A teenager from Santa Maria High School has earned a chance to compete to represent the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Carlos Balderas is 17-years-old, 5 foot 8, and has a record of 127 wins and about nine losses, according to the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District. He recently won a key fight at the World Championships Team Trial in Tennessee by defeating a National Golden Gloves Champion in the lightweight final round bout.
Balderas has been a member of the Youth National Boxing Team since January. The team fights internationally and trains at the official Olympic Training Center in Colorado.
“This is something I have been working for since I was seven,’’ Balderas said via a Santa Maria Joint Union High School District press release. “I am excited to represent the United States.’’