LEXINGTON, Va. March 28, 2023 — VMI Boxing took to the ring for the USIBA 2023 National Tournament March 23 through 25 bringing home several accolades — for their sporting and academic endeavors.

Valor Boyd '24 was named champion in his division and Male Boxer of the Tournament. Aiden Simmons '23 claimed the champion title in his division, and coach Joe Shafer was named Coach of the Tournament.

College athletics are about more than just success on the field, on the court, or in the ring. They teach important life lessons about teamwork, perseverance, and time management.

The two cadets — along with a third from the club sport — were recognized for their achievements in balancing athletics and academics. Jackson Miller '24 and Boyd were named USIBA Academic All Americans and Simmons received the Ira Mitzner Collegiate Boxing Scholarship.

The Academic All Americans was actually suggested by Miller’s father to reflect superior boxing skills and academic performance. Gold is awarded to those with a GPA of 3.8 to 4.0; silver with a GPA of 3.60 to 3.79; and bronze with a GPA of 3.4 to 3.59.

Miller is in VMI's Institute Honors program, an English major, from Rockville, Maryland and was awarded the Academic All American gold. He is working as a neurosurgery research assistant this summer at Johns Hopkins University Medical School.

“Boxing teaches me how to problem-solve under pressure, which is an invaluable skill that has helped me in a lot of other areas of my life,” he said.

Boyd is an international studies major from Dallas, Texas. He was awarded the Academic All American silver.

“The demands, challenges, and iterated trials of college boxing have propelled every facet of my development as an individual,” he said. “Before even getting to the point of taking advantage of access to incredible opportunities I never would have seen without USIBA, I have had to increase my affinity for time management, capacity for personal discipline, continually develop my athleticism, increase mental and physical resilience, and generally strengthen my character in order to keep up with the greatly increased load on my person and already near maxed-out VMI schedule. For me, college boxing has meant an unparalleled boon in my ongoing pursuit of excellence.”

Simmons was one of two people who received the Ira Mitzner Collegiate Boxing Scholarship, which was established to allow a student, who demonstrates the same love and dedication to the sport of boxing, to pursue an education and enable them to develop the character needed to be as successful as Ira was in both school and on the stage of life. Simmons, from Aldie, is an international studies major who also serves as U.S. Coast Guard AUP unit commander at VMI.

Student athletes apply for the $2,500 scholarship by having a GPA higher than 2.5, multiple recommendations, being registered with USIBA and registered with the national tournament and more.

Rachel Mitzner, Ira’s widow, said her husband took up boxing at the age of 50. When he passed, to honor him, she said she wanted to give a scholarship to a boxing organization and to a young person, because Ira loved to mentor young students. 

Additional event photos are now available on VMI's Flickr account.

Laura Peters Shapiro
Communications & Marketing
VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE