For boxer Josue Avila, second place is as good as last place.

Avila, sophomore in mechanical engineering and member of the ISU boxing club, qualified for the NCBA National Boxing Tournament, which will be held in Mashantucket, Conn., on April 4-6, 2013.

“He’s tenacious and that is definitely his strong suit,” said boxing club coach John Swanson. “’Tenacious’ is definitely the word to describe him.”

Swanson also describes Avila with a different word.

“I call him ‘badass,'” Swanson said. “There’s different types of boxers: There are hard workers who go out and give 100 percent the whole time; you got guys that are slick and can move around; and you got guys like Josue who are just badasses.”

Avila joined the club at the beginning of last year after hearing about it. Aside from friendly boxing with his high school friends back in his hometown of Marshalltown, Iowa, Avila had no boxing experience.

A year and a half later, Avila is going to nationals for his second time at 132 pounds.

“When I first started, I had trouble staying calm and my mind wasn’t really with it,” Avila said. “But I liked it, and I kept coming back.”

Going into his second national tournament, Avila said just getting there is not enough.

“It’s not as exciting as last year,” Avila said. “Last year I was just glad to be there, but this year it’s different. It’s all business and being there isn’t enough.”

At this year’s national tournament, the stage will not only be familiar for Avila, it will be bigger. ESPNU will be televising the tournament live.

“ESPN got in contact with me, and they are going to be there and they just wanted to know a little bit about me,” Avila said. “But it’s not a big deal for me. It does not matter if they are there or not; there will still be a fight, and that is all I am focused on.”

As for motivation, Avila found plenty after the National Collegiate Boxing Association’s Midwest Regionals.

“Last year at regionals I got first. This year I got second and to me, getting second is like getting last,” Avila said.

His silver medal from regionals hangs from the wall of the office next to the ring. Tacked to the wall next to the medal is a bold print sign reading: “My motivation to train harder is the loss that got me this medal!”

Cody Campbell, junior in agricultural studies, has been sparring with Avila in preparation for nationals.

“He fights his own fight and doesn’t let anything else dictate it. I’ve got about thirty pounds on him, but when you’re in the ring with him, you have to watch out because if he gets up on the ropes, he will just come back and explode on you,” Campbell said. “He’s just a natural and even though he’s younger than me, I still look up to him.”