.
Feb. 27-28 – Big Ten Indoor Championships | Indianapolis, Ind.
Mar. 13-14 – NCAA Indoor Championships | Fayetteville, Ark.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Follow along with the team on our social media pages on Facebook (PennStateTFXC) and X/Instagram (@pennstatetfxc). Live updates on race day regarding start times and other important notes will be posted on X.
Sports
Women’s Volleyball vs University of Alaska Anchorage on 12/4/2025 – Box Score
Sports
#11 Creighton Volleyball Outlasts Northern Colorado to Advance to Second Round of NCAA Tournament
Courtesy of Rob Anderson, Creighton Athletics
OMAHA, Neb. — No. 11 Creighton Volleyball was pushed to the brink but survived to win its 21st straight match on Thursday evening, opening up NCAA Tournament play with a 3-2 victory over Northern Colorado. Scores of the Bluejay triumph were 25-12, 23-25, 23-25, 25-17, 15-8.
Creighton earns itself a Second Round match-up against Northern Iowa (26-5) after the sixth-seeded Panthers finished off their first reverse sweep in the NCAA Tournament since 2022 with a 15-25, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-10 win over Utah. Creighton defeated the Panthers at D.J. Sokol Arena on Sept. 14 to close out play at the Bluejay Invitational.
Five women had multiple kills in the first set as Creighton powered past Northern Colorado, led by six kills from Ava Martin. Martin also had a pair of aces late in the set to solidify CU’s 25-12 victory. The Jays hit .438 and had 17 kills to UNC’s six kills on .000 hitting and never trailed in the frame.
UNC snapped Creighton’s 17-set win streak with a 25-23 victory in the second set, which featured nine ties and five lead changes. Isabel Bennett had go-ahead kills to make it 23-22 and 24-23 and Alayna Tessena put down the winner on set point. Northern Colorado had 15 kills and 18 digs in the second set and held the Bluejays to 11 kills and .200 hitting. Martin had seven kills for CU in the second set, while Sydney Breissinger added six digs.
The Bears won the first three points of the third set and moved in front 8-4 to force an early timeout from CU head coach Brian Rosen. The stoppage did little to improve the fortunes for the hosts, who called another timeout six points later after falling behind 12-6 to the Big Sky Tournament champions. The second timeout did the trick, as the Bluejays countered with an 8-2 burst to even the score at 14-all. Northern Colorado settled down, never surrendering the lead, and led 23-20 before one last push from the hosts. Martin pounded her 18th kill of the night, and Nora Wurtz followed with her 56th ace of the fall to cut CU’s deficit to 23-22 and lead UNC coach Lydnsey Oates to call timeout. Martin slammed a cross-court kill to tie the score at 23-all, but UNC answered with a Zoe Gibbs kill for a set point opportunity. The Bears won the set on a Bluejay attack error, 25-23.
The Bluejays got off to a 6-2 lead in the fourth set thanks in part to three early UNC hitting errors, then extended the advantage to 14-6. The Jays won the set 25-17, with freshman Abbey Hayes stepping up with a team-best four kills. CU had 4.5 blocks in the set, including one of set point from Reinhardt and Martin.
Creighton got off to a quick start in the fifth frame, scoring the first three points on two Martin kills and a UNC attack error. CU led 8-3 at the changeover
Martin was dominant with 30 kills on 65 swings, while Jaya Johnson finished with 12 kills. Reinhardt rounded out the Bluejays in double figure kills with 10. Annalea Maeder closed the match with a double-double, delivering 53 assists and 20 digs.
Tessena led Northern Colorado with 14 kills, while Brynn Reines finished with 11 kills
First serve of tomorrow’s Second Round match is at 6:30 p.m.
NOTES: Creighton improved to 18-14 all-time in 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 12-3 mark in the First Round … Creighton has won 21 straight matches, its third-longest streak in program history … Creighton is now 8-4 in home matches in the NCAA Tournament, including five straight victories … Creighton has won its last 11 home matches this fall … Creighton is now 4-1 all-time against Northern Colorado … Creighton has won 68 straight matches over unranked foes and 56 non-televised matches in a row … Ava Martinmoved into third place in CU history in career service aces with 126 … Ava Martinhad her 25th straight match with 10 or more kills and 108th in a row with five or more kills … Ava Martin had her 13th career match with 20+ kills, and seventh this season.
Sports
Throwers Set Personal Bests At Liberty Kickoff
LYNCHBURG – Propelled by a pair of personal-best performances in the weight throw, the Elon University women’s track and field team opened its indoor season Thursday at the Liberty Kickoff inside the Liberty Indoor Complex.
In the women’s weight throw, the Phoenix placed two athletes inside the top four. Adriana Clarke claimed runner-up honors with a personal-best toss of 18.14m, moving into third on Elon’s all-time performance list. Isabella Johnson finished third overall at 17.33m, also marking a new PR for the sophomore.
Elon also featured three competitors in the pentathlon. Senior Lizzie Lopez was the top Phoenix finisher, placing seventh with 3,510 points. She highlighted the event by tying for first in the high jump with a clearance of 1.65m. Freshman Greta Urbonaviciute debuted with a tenth-place finish and 3,309 points, landing inside the program’s top-10 performance list. Classmate Carolina Frada scored 2,832 points to place 11th in her first collegiate pentathlon.
ON DECK
Elon continues action at the Liberty Kickoff on Friday, beginning with the women’s 5,000-meter run at 10 a.m.
