Luis Yanez, Akima Stocks also honored
Press Release: Flyweight Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, OH) was named USA Boxing’s 2006 Athlete of the Year. Warren, a 2004 Olympian, won two national titles as well as victories at two international competitions. Light flyweight Luis Yanez (Duncanville, Texas) was selected as USA Boxing’s nomination to the United States Olympic Committee for their athlete of the year award.  Light middleweight Akima Stocks (Newark, NJ) won the award as female Athlete of the Year. grabbed two national championships and a silver medal at the 2006 Women’s World Championships.
Warren opened the year in January with two victories over Belarus at the USA vs. Belarus Dual in North Miami, Fla., and Baltimore, Md. He went on to win his second straight U.S. Championships title in March at the 2006 edition and he grabbed the gold medal in impressive fashion. Warren won stoppage victories over all three of his opponents in the competition, taking the title with a second round stoppage over Oscar Venegas in final round action. Warren’s efforts earned him the Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament award for the second straight year.
Due to a slow international calendar, Warren didn’t compete in a major tournament again until the 2006 National PAL Championships in Oxnard, Calif. He once again recorded three commanding victories, stopping two of his three opponents en route to his first National PAL title. For the second straight event, Warren was given the Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament award. His victory earned Warren a berth in the 2007 U.S. Championships, the lone direct qualifier to the Olympic Team Trials.
After winning gold in two straight national championship competitions, Warren took his first trip of the year outside of the United States to compete in the 2006 World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan. Warren moved up to the bantamweight division for the international event and recorded victories over opponents from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Warren once again held the number one position in the United States from the first through fourth quarter rankings. The 2006 Athlete of Year award is the first that Warren has received after being named USA Boxing Athlete of the Month several times over the past two years. He can become the first boxer in 30 years to compete in two Olympic Games if he makes the 2008 Olympic Team in August.
Stocks opened the year at the 2006 U.S. Championships in Colorado Springs where she defeated two-time defending national champion, Tiffany Junot, to win her first U.S. Championships title. She continued her success in international competition, winning a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships in June, her first-ever international event.
Her roll continued into the fall as Stocks added a second national title at the 2006 National PAL Championships in Oxnard, Calif., as she once again took the light middleweight crown. Stocks finished the year with her most impressive accomplishment. She joined the nation’s top female boxers at the 2006 Women’s World Championships in New Dehli, India, November 18-23. Stocks won her first two bouts on stoppage victories to advance to medal round action. She added a third victory with a 25-13 decision over Romania’s Luminita Turcin in semifinal action to advance to the final round. Stocks dropped her championship bout to win a silver medal for the United States.
Yanez enjoyed a standout year, winning the U.S. Championships, National Golden Gloves and Under 19 National Championships in his first year in the senior division. The 18-year-old finished his 2006 run with a bronze medal at the 2006 Junior World Championships in Agadir, Morocco.
