Camryn McManus is shown with two of her coaches, Matt Wright (left) and Jimmy Mustakis, after she won the first-place title for Girls Tot 55 pound in the NJ-USAW championship.
A 6-year-old Clearview junior wrestler recently became the first female in program history to win a title in the NJ-USAW championship.
Camryn McManus won the state title for her division, the girls tot 55 pound.
“She’s still on cloud nine and has requested that her family refer to her as ‘champion’ from now on,” said McManus’ mother Rachel. “Camryn is a sports girl, through and through.”
“Camryn has been an outstanding wrestler since day one, when she started coming to optional practices over the summer,” noted wrestling coach Carem Carrero. “She stood out early, not for being the only girl in the room, but for being the hardest worker. She had an incredible season and beat almost every boy she wrestled this year.
“I could not be more proud of her state championship,” Carrero added. “I cannot wait to see her grow through our program, and I have a feeling this will not be her last state championship. Congratulations Camryn, you deserve it. “
According to McManus’ parents, the wrestling tot also competes in soccer, softball and soccer. She was first introduced to wrestling and tried out for her team at the Clearview summer programs. Despite her gender, McManus’ teammates and coaches welcomed her wholeheartedly..
“They made her feel so welcomed into the group and welcomed her into the wrestling community with open arms,” Rachel McManus recalled. “She has made many friends, and the boys on her wrestling team have been so supportive. She always has many teammates cheering her on from the sidelines.”
“As proud of her as I am,” coach Jimmy Mustakis said, “the pure joy on her face is the best part of watching her wrestle. She just loves it, and she’s not afraid to let the boys know it either.”
McManus’ parents and coaches see her as a true pioneer for other girls who want to get into the sport.
“Camryn has been a true pioneer in female wrestling within this organization,” coach Matt Wright related. “She is paving the way for other girls to see that when they set goals and accompany those goals with a little grit, those goals become realities.
“Can’t wait to see what the future holds for this little wrestler.”
With the championship and the season out of the way, McManus is learning new skills, fine-tuning existing ones and focusing on off-season wrestling practices.
“We are so incredibly proud of the hard work that Camryn has put in to this season,” said Rachel and McManus’ father Ethan, in a joint statement. “In a boy-dominated sport, she has really been able to shine and show off everything her wonderful coaches have taught her throughout the season. We would love to see more girls join Camryn at Clearview Junior Wrestling.
“It’s a great program and we think our girl is a true testament to that.”
