Local middle school wrestler representing U.S. in international competition
SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — One middle school wrestler in Sullivan has been dominating at the local, state, and national level.
Now, he is ready to show his talents to the world.
8th grader at Sullivan Middle School, Spenser McCammon, will soon trade out his Sullivan purple for a red, white, and blue singlet, representing team USA at this year's Pan-American Wrestling Championships.
'I think it will be a pretty cool experience', Spenser McCammon said. 'Hopefully it's the first of many.'
McCammon has been living and breathing wrestling since he was born, watching his father, Jade, compete on a national level. Jade said his son picked up the sport naturally.
'Having him in the room, just being around it, before he even competed in it, really gave him a leg up', Jade McCammon said. 'He was learning through osmosis, and he didn't even know it.'
Spenser began competing himself as soon as he entered kindergarten, racking up wins with ease, so he strived for more.
'He said he wanted to win a state title, so we went and did that the next year', Jade McCammon said. 'I asked him what he wanted to do after that and he said he wanted to be a triple crown, which is all three state titles in one year, so he went on a four-year run where he did that every year. Then I asked him what he wanted to do after that and he said national titles, so he's done that. Now, present day, he's making a USA team.'
Although the wins were coming in bunches, McCammon said his relationship with the sport hasn't been all positive.
'I've kind of fell in and out of love with it, sometimes you can go through a little adversity', Spenser McCammon said. 'I've really fallen back in love with it over these last 8-9 months.'
In April, McCammon made a name for himself in Las Vegas at the U.S. Open, where nearly 80 wrestlers competed at the 15U level. He said that didn't waiver his confidence.
'I've always been in the running with some of the best guys in the country, just at any competition, so I knew I had a chance at being up there with them', Spenser McCammon said.
Not long after, he got the news.
'We kind of had an idea, just from the system that they used, but I didn't really figure it out until two weeks ago', Spenser McCammon said.
On May 22nd and 24th, McCammon will represent the United States in the 48-kilogram weight division at the Pan-American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
But of course, he isn't looking to stop there.
'It's going to be a goal from here on out, but next year I'll be eligible to make a world team, not just the Pan Ams', Spenser McCammon said. 'That will be the goal for the coming years.'
The Pan-American Championships will be both a team and individual competition for Spenser.
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