Forest technology major Anthony J. Tettis, profiled on PCToday in February, fell short in his quest for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. But the Ridgway resident is justifiably proud of lasting so long on the tryout road, a committed year-and-a-half journey that endedat last month's final qualifying event in Houston."I drew, right off the bat, the top three guys in the nation," said Tettis, a sophomore at Pennsylvania College of Technology. "The guy that beat me is going to be the 2008 Olympian in my 201-pound weight class."
Houston was the culmination of Tettis' summer at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where his nine-hour-a-day workout included the "awesome" experience of running and conditioning in the Rocky Mountains. It also marked the last stop on a whirlwind string of qualifying victories that spread from local tournaments ... to the whole state ... to the East Coast ... to the entire country.
"I'm upset because I worked so hard and dedicated my life to get into the Olympics; it was always my biggest goal and I was so close by a fight or two," he said. "But, then again, I'm not. Because I was the youngest guy by about five years (Tettis turned 21 last month) and the lightest one by about 18 pounds."
Tettis went 1-2 in his bouts at Houston, where he also had the opportunity to spar with a "few big-name pro boxers." Then it was back to Elk County, where he was welcomed with a hometown parade before returning to Penn College for the fall semester. And while he concentrates on his studies at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center, his dream remains alive.
"Like I said before, making the Olympic team was always one of my main goals," Tettis emphasized. "So I will be trying out for the 2012 Olympics held in London."
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