NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT/D9) — The word is out on Cam Wagner.
He’s drawing a crowd. Curious onlookers want to get a glimpse of the Redbank Valley junior as he steps into the throwing circle and gets ready to launch a discus.
Far.
(Photo by Madison McFarland)
They crowd around the cage. Draw quiet as he spins. Erupt when the discus spins into the landing zone.
It’s a must-see event at Bulldog meets these days.
“It’s a compliment, for sure,” Wagner said.
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It’s also a lot of pressure. But Wagner is delivering.
Recently, Wagner unleashed his best throw yet in the discus at 160 feet, 10 inches.
It’s the second farthest throw in the state this season, according to milesplit.com, and puts Wagner again among the best in Pennsylvania.
That 160-10 throw was modest in comparison to what he was hitting during warmups.
State-championship-winning stuff.
The discus was flying.
“I was hitting around 170 feet, I’m assuming, in warmups,” Wagner said. “In the meet, though, I kind of think it gets into my head. I mean, it makes me feel like I can do it again and again and again. When it gets down to the meet, I think too much.”
Shutting off his brain and blocking out the crowd is Wagner’s next step in his throwing development.
Last year as a sophomore, Wagner was able to place fourth at the PIAA Track and Field Championships in the discus with a throw of 155-9 in Class AA.
Rushard Williams of Wyomissing won the state title with a distance of 169-7.
Wagner’s best throw last season was 157-1.
He’s already blown past that.
Wagner is still fine-tuning his technique.
“There’s only about two things I need to work on,” he said. “I need to work on my legs and their speed, and it seems like I through the discus too high in the air. I need to keep it lower. I’ve been working on that stuff in practice.”
Wagner doesn’t shy away from that challenge.
He is a mainstay in the weight room and often goes to practice early and stays late to work on his throws.
Even the weekends aren’t off limits when it comes to ironing out the kinks in his technique.
It’s all with one goal in mind.
A gold medal around his neck.
“I mean, it’d be just amazing to get that,” Wagner said. “It would be quite an experience.”
Wagner fell just short of a state title this fall as a member of the Redbank Valley football team.
Wagner was a quarterback behind Bryson Bain and Gunner Mangiantini on the depth chart. As a sophomore, he filled in for Mangiantini and won a playoff game.
He should get another crack at the starting job in the fall as a senior.
“If I’m not the main guy, I still show up every day,” Wagner said. “I still make sure I’m doing what I need to do to make the team better. I’m a team guy. I care more about the team and how we do as a whole rather than just me. If I do well, that’s a plus.”
Wagner feels like he can help the Bulldogs’ boys track and field team do big things this season. He also feels like he’s right where he wants to be at this stage for the season, building toward his best performance on the biggest stage at the end of May.
With lots of people watching.
“It feels amazing,” Wagner said. “It feels like all the work I’ve been putting in throughout my entire life has really be contributing to everything.”
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
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