Terps land Blue-Chip Heavyweight Myers
Sep 10th, 2009 | By viratas | Category: Maryland, Open Mat Originals
By Willie Saylor, Editor
Pennsylvania Big Man, Spencer Myers, Has Lofty Athletic, Academic Goals; Looks Forward to Working with Coach McCoy
The recruiting process was quite a grind for Pennsylvania prospect Spencer Myers. Not only was he negotiating where he might continue his wrestling career, but as an honor-student, also strongly considered academic programs.
On Thursday, Spencer put the decision to rest as he informed The Open Mat of his decision to attend the University of Maryland.
According to Myers, Maryland had the best mix of everything he was looking for: quality and personable coaches, great academics, and reasonable proximity from his parents’ Selinsgrove, PA, home. “As this process began, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was very overwhelming at times. It was a huge decision in trying to find the right fit for me. Although there are many great places where I’m sure I would have felt at home, I believe I made the best choice.”
Myers, who is ranked as one of TOM’s Top Prospects at Heavyweight, enjoyed a stellar Junior campaign. He won districts and the tough Northeast Regional Tournament and rolled into Pennsylvania’s state finals. After taking an early lead, Myers severely sprained his ankle and he eventually dropped a 5-4 decision.
The same injury recurred in the finals of NHSCA’s Junior Nationals, where Myers was forced to default in overtime.
The ankle proved healed, however, when, despite missing valuable training time because of it, Myers racked up a 7-2 record in Fargo to place 5th and gain All-American honors in freestyle at 215lbs.
Right now, Spencer is competing for Selinsgrove’s #2 ranked football team at defensive tackle; a position in which he garnered All-State honors last season.
We had an opportunity to have a Question and Answer session with Myers discussing his decision. This is what he had to tell us:
WS: Spencer, you had a lot of quality schools and wrestling programs recruiting you. What let you to ultimately choose the University of Maryland?
SM: Maryland offers everything I need academically and athletically. I felt at home at Maryland and got along well with the coaches and the wrestlers. This is important to me because I’ll be living with them for the next five years. At Maryland, I believe they can help make me a four time National Champ, a great student, and a well balanced person. Maryland’s academic support is great and their facilities are phenomenal. Academically, they’ll give me the tools and knowledge I need to land a solid job when I graduate. Maryland is also a three hour drive from Selinsgrove, so my parents and family will be able to come to the matches. That’s important to me and them as they have not missed any of my competitions, including the Disney Duals and Fargo.
WS: Can you discuss your relationship and experiences with the coaches at Maryland?
SM: The coaches and I have developed a great rapport so far. Since July 1st, our relationship has grown and evolved. Coach McCoy’s personality is straight forward and laid back. My personality is the same. Both he and Coach Beckerman have been there to answer any questions but have not been pushy and have given me space to make my own decisions. I appreciate and respect that. They have been very up front and honest and that is another trait I admire in them.
WS: Talk a little more about the wrestling facilities and academic resources available to you at Maryland.
SM: Maryland has some of the best facilities I’ve seen. They have a great wrestling and weight lifting facility and I will need that to become the best I can. They also have a nutritionist who works with various pro teams as well as the university teams and after meeting with her, I feel she can help me maintain a healthy diet to achieve maximum gains. That is very important to my mother and I. They have an excellent engineering program, my anticipated area of study. The libraries are extensive with everything I need. With the academic support center, I will be able to get all the help I need. Although big, Maryland’s campus is beautiful and spread out so it doesn’t seem to be as large as some others. I like “green space.” Its layout allows you to walk freely without feeling crowded. There are a lot of great places to hang out with friends and study. Also, most classes will be in one area and easy to get to.
WS: For a big guy, you wrestle a lightweight style, shooting a lot of singles. Kerry McCoy was a similar heavyweight with great deal of success. Did that factor into your decision?
SM: Yes, it did factor in. I need to be able to wrestle big guys and be able to create angles for my shots. Coach McCoy has the experience with wrestling against bigger opponents also. I would love to win four National titles at 285 and since Coach McCoy has won two, he knows what it takes and the technique needed. I have confidence that working with Coach McCoy will make all the difference in my success as a wrestler.
WS: What are your goals for your senior year in high school?
SM: My goals for this season are to be a district, regional, and state champ. I also would like to finish the season undefeated and earn the number one ranking in my weight class. I want to end the season with the most falls in PA and break all our school records. Academically, I want to finish this year with a 4.0 GPA. In my other sports, I would like to be a 1st team all state D Lineman and earn Big 33 honors. I finished 2nd team all state last year. I would also like to help our football team win a state title. We finished 4th last year and are currently ranked 2nd. In track, I want to win districts in the discus and place at states.
WS: How about in college? What would you like to accomplish?
SM: I know I have set my goals high, but if I put my mind to it and do what is required, I can achieve my goals of becoming a 4 time national champ. Yes, I know that has only been accomplished once, but I know I can be the next. If one person can do it, so can another. I will also work to be a 4X ACC Champ and ACC wrestler of the year. Academically, I want to be an academic all American and strive for a 4.o. My last goal is to be able to kick Coach McCoy’s butt before I end my career!
WS: Is there anything else you want to say about the recruiting process?
SM: Well, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a big decision trying to find the right place for me. Through this process, I had the opportunity to meet some great coaches and gained a lot of respect for the coaches and their programs. It will be awesome to be around them for the next five years. The hardest part of this whole process was telling the other coaches about my decision as I didn’t want to let them down. Overall, I’m glad that I was fortunate enough to have this experience.
