STANFORD STUDENT SELECTED TO COMPETE IN THE 2024 OLYMPIC TRIALS FOR BOXING

DANTE KIRKMAN, STANFORD UNDERGRADUATE AND PALO ALTO NATIVE, HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR THE 2024 OLYMPIC TRIALS FOR BOXING 

PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dante Kirkman, an undergraduate student at Stanford University and a native of Palo Alto, California, has been selected by USA Boxing to compete at the 2024 Olympic Trials for Boxing.

Kirkman, age 22, is a USA Boxing Elite Level amateur boxer who has been nationally ranked multiple times. He will fight in the 156 lb light middleweight division. The invitation-only qualifier tournament is being held this December 2nd-9th in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Kirkman has already received professional contract offers but remains focused on advancing to represent the USA at the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. Kirkman travels and trains regularly both nationally and internationally with top boxing professionals.

Kirkman is trained by Eddie Croft of B Street Boxing in San Mateo, California. Kirkman has been boxing under Croft's tutelage since he was 10 years old. Croft is the former WBC Continental Americas Super Bantamweight champion, and he established B Street to train the next generation of professionals and give back to his local community.

Coach Croft says that Kirkman is a generational talent in boxing. "I haven't seen anyone at his age with the genius level of boxing IQ that Dante has. Besides being an incredible athlete, Dante's tremendous versatility in his boxing skills and his deep knowledge of strategy and technique set him apart. He's the smartest amateur today in boxing, hands down."

At Stanford, Kirkman has a 3.9 GPA and is majoring in Art Practice with a focus on boxing from an aesthetic and art historical viewpoint. As a creative writer, Kirkman is a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of around 50 recipients nationwide annually, and was awarded a White House medal.

He has also been involved in sports governance, having served as a Student Member of Stanford University President's Committee on Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation, and as an Athlete Representative on the USA Boxing Referee/Judges Committee.

Kirkman plans to turn professional as a boxer at the opportune time and become a champion in the sport as well as a force in the business of boxing. Kirkman says his goal in boxing is not only to win championship belts, but also to use his presence to uplift communities and emphasize the importance of getting an education. 

"When I'm the face of boxing, I will be a positive role model for youth so they can uplift themselves by pursuing their education. They can stay off the streets and build character and discipline through boxing."

"I know first-hand the positive influence on kids that occurs everyday in boxing gyms across the country and at the amateur competitions organized by USA Boxing."

"Boxing is more than a sport – it is a cultural phenomenon with a proud history of empowering disadvantaged communities, and I will be part of giving back and paying it forward to continue that tradition."

Instagram: @dantekirkman | TikTok: @dantekirkman

Instagram: @bstreetboxing

SOURCE B Street Boxing