BOXING: Alday Jr. earns spot in final

IRVING Odessa’s Joey Alday Jr., representing West Texas, defeated Roscoe Hill of the Gulf Boxing Association by a 5-0 score Friday during the 141-pound semifinals of the Men’s State Boxing Tournament at the Irving Police Athletic League Boxing Gym.

Alday advanced to today’s final, where he will meet Steven Belmontes of Corpus Christi for the title.

Alday is using this tournament as a testing ground as he prepares for the USA Boxing National Championships, which start Feb. 27 in Fort Carson, Colo. The National Championships will serve as qualifiers for the United States team that will compete in the Americas Continental Qualifier for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.