Don’t let his small size fool you, Ben Schluter, a 101-pound, 14-year-old Skyridge Middle School student, is one of the best teen boxers in the country.
After winning first place at the Regional Silver Gloves Tournament in Boise, Idaho, earlier this year, Schluter finished fifth at the national tournament, held Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, in Independence, Missouri.
The Camas teen had a tough draw at nationals and had to fight Antwoine Dorm Jr., a two-time national champion from York, Pennsylvania.
“He was really fast, not really that powerful, but real quick, and he got two eight-counts on me, which is where they stop the fight temporarily,” Schluter said. “After the second eight-count, they stopped the fight, unfortunately.”
The teen boxer’s father, Tim Schulter, has been in his son’s corner since their first trip to the boxing gym in 2012, when Ben Schulter was 7 years old.