Photo by Kim North Cameron’s Ian Bush, a WVU recruit, looks for a pin during Tuesday’s 30th annual Wheeling Park Duals inside WesBanco Arena.

WHEELING — Growing up, youth wrestlers always have that goal to compete at the NCAA Division I level. When you live in West Virginia, that goal is to wear a blue-and-gold singlet.

Cameron’s Ian Bush always wanted to be a Mountaineer. He realized that dream recently when he signed his National Letter of Intent to attend WVU.

“It’s been a life-long goal to wrestle Division I and to be able to do it at West Virginia University makes even that more sweeter,” Bush said.

The Dragons’ senior who carries a 4.0 grade-point average in the classroom looked at several Ivy League schools along with Clarion, but when it was all said and down, Morgantown was the place for him.

“It all came down to staying close to home,” Bush admitted. “WVU has a really good program and it is getting better and better.”

He also said the fact that his family and friends can see him wrestle also figured into the decision.

“Staying close to home allows my family and friends to come and see me compete for the Mountaineers. That was really important to me.”

Bush is the W. Va. Class A/AA 182-pound state champion as he went 27-0 last winter, with 26 of those wins coming by pin. For his accomplishment, he was voted the W.Va. Class A Wrestler of the Year.

He is also the reigning Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Ron Mauck Tournament champion at 170 pounds, which he won as a sophomore. The event wasn’t held last year due to COVID-19 protocols.

His goals this season are to repeat both of his championships, but, even more than that, he wants to win a team title. The Dragons nearly accomplished that feat last winter but fell one-half a point short and settled for second place behind Moorefield, 54-53.5.

However, had Bush not received a forfeit in his first-round match — something that should never happen at a state tournament — Cameron would have received bonus points for his win and would have finished atop the standings.

“It was good to win an individual state title, but we were a half-a-point away last year as a team,” he recalled. “I think we can do it this year.”

He said he will most likely slide into the 184-197 pound weight classes.

“That is what I will probably grow into,” he noted.

“I think WVU is a great fit for Ian,” Cameron head coach Tim Brown said. “He had a couple of other schools that were interested in him, but once he visited Morgantown that was it. He was really excited about that visit.

“I think he will do well. They will make him a better wrestler once he gets there.”

Bush has more than 120 career victories, picking up five during Tuesday’s Wheeling Park Duals inside WesBanco Arena.

One of those win was significant as he defeated St. Albans’ Elijah Edge 7-1 in a battle of defending state titlists. Edge is a Class AAA state champ and was runnerup the year before.

“It was a good match,” Bush said of the Tuesday triumph. “It’s always good to wrestle good competition. He’s a tough wrestler.”

“We always want to keep the best kids in West Virginia home and certainly I think he is one of, if not the best kid, in the state (West Virginia),” West Virginia University head coach Tim Flynn said in a release.

Bush first landed on the scene placing fifth to become a NHSCA High School Nationals All-American while earning his first trip to the state championships as a freshman.

The success transitioned into his sophomore season, where the 170-pound grappler posted a 45-3 record and finished runner-up.