Lockport’s Matt Ramos is headed overseas with a chance to become a world champion.
Ramos, who will be a senior in the fall, emerged from a field of the best youth wrestlers in the country to win the United World Wrestling World Cadet Team Trials at 51 kilograms, or 112 pounds.
That earned him a spot on the United States team for the Cadet World Championships, which will be held July 3-8 in Zagreb, Croatia.
Lockport assistant coach Jameson Oster will join Ramos in Croatia as a member of Team USA’s coaching staff.
“I feel like everything I’ve worked for my whole life led up to this,” Ramos said. “I’ve always dreamed of having the chance to represent my country. This is the opportunity I’ve been looking for and this is why I’ve worked so hard.”
Ramos beat Anthony Ferrari, an Allen, Texas native, in the championship round of the team trials June 3 in Akron, Ohio.
In a best-of-three format, Ramos captured two straight matches, beating Ferrari 6-5 and 6-1.
“The first match, I built a good lead and then I kind of laid off,” Ramos said. “He came back, but I held on. The second match, everyone told me to be more aggressive. I had to step it up.”
The victory marked a major breakthrough for Ramos, a two-time state placer who took third in Class 3A at 113 as a junior.
“Matt’s always been close,” Lockport coach Josh Oster said. “He was second at Fargo last year in both (the Cadet Freestyle Nationals and Cadet Greco-Roman Nationals). He was third at state. He’s been that guy that’s always been almost there.
“It’s great seeing him take this next step and winning this. He puts in a lot of hard work and he deserves it.”
Ramos said the key was becoming a more offensive-minded wrestler.
“I tried to be more aggressive at the team trials,” he said. “My teammates and coaches really pushed me to do that and they helped me a lot. Now, I’ve got to keep doing that at Worlds.
“If I can wrestle like I did at the trials, I’ll have a chance to win at worlds.”
Regardless of the outcome in Croatia, Ramos knows he will get valuable experience. He’ll attend a training camp at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs the week before the competition begins.
“I’ll get to wrestle with some of the best wrestlers in the country there and work with some great coaches,” Ramos said. “Then in Croatia, wrestling against international guys will help me learn a lot.
“Everyone says international competition is really different with guys using different styles.”
Jameson Oster, meanwhile, is also thrilled to represent the U.S. as a coach and to be there for Ramos, his longtime pupil.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun for me and it’s a big honor,” he said. “The main thing, though, is getting the chance to help Matt.
“I’ve worked with him a lot and we have a great relationship. We’re similar wrestlers. I’m really happy for him that he’s getting this opportunity.”
Ramos can’t wait to put on the Team USA singlet for the first time in international competition.
“Being able to go into a new country with a new team and represent my country, it’s going to be awesome,” he said.
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.