Milpitas Unified School District

A trio of young, talented Milpitas Boxing Club amateur boxers—representing three of our Milpitas Unified School District elementary schools—continue to elevate their performance and achieve new milestones in the ring.

The three 10-year-old fighters—Jaiya Chavez, a 4th grader at Pomeroy Elementary; Diana Nande Perez, a 5th grader at Randall World Languages School, and Bryan Roxas Jr., a 5th grader at Spangler Elementary—competed at the Sugar Bert Championships on November 21-23 at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. 

“All three of these young athletes demonstrate discipline, perseverance, and character both inside and outside the gym,” said trainer Aaron Chavez of Milpitas Boxing. “They train daily, serve as positive role models to the other kids, and truly represent our gym, the city of Milpitas, and our community at the highest standard.”

At the USA Boxing regional ranking amateur tournament, which showcased top boxers from across Northern California and beyond, including Hawaii, Ohio and the Bahamas, Jaiya won her 60-lb bracket in dominating fashion to become Sugar Berts Regional Champion. This latest victory, along with winning a National PAL Championship back in October, has boosted Jaiya’s national ranking from #7 to #4 in a loaded 60-lb division. Jaiya—who is Aaron’s daughter—is also ranked at 65 lbs.

In just her second fight, Diana delivered a strong performance to win her 95-lb bracket and her first Regional Championship. She now enters the national rankings for the first time at #3 in the nation in the Bantam division.

Bryan, who came into the tournament with just one fight under his belt, stepped up after being placed in the Open division full of experienced fighters and “showed tremendous courage and heart,” Chavez shared. “Although he didn’t get the win, Bryan Jr. stood toe-to-toe with one of the best in front of a large audience, showing no fear and giving an inspiring performance. We are extremely proud of him.”

Our strategic commitment #3 is to create pathways where every learner can explore their passion and that extends outside of the classroom into the community to help provide these experiences for our students.