Cramer increases his determination

Sandpoint senior Sheldon Cramer’s prep wrestling career hasn’t exactly gone according to script.

Fortunately for Cramer, the final pages of that story have yet to be written.

After an impressive fifth-place finish at state as a sophomore, expectations were understandably high for his junior year.

Cramer didn’t disappoint, making it all the way to the 215-pound semifinals before misfortune struck in the form of an excruciating collarbone-rib injury.

The adversity of that experience, along with a somewhat disappointing 9-3 start this season, though, has steeled Cramer’s resolve.

“My goal was to be undefeated,” said Cramer, who is competing again at 215. “I was the No. 1 seed at Tri-State, and I lost a couple of close matches there because I kept making the one mistake where I was leaving my arm behind and I couldn’t take my shot.

“My other loss was at the Pasco Duals, and I lost to a kid from Pasco in double overtime – it was one of the faster-paced matches I’ve ever been in.”

With the technical glitch fixed and Pasco in the rearview mirror, Cramer has again turned his gaze on a state title – and turned up the heat on his workouts.

“You definitely don’t want those losses to come at the end of the season,” he said, only half-heartedly buying into the oft-bandied notion that the taste of defeat can have a positive impact. “And I can still go undefeated the rest of the way.

“After Tri-State, I decided that I could probably push myself a little harder and get my conditioning up – it’s my senior year, and I don’t want to take any chances.”

Cramer points to Nampa’s Kevin Lester – a former practice partner – as the stiffest competition.

“I wrestled with him this summer at nationals,” Cramer said. “It’s going to be a close match, but I think I can beat him.

“I just have to use my strength and quickness and I should be able to get him.”

Cramer, one of three team co-captains, said Sandpoint should bring home some hardware from state.

“We’re looking really solid as a team – maybe a lot better than we should,” said Cramer, who was also a first-team all-state offensive lineman last fall for the football team. “At the Pasco Duals, we forfeited mainly two, but sometimes three, weight classes and still got third.

“That’s like winning just about every match.”

After high school, Cramer said he wants to study diesel mechanics.