Fort Frye’s Cameron Camp planning to attend Ohio Valley on a track scholarship
Cameron Camp
Fort Frye
Year: senior
Age: 18
GPA: 3.0
Favorite subject: art
Sports: football, track, wrestling
Hgt.: 6-2
Wgt.: 240
College: Ohio Valley University
Major: undecided
Family: Tim and Emily Camp; Brooklyn (sister)
Question: How’d you do at the St Clairsville D3 district track meet on Tuesday?
Answer: I was third place in the discus, and will be going to the regional meet.
Q: That’s great. How far did you throw it?
A:128 feet, and that’s a PR.
Q: What’s next?
A: Well, on Friday, I’ll do the shot put. I’d like to throw it 44-45 feet. My best is 43.9. I’ve actually done 47 feet in practice.
Q: How long have you been throwing, now?
A: (Laughs) I didn’t start competing in track and field until my sophomore year. But wrestling was the first sport I got into when I was a sophomore at Fort Frye.
Q: What about football?
A: I didn’t start playing until my junior year. I wasn’t very good my first year
Q: What did you do before that?
A: (Laughs) When I was real young, I played basketball, baseball, and even soccer. You see, I was home-schooled from the fourth grade to the ninth grade. I took some martial art classes, but I stopped doing that in the ninth grade.
Q: So, what’s your favorite sport, now?
A: Football’s my favorite team sport, but I really enjoy the individualism of wrestling and track. I’m going to OVU on a track scholarship.
Q: Did you consider playing football at the next level?
A: I got some offers, but I like OVU because it’s close to home.
Q: What position did you play in football?
A: I was a right tackle on offense. I liked pulling, and blocking — and I think the backs liked running behind me. I liked putting people on the ground (pancake blocking).
Q: What weight class did you wrestle in?
A: 220. I think I was 20-18. There’s a lot of mental toughness in wrestling.
Q: How about a couple of career highlights in sports at Fort Frye?
A: Well, going to the playoffs in football was pretty exciting. But losing to Nelsonville-York last fall was a heartbreaker.
In track, I won first place in the shot put in the PVC (Pioneer Valley Conference) at Shenandoah. I threw 43.9 and the runner-up did it in 43.7.
Q: Who has helped you develop as a student-athlete?
A: My family, coaches, and teammates have all pushed me to be the best that I can be.
Q: What do you do off the playing field?
A: I don’t have too much free time as a student-athlete, but when I do, I like to hang out with my friends and play Xbox.
Q: Do you have a favorite football team?
A: In the NFL, it’s the Browns, and in college, it’s Ohio State.
Q: I understand at one time you considered becoming a police officer?
A: It’s still a possibility. I’m undecided on my major at OVU, but I’m leaning towards criminal justice.
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Ron Johnston is a Marietta Times sports writer, and can be reached at rjohnston@dmariettatimes.com