Valley's Wisniewski boxing for title

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April 5, 2006

By Pete Chiodo The Meadville Tribune Wed Apr 05, 2006, 12:33 AM EDT

04-05-06 — It’s not every college student that spends their time in between classes either in the gym working out or on the road hoofing a five-mile runs two times a day.

Then again, not every college student can call themselves an All-American boxer either.

Josh Wisniewski, a 2004 graduate of Conneaut Valley High School, is one of those few. And this week he’ll be trying to add another title — national champion.

Beginning Thursday, Wisniewski, a sophomore boxer for Lock Haven University, will compete at the National Collegiate Boxing Association Championships, which will be held at the Eldorado Hotel and Casino in Reno, Nevada. The tournament runs through Saturday.

Wisniewski advanced by winning the 125-pound title at the Eastern Regional Championships, which was held in mid-March at the West Point Military Academy. Wisniewski defeated a boxer from Shippensburg University in the title fight, scoring four standing eight-counts on his opponent, which forced the referee to stop the match.

This year’s trip marks Wisniewski’s second straight trip to the national championships. He went last year as a freshman and ended up placing third. This time he’s looking to finish at the top, which, he says, will be a nice pay-off for all the long workouts and miles that he’s logged.

“You spend nine months out of the year in this sport,” said Wisniewski of his training. “It’s like three sports straight. In between classes you’re cutting weight, working out, running. But it will be worth it at the end.”

Wisniewski — with a career record of 8-6 — is relatively new to the sport. His freshman season was his first.

At Conneaut Valley he was a multi-sports star in both baseball and football, the latter of which he started at quarterback for three seasons. And according to Lock Haven boxing coach Dr. Ken Cox, Wisniewski’s wide-ranging athletic abilities made him a natural for a sport as demanding as boxing.

“He’s a real good athlete,” said Dr. Cox. “Most of my guys at Lock Haven have never boxed before. It’s not a real big sport for high school kids. But (Josh) came out for the team and he was good at the very beginning. That’s because he was a good athlete to begin with.”

A teaching assistant who was also an assistant coach for the boxing program noticed Wisniewski one day in class and asked him if be interested in becoming a boxer.

“He asked me to come down to practice,” said Wisniewski. “So I went. And the next thing I know I’m in West Virginia in a boxing match.”

Later that year, boxing in the 125-pound class, Wisniewski won the Eastern Regional Championship — a rare feat for a freshman.

That win sent him to nationals where he eventually lost in the semifinals to Jeremy Biggs of Navy by a score of 4-1. Biggs went on to win the title, defeating Jose Casas from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Both Biggs and Casas are expected to be back at 125 for this year’s tournament, making Wisniewski’s weight class a brutal one.

“It’s a real tough weight class,” said Dr. Cox. “Josh can beat both of them (Biggs and Casas). But he’s got his work cut out for him.”

Wisniewski hopes the experience he’s picked up over the past year should pay-off if he were to meet Biggs again.

“I just have to pressure him for six minutes non-stop,” said Wisniewski. “There can’t be anything left out of there. (At last year’s tournament) I beat him in first round, but then in the last two he just overwhelmed me. He had more experience and experience was everything.

“This year I’ve got a good chance. I’ve learned a lot in the last year and a half.”

Pete Chiodo can be reached at 724-6370 ext. 275 or by e-mail at pchiodo@meadvilletribune.com.

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