Franklin Regional's Spencer Lee takes wrestling silver in Paris, but to his fans he's gold

Greg Sill was heartbroken by Spencer Lee’s loss in the Olympic wrestling finals Friday, but he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of hometown pride.

The assistant varsity wrestling coach at Franklin Regional High School watched in awe before 2017 graduate Lee took home a silver medal from Paris.

“I just feel so happy for him — it’s something he’s been training for, he’s been wanting to do since he was 8 years old,” he said. “This is literally his dream coming true.”

On Friday afternoon, about 300 people gathered at Rick’s Sports Bar & Grill in Murrysville to support Lee in his quest for a gold medal. They cheered loudly as the match began, groaