Jeremy McCleary, the feisty, 125-pound Plateau pugilist who just finished his sophomore year at White River High School, won a close decision in the title bout of his weight division at the Junior Olympic Boxing Regionals in Ontario, Ore., in late May.

The event brought together fighters from Idaho, Montana, Washington and Oregon.

The cat-quick McCleary is now competing in the Junior Olympics Nationals, which began Monday at Camp Lejuene, N.C. The nationals will culminate Saturday with the championship bouts in each weight classification.

With the critical victory at regionals, McCleary, who is a product of the RayMac Boxing Club in Bonney Lake, elevated his overall record to 33-11-0.

He will be making the odyssey to North Carolina under the familiar flag of the Tacoma Boxing Club and the tutelage of Tom Mustin.

Mustin, the director of the Pacific Northwest Boxing Association and head coach of the TBC, has been overseeing the progress of promising amateur prospects for three decades.