Zion Hensley, a 12-year-old boxer from Canfield is known for winning Junior Olympic Gold last July. She now has the title of "National Champion" following her performances in Shreveport, Louisiana over the last several days. 

Hensley generally competes in the bantam class for 11-12-year-olds, but was moved up into the intermediate class of 13-14-year-olds, for better competition. 

On Thursday, Zion defeated the No. 1 ranked intermediate boxer in the nation, Makayla Castanon of San Antonio, advancing to the championship match on Friday night. Hensley then beat the nation's No. 2 ranked intermediate boxer in Mia Garcia of Billings, Montana for the National Title. With it, Zion, or "Z," now owns the No. 1 rank for boxers across the United States in both the bantam and intermediate classes, according to her father, Jay. 

She is the first female to ever be crowned a national champion from the Valley, and with her recent success, has already qualified for the upcoming Junior Olympics in July. She says she's grateful for the entire community's support through her journey over the last several months. 

"It's very special, especially how everyone was supporting me back home and it's very exciting."