— ELON —
Sports
Five Dons Earn WCC All-Academic Honors
SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference officially announced its Volleyball All-Academic team for the 2025 season on Thursday afternoon.
For San Francisco, Crystal Galaviz, Jamie Low, Shannon Knight, Astrid Puig, and Abby Wadas earned WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention honors.
At the conclusion of each athletic season, the West Coast Conference selects an all-academic squad for each conference-sponsored sport. To be considered, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average, while also being a significant contributor to her team and in at least their second year at their school.
The full 2025 West Coast Conference Volleyball All-Academic Team can be viewed below:
2025 WEST COAST CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
| Name | School | Class | GPA | Major |
| Genevieve Bane | Saint Mary’s | Gr. | 3.70 | Busiiness Administration |
| Olivia Bennett | San Diego | Sr. | 3.54 | Behavioral Neuroscience |
| Lucie Blazkova | Washington State | So. | 3.92 | Psychology |
| Maddie Boerstra | LMU | Gr. | 3.82 | Sociology |
| Nevaeh Bray | Portland | Gr. | 4.00 | Sports Business |
| Lucia Busso | Portland | Sr. | 4.00 | Marketing |
| Alyson Cox | Pacific | So. | 4.00 | Computer Science |
| Alyssa Eimer | Santa Clara | Sr. | 3.94 | Marketing |
| Grace Flanagan | Santa Clara | Jr. | 4.00 | Studio Art |
| Kate Herrick | Gonzaga | So. | 3.91 | Biology |
| Emma McMahon | Pepperdine | Sr. | 3.83 | Psychology |
| Chloe Pravednikov | Pepperdine | So. | 3.63 | Pre-Business Administration |
| Maui Robins | Portland | Sr. | 4.00 | Marketing |
| Lauren Rumel | Oregon State | Sr. | 3.91 | Speech Communication |
| Cate Shanahan | Santa Clara | Jr. | 3.83 | English |
| Lexi Trapani | Santa Clara | Jr. | 3.88 | Business |
For more information and updates on the University of San Francisco volleyball program, follow the Dons on Twitter @USFDonsVB, @USFDonsVB on Instagram, and @USFDonsVball on Facebook.
Sports
No. 3 Volleyball Opens NCAA Tournament Versus Campbell – Texas A&M Athletics
The Aggies ensured their third-straight tournament berth under the leadership of head coach Jamie Morrison, concluding the regular season and SEC Tournament with a 23-4 record. Their performance throughout the year earned them the highest AVCA ranking in program history of No. 6 and their first NCAA Tournament hosting opportunity since 2019.
Shining at home this season, the Maroon & White boast a 9-1 ledger at Reed Arena with its lone loss coming against then-No. 3 Kentucky (3-1). The 12th Man has been a force all year, as they helped break the program attendance record standing 9,801 strong versus Texas as well as accounting for another five top 10 attendances during the 2025 campaign.
Texas A&M’s depth of talent has been evident throughout the year and was rewarded during the SEC’s postseason honors, as a conference-high four Aggies were named to the All-SEC First Team including Logan Lednicky, Ifenna Cos-Okpalla, Maddie Waak and Kyndal Stowers. The honors didn’t stop there as Lednicky was named an AVCA Player of the Year Semifinalist, while the group accounted for 24 total accolades throughout the season.
The Matchups
Texas A&M enters its third NCAA Tournament with coach Morrison at the helm of the program, coming off a sweet 16 run during the 2024 season. The Maroon & White played the role of the hunter last season, downing No. 3 seed Arizona State in on their home court in the second round and came up just short in a five-set thriller against No. 2 seed Wisconsin.
The Aggies earned their highest seed since 2015 at No. 3 and welcome Campbell, TCU and SFA to Aggieland. They open their campaign versus the Camels who hold a 23-6 ledger and earned their second ever NCAA Tournament bid after winning the CAA Championship title in a five-set battle with Hofstra.
Friday’s meeting will be the first all-time between Texas A&M and Campbell. The Camels hold a strong 8-3 record when playing on the road but will come against the 12th Man and the Maroon & White’s 9-1 ledger in Reed Arena. On the stat sheet the Aggies hold the advantage in five of the seven team statical categories leading Campbell in kills per set, assists per set, hitting percentage, opponent hitting percentage and blocks per set, while the Camels have the upper hand in aces per set and digs per set.
Tracks and Trends
Logan Lednicky sits nine kills away from climbing to fourth in career kills at Texas A&M, she would pass three-time Olympian Stacy Sykora who has 1,586 kills.
Ifenna Cos-Okpalla has 159 blocks on the year and is three away from breaking her single season best of 161 and six from recording the most in a season since 1999 (165).
Streaming & Stats
Fans can watch the match on the ESPN+ and follow stats on 12thman.com.
Tickets
Fans can purchase their tickets to the opening round matches through 12thman.com/ncaatickets.
Students will be granted free admission to tomorrow’s game if they show their student ID’s at the north entry of Reed Arena.
Parking
Make plans to arrive early and exhibit patience for the expected traffic and parking congestion around Reed Arena. Multiple parking options are available for fans:
- General parking is available around the arena on gameday for $5 – cash AND card payments accepted.
- Fans with a valid TAMU parking pass can park for FREE in lots surrounding the arena. Make sure to have your pass barcode ready to show the lot attendant.
Follow the Aggies
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M volleyball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M volleyball team on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter by following @AggieVolleyball.
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