Fairmont's Littleton crowned national wrestling champion at age 7

Apr. 29—FAIRMONT — Wrestling with your friends or siblings is commonplace for many a seven-year-old — perhaps to settle a serious dispute over a stolen comic book, or perhaps just to let off some steam.

For Fairmont's Michael Littleton, he's putting his grappling skills to work against much tougher competition, for much greater prizes.

On April 23, Littleton became a national wrestling champion, taking first place in Bantam 95 at the Triadelphia, West Virginia-based "Tournament of Champions," one of three major national youth wrestling championships in the country. Littleton — who had already been crowned West Virginia Junior State Champion for the second year in a row — bested Michigan state champion Paxton Vamvas via pin 34 seconds into their bout.

"It was a great moment," Littleton's mother, Amanda Berry, said. "[Littleton] was ecstatic, he was tearfully excited."

After formerly taking place in Columbus, Ohio this year's Tournament of Champions took place in the Highlands Sports Complex in Triadelphia, and had participants from more than 30 states within its walls. Littleton's emergence atop the nation's 95 Bantam division capped off a 2021-22 wrestling season where Littleton compiled a record of 67-11 in 8U 85.

Seventy-eight matches in the regular season alone is a prolific amount — Littleton's championship opponent Vamvas, for example, was undefeated at 27-0. Littleton and Berry travel nearly year-round for wrestling, with the champion getting in matches most every weekend.

Even with the high work-rate, for Littleton, wrestling is anything but a chore.

"He's the kid that doesn't ask for a day off," Berry said. "He asks 'What practices are we going to today, Fairmont or Felix?' He doesn't want a day off. It's not something I push him to be good at, he pushes himself."

Littleton attends Rivesville Elementary, where he is in second grade. He has wrestled since the age of four, and trains with the West Fairmont Junior Wrestling Club, where he is coached by Grant Sisk, and Felix Wrestling Academy, where he is coached by former Olympic trials medalist Danny Felix.

While wrestling certainly keeps him busy, Littleton also plays football and baseball. And while he racks up championships, the bantamweight from Rivesville Elementary is still enjoying being a kid.

"It's really something that's made us close, because it's something we do together. He's really all kid, all boy — he's like a different kid on and off the mat. He turns it on when he's on the mat, but when we're travelling he's just a seven year old, swimming at the hotel pools, making friends.

"He's made so many friends in wrestling, there's nowhere we've been lately where he didn't know one or two kids at least. Michael's very well-liked. He's a sweet kid, he's just a tough little wrestler."

Reach Nick Henthorn at 304-367-2548, on Twitter @nfhenthorn_135 or by email at nhenthorn@timeswv.com.