He may only be a 15-year-old freshman at Ravenwood, but the name Matthew Rigsby is starting to make waves nationwide for his elite status as a triathlete and runner.
Matthew will attend the USA Triathlon (USAT) Junior Elite Men’s Specialty Camp November 6-9 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. With only 13 athletes ranging in age from 15-17, Matthew is beyond thankful for this opportunity to learn and grow as an athlete.
“I am extremely honored to have this opportunity,” said Matthew. “I’ve spent countless hours training, and this has been a goal of mine for the past two years. I hope to be able to take what I learn and apply it as I continue to train and compete as a triathlete and as an RHS runner. It is important to me to continue to improve in my abilities and contribute my best as a team member.”
Two former USAT Junior Elite Champions, Kevin McDowell and Ben Kanute, who are also current Olympic trials competitors, will run the camp.
“I know I will learn a lot from them and the other coaches at the camp,” said Rigsby. “It will also be a great opportunity to get to know the other athletes at the camp. We race against each other regularly during triathlon season, but we live in different parts of the country and train with our own coaches and teams.”
Athletes are selected for the camp based on two rankings, the Junior Elite Series ranking and the national ranking. Matthew is currently ranked fourth and third respectively. When he is not studying and competing for Ravenwood, Matthew competes as a member of the Southeast Jr. Tri Team.
“I’ve known Matthew since he was a rising sixth grader attending our fist middle school cross country conditioning camp,” said RHS cross country coach Peter Mueller. “Even at that age he showed not only the physical potential to be a strong endurance athlete, but the singular focus it takes to succeed. Every time I’ve worked with him, I’ve seen significant improvement, and I think his accomplishments illustrate how hard work yields success.”
