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By KIM NORTH
For The Intelligencer
WHEELING -- The 40th annual Ohio Valley Toughman Contest turned into a western Belmont County showcase Saturday night.
Half of the eight weight class victors hailed from Barnesville, Belmont and Bethesda, with Belmont having a pair of titlists.
One of them was Kameron Chervanek who claimed her third Toughman jacket as she won the women's middleweight crown before a large crowd inside WesBanco Arena. With the hard-earned victory over Pittsburgh's Destiny Morrow, Chervanek is officially retired from Toughman action.
According to Toughman rules, an individual can only win three championships before they are retired.
"This one feels a little better because I know it's my final one," Chervanek allowed. "I told people I was going to win three and then retire. So here it is."
The Union Local graduate and current Penn State student won her first championship in 2018. After taking last year off, she captured the Clarksburg Toughman Contest's middleweight division last month.
"I'm thinking about turning pro," she admitted. "It's not a sure thing just yet, but it's something I want to do."
Bethesda's Bradley Huntsman scored a third-round TKO of Barnesville's Kaelan Hannahs in the men's heavyweight final. The first two bouts were fairly even until Huntsman landed a huge right that sent Hannahs over backwards.
"We're best friends," Huntsman said. "I can't wait to go and give him a hug. This feels great."
Barnesville's Hunter Markovich defeated Moundsville's Steven Carney for the men's cruiserweight title.
"It feels pretty good right now," the 6-7 Markovich offered.
Belmont's Victor Velasquez earned the men's middleweight championship with a first-round KO of Weirton's Hunter Sweat.
Aaron Huff, of Wellsburg, won the men's bantamweight title with a decision over Ashon Coffield, of Cumberland, Md.
The men's welterweight championship went to James Rivera, of Washington, Pa., with a hard-fought decision over Bellaire's Abhay Horvath, who had won the Clarksburg title earlier this year.
Rounding out the winners were Shasta Pyles, of Fairview, W.Va., who defeated New Philadelphia's Gabby Bolon in the cruiserweight class, and Cadance Benedict, a mother of five from Lewisburg, W.Va., won a close decision over Wheeling's Adrienne Nelson for the bantamweight title.