Champion commits to wrestle for Labette

One of Green River High School's championship-winning wrestlers will be making his way across the country to pursue his academic and athletic goals.

Spencer Wright recently committed to wrestle with the Labette Community College Cardinals in Parsons, Kansas.

After being approached about joining the team, Spencer was able to make the trip to Kansas to check out the school and the area.

"It's kind of like Wyoming, just flatter," he said.

He noted that Parsons is a small town, and Labette is a school that focuses on athletics.

"The college is really old but the facilities, the wrestling and the welding and electrical facilities, are all brand new," Spencer added.

This is perfect for Spencer, since his plan is to get his welding degree and participate in the school's electrical program. His ultimate goal is to return to Wyoming to become an electrician.

While he works on his career path, Spencer is also looking forward to continuing his wrestling career through Labette's program. The head wrestling coach, Jeff Vesta, is an All American Wrestler and National Champion, so Spencer is excited to have a good wrestler to learn from directly. And Labette's assistant coach, Brady Vogel, is from Gillette, Wyoming, so Spencer will still have ties to home as part of the team.

As he makes his way to Kansas, Spencer will remember and build off of the highlights he had while wrestling with the Green River Wolves.

"Winning State twice in a row" was an obvious victory for Spencer and the whole team. "That was a fun one," he said.

But Spencer also had meaningful individual successes that stand out in his mind, such as wrestling in semifinals during his sophomore year.

"That was a big match," he recalled. "It was the toughest kid in the state and I beat him."

Green River's Head Wrestling Coach Josh Wisniewski also recalled some of Spencer's highlights during his high school career, including beating another top competitor during this past season's Ron Thon Tournament.

"There's so many great moments," Wisniewski said. "But the biggest thing is just watching him, how he carries himself every day, and as a leader to the kids below him."

The coach pointed out that Spencer has strong leadership skills and is generally a good person who works hard and does all the right things.

"I think his style of wrestling will be perfect for the next level," Coach Wisniewski said. "He's got a great opportunity to go in and compete and see what happens. He's not scared to get after it and get better. He's very coachable. So the sky's the limit for him." 

One of Spencer's other coaches, who also happens to be his dad, agrees.

"With his hard work ethic in everything he does, he'll be fine," Coach Eric Wright said.

Eric pointed out that Spencer always spent as much extra time with his teammates as he could, and he was always willing to do extra work without complaining.

"The team always came first," Eric explained.

Spencer credits his dad Eric with being one of the main reasons he got into wrestling at an early age, since his dad was also a wrestler. But Spencer also noted that it was his mom Misty who signed him up and got him started in his wrestling career.

While Misty admitted that Spencer being 14 hours away for college is a downside, she still supports his decision to go to Labette.

"I think it's a good fit for him," she said. "I think he'll do well there."

Misty also pointed out that she's seen Spencer grow through his time wrestling, especially noticing a difference from his freshman to his senior year of high school. She said he didn't miss a single practice in four years, and he learned responsibility and leadership.

"Wrestling makes you tough, period," Misty said. "He had a lot of good successes and a lot of learning. It's been good for him. It helped him mature and realize that nothing's handed to you. You've got to earn it."

Spencer also noted that the idea of getting what you earn is one of the biggest things he's taken away from his time wrestling.

"You've got to work hard to get what you want," he said.