Bellevue's Wyatt Sumser jumps with Olympic aspirations

Put me in, Coach.

That never happened for Bellevue graduate Wyatt Sumser . So, he jumped the line.

Among stories in this year’s Michael K. Bosi athlete of the year series, Sumser found another way to get noticed. He climbed to the top as a state champion in the high jump in Division II this year.

More than that, he found a place where it didn’t matter that he stood out for being small. Even if he did grow six inches sophomore year to 5-foot-10.

“I don’t think people gave me the shot I deserved when I was younger in other sports,” he said. “I went to track to make a legacy for myself. Nobody believed in me. I have something I tell myself, ‘Be so great, they can’t ignore you.'”

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Sumser knew he could make the jump to spotlight status as an athlete, validated when he cleared 6-9 in Dayton to establish a Bellevue record. He also finished sixth in the long jump.

“I had to prove those people wrong,” he said. “Track allowed me to prove I had what it takes to be great. Every sport other than track. Nobody believed. I wasn’t the strongest, I wasn’t the biggest. (When I wasn’t small) it was kind of too late for the others.”

Sumser played on the freshman basketball team his first year in high school. He chose to stop playing because he believed he was doing things to get noticed at practice but was overlooked.

“I was in the gym every day,” he said. “I worked my butt off. I trained. I wasn’t good enough. I knew I was good enough, I just never got the shot I felt I truly deserved.”

It’s not that he didn’t take it personally, but he certainly didn’t quit. He spun, ‘What about me?’ into a state championship.

He missed his first two attempts at 6-5 at state.

“It was make or break, if I wouldn’t have accomplished that jump I wouldn’t be where I’m at,” he said. “It was my last attempt, I had to get it. Get over it or my state dreams are gone. I said a quick prayer, I was angry at myself in the moment.

"That was one of my angry jumps. I get angry; I get in a zone. I’m slamming my foot down; get that power jump. I call it an angry jump because I’m getting over that bar no matter what.”

He first topped the school record (6-5) at Shelby.

“It was a cold day, I didn’t think I would jump well,” he said. “It was a relief; that was my main goal coming into the season. People asked me about the school record, I told them we’ll see where the Lord takes me, the Lord always has a plan.”

Sumser’s path to track extends to Tiffin.

“My main focus and goal, I want to become an Olympian,” he said. “I chose Tiffin to be near friends and family and still have a lot to give back to my community. One of my main goals to give back to the community is to become a track coach here when I’m out of school.

“Bellevue has the best track coaches in the area, they want to see you succeed and do your best, like friends. For that, they deserve the world.”

Sumser played varsity football his final three years at receiver and safety.

“Football brought me close to my teammates,” he said. “It’s a bond. You build bonds with teammates. You’re basically going to war. They support you, they help you up. That bond lasts your entire life.”

Sumser loves to remember Bellevue’s victory over Shelby as the underdog when he was a sophomore.

“We were supposed to get blown out,” he said. “I didn’t play in that game, but it was one of the craziest experiences I’ve had as a player.”

Sumser connected with girls track coach Michael Wagner and especially with boys assistant track coach Dylan Fultz. Sumser was varsity his final two years.

“I’d love to coach with Dylan,” he said. “He’s always been like a brother to me. (Assistant) Christian Booze, more for football, he sees me in himself. I was undersized. He was undersized. That chip on your shoulder.”

It’s great to be a champ. Sumser enjoyed what others got out of it.

“The experiences, what made them so special were the smiles on my coach’s faces, my teammates’ faces and my parents’ faces,” he said. “Knowing I made them proud made the experience so much better.”

mhorn@gannett.com

419-307-4892

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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Bellevue's Wyatt Sumser jumps with Olympic aspirations