Josue Lopez '13 (Legal Studies), took first place at the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) National Championships on April 7, 2012 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Lopez is president and founder of the intercollegiate Boxing Team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has trained with local coach and former Western Massachusetts Golden Glove champion Rocky Snow since 2010. “We’re very proud of Josh,” Coach Snow said in a telephone interview. “He has worked hard for this.”

To make it to the finals, Lopez beat Kevin Jones from West Point in the quarter finals and Andrew Munoz from the Air Force Academy in the semi-finals. Lopez won the championship over Ali Ali from the Virginia Military Institute in a walkover, but had previously beaten Ali four times, including at the Eastern Collegiate Boxing Association (ECBA) Regional Tournament where Lopez took first place and was named All American for the second year in a row.

With an 11-2 record this year, Lopez – and the entire UMass Amherst Team – is in great shape for next year’s competitions. “We’ll be training all summer, and our first collegiate fight will be in Maryland in October,” says Snow. “I expect the Team to take a few championships next year.” Currently, the Team is ranked fifth in the nation, and – in addition to Lopez’s first place standings – also boasts the second place regional champion for the 125lb female class: Eydis Lima.

This success may seem surprising to those who have followed the UMass Boxing Team. After all, the Team only held its first fight in 2011.  “It’s been 14 months, and we have a two-time all American, two-time regional champ, last year’s 3^rd in the country, and now a national champ with Josh,” says Snow.  “I expect great things next year – for both our males and females.”

Lopez has also been recognized for his academic achievements. On April 1, he was named a William F. Field Scholar by the UMass Alumni Association. The award, named in honor of the university’s first Dean of Students, recognizes outstanding academic achievements.