Katie Kerecz returned to the big stage in Lubbock, Texas, for the USA Boxing National Championship wanting to take home the gold.
Kerecz, 13, was in this spot last year with a national title at her fingertips but fell just short.
She, nevertheless, battled back. The Leechburg resident was relentless and chipped away until she earned gold, winning the title defeating Aracely Ramirez by stoppage in the second round.
“I got emotional,” said coach Rich Cantolina, who owns Sanctuary Boxing Club in New Kensington. “I cried for sure. I watched that kid struggle for five years and chase this dream, and to be there first-hand was unbelievable. It was like a movie moment. Everything just slowed down. To hear her name get called as a national champion was unreal.”
Kerecz landed two punches in the second round that led to two standing eight counts. After the second eight count, the referee stopped the bout.
Kerecz got creative using Canelo Alvarez’s signature move.
“I was just feeling it in the second round,” Kerecz said. “The Canelo move is when you throw one hand so they look that way, and then you punch them. I box the best when I just go in there and have fun. When I’m under pressure, I just move my head and do what I want to do.”
With the win, she now is ranked No. 1 in the United States in her age group at 114 pounds.
The referee lifted her hand, and the Sanctuary Club and her family celebrated.
“My mom was really happy,” Kerecz said. “She was there with me, and she started jumping up and down saying, ‘You won, you won.’ My dad and my sister called me right away and started yelling. My friends were texting me in all caps and sending videos. It hyped me up. People from the gym texted me saying, ‘Let’s go, you finally made it.’ It was a good feeling.”
Cantolina, a professional boxer, mentioned that he and Kerecz have similarities as both love to have fun when in the ring.
Makya Wade, 11, of Cheswick also competed and earned a silver medal. Wade has won two national championships and is second in her age group and weight class.
Kerecz said Wade gives her good competition in the gym and that she has a great relationship with her.
Cantolina is proud of both. For Kerecz, he said the time to win a National title was coming.
“On a scale of one to one hundred, her love for boxing is one hundred,” he said. “She’s always inquisitive, always asking what worked and what didn’t.”
Last year, Kerecz lost in the finals in Wichita, Kan., via referee decision in a tight fight. She kept going.
“I told her if she quit, she’d live with a ‘what if’ for the rest of her life,” Cantolina said. “She showed back up on Monday, and we went right back to work. She loves to coach, help others and call things out when she sees them.”
Kerecz developed a passion for boxing. At 9 years old, she wanted to join the fight team and compete.
Cantolina would say no until she was ready. She didn’t stop going after her goal of competing and reached last year’s final.
“She went home, developed an insane work ethic, and, eventually, it just clicked,” Cantolina said. “She purposely chased the best girls. She never avoided competition. Those hard fights and hard losses paid off and made her who she is now.”
Added Kerecz: “I’ve always told myself there’s really no failure. Failure is just a learning process. You learn from mistakes, and then you just keep going. It took me about two years to get on the fight team, but if you just keep going, it eventually comes.”
Kerecz took home the third national championship for Sanctuary Boxing.
Her next goals are to get better day-by-day. She is happy for her support system.
“It’s very important to me that my parents support me and drive me to the gym,” Kerecz said. “Rich has been there through the hard times and the losses. He’s more than just a coach to me.”
Cantolina said that Kerecz is amazing out of the ring, too, as she teaches and helps lead the gym.
He added that she stays every week to teach the Wyatt’s Warriors classes, which is a boxing class for students with special needs.
“We climbed the mountain brick by brick, and it took everything we had,” Cantolina said. “I used to shut the lights off and cry, wondering if I made the right decision. Now I sit there grateful, because I prayed for these days. We don’t want to be the best team in Pittsburgh. We want to be the best team in the country. Changing lives through boxing will always be No. 1.”