DUNGLOE southpaw Mark McCole has advanced to the quarter-finals of the 2017 National Elite Championships – and faces a two-time champion tomorrow.
McCole overcame Arklow’s Fergal Redmond tonight in a preliminary round contest at The National Stadium.
McCole, who has won an Irish Youth 2 and Irish Colleges title before, took the verdict of all five of the judges at ringside to move into the welterweight quarter-finals.
McCole had the measure of the experienced Redmond, a regular feature at these Championships, to book a meeting with Dean Walsh tomorrow night.
The nephew of former IABA Head Coach Billy Walsh, Dean has two Elite Championship titles to his name – following his wins at light-welter in 2014 and 2015.
Also tomorrow night, Oakleaf ABC welter and St Johnston native Brett McGinty takes on Strabane’s Ross Boyle. McGinty and McCole are on opposite ends of the draw so cannot meet until the final.
Illies Golden Gloves light-flyweight Darryl Moran is already guaranteed a place in the February 17 finals, with Blaine Dobbins and Connor Jordan set to fight next week for a berth against the Buncrana man.
Carrigart’s Maeve McCarron is the female champion at 81+kgs.
Former Raphoe ABC puncher Caroline Connolly, now back with her native Mourne GG in Strabane, will face Leona Houlihan of Crumlin in the female 81kgs final.
Next week, LyIT student Saidhbh Greene – attached to the St Brigid’s Edenderry club, but who trains at Twin Towns while in Donegal – will face Dealgan’s Emma Agnew in a 64kgs semi-final.
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