By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
Mariah Bahe, a member of the Navajo Nation with Eastern Band Cherokee heritage, took second place in the Junior Girls 95lb division at the USA Boxing Elite and Youth National Championships held Dec. 1-8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Bahe defeated Carina Rojas, from Las Vegas, Nev., in the semifinals before losing a split decision to Jackaline Garcia, of Rawlins, Wyo., in the finals.
Mariah Bahe, a member of the Navajo Nation with Eastern Band Cherokee heritage, took second place in the Junior Girls 95lb division at the USA Boxing Elite and Youth National Championships held Dec. 1-8 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo courtesy of Bahe family)
“I thought this tournament was a good experience, and I am proud of how well I competed and how I performed,” said Bahe, who resides in Chinle, Ariz. on the Navajo Nation. “I think that this was a little step to where I want to be and it was just a great experience.”
According to Team USA Boxing, over 700 boxers competed in the National Championship event.
She qualified for the National Championships by winning her division at the USA Boxing Eastern Elite Qualifier and Regional Open Championship held in October in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Bahe, a freshman in high school, has been in the sport of boxing since she was 5-years-old. She started out watching her brothers and sisters in the Damon-Bahe Boxing Gym in Chinle, and she started competing six years ago the age of 8.
Following the National Championships, her father and coach, John Bahe, stated, “It was so amazing to be here with such an amazing young lady. It was her first time in the Junior Olympic division, and we’re thankful for a silver medal at the national tournament. We are truly blessed by an awesome God.”
In an interview with the One Feather following her regionals win in October, Mariah Bahe stated, “My goal is to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics – to show every girl out there that anything is possible.”
