A victory at a last-minute boxing match puts a Sanger woman one step closer to her dream of making Team USA and competing for gold when the Olympics come to L.A. in 2028.

Two days before a match set for Sunday, Aug. 31, 18-year-old Alyssa Samorano got the call to fill in for a fight as women and girls from across the western U.S. took on fighters from Great Britain in Portola.

“We were iffy about it, it was so last minute, I wasn’t training 100%, but I kind of thought about it the whole day,” Samorano said. “I come to the gym everyday, even if I don’t train 100%, I’m here every day training no matter what. So I felt confident that I can do good and I can take the fight no matter what.”

The championship belt Samorano walked away with after her win marked her ninth since she began her box

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