RIMERSBURG, Pa. (EYT/D9) — Union High School athletic director Scott Kindel approached Dawson Camper with a question.
“How many school records are you going to break?” Kindel asked.
Camper smiled.
“Every single one,” the sophomore said.
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
Camper has started that journey with a school mark in the shot put when he muscled up a throw of 53 feet, 9 inches at Karns City for the Union/A-C Valley boys track and field team.
That record of a shade over 49 feet held by Denny Divins had remarkably stood since 1965.
He has is eyes set on other records, too, in other sports. Camper wants to see his name littering those books.
“I mean, it feels great,” Camper said. “I work hard. I’m trying to get as many school records as I can. I’m going to work my hardest at that.”
Camper didn’t set out to snap the shot put mark in the first meet of the season Wednesday.
He’s only competed in the event for barely more than a year and his goals were just to improve throughout the season in the hopes of qualifying for the District 9 championships.
But all the changed on his second throw when he hit 53-9.
“Coming in, I figured I was going to get something in the 40s,” Camper said. “I got done with my race, and I ran up there real fast. The first throw was kind of bad. But then my second throw, I really just launched it. It really surprised me.”
It wasn’t completely shocking, however.
Camper steadily improved throughout last season and got stronger this offseason, adding lean muscle to his 6-foot-3 frame.
He also tackled his technique, working on ironing out the kinks in his mechanics to become a better thrower.
“I’ve come a long way,” Camper said. “Last year I was reaching 40 to 43 (feet). I worked hard at it. The biggest thing for me was using my lower body. Most people when they first pick up a shot, they’re all upper body. It’s a really hard thing to learn to get your hips open and really push through.”
Camper’s record also makes him the king in his own home.
His father, Kevin, threw the shot up at Union when he was in high school and topped out at 49 feet, narrowly missing setting the school record himself.
“He set me up for that challenge,” Camper said of his father. “He said if I break the school record, that’s something he could never do.”
Camper has now changed his expectations in the event.
He wants to hit 60 feet before the season ends. He also wants to win the district crown and see what he can do at the state level.
“Right now, I’m really just working on trying to get more of my lower body into it, Camper said. “I’m still not doing that 100%. I have a lot of improvement to make.”
Camper is also a standout in two other sports: football for Union/A-C Valley and basketball for Union.
Using a combination of speed and brawn — Dawson is a terror to bring down — he rushed for 631 yards and 13 touchdowns.,
He was also a standout on defense at defensive end and linebacker, recording 41 tackles (six for a loss).
On the basketball court, Camper dominated on the glass, pulling down more than 12 rebounds per game.
He also scored 8.8 points per contest.
“All of my sports really come together,” Camper said. “They all push me in different ways.”
Camper is looking forward to seeing how much more he can accomplish.
“I have a lot of time. I mean, this is only my sophomore year,” Camper said. “I’m gonna work as hard as I can until I hit that senior year, and hopefully I can finish well.”
And, of course, with records.
Every single one.
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
Fall Sports
Rocky Grove and Lakeview Team Up for Mason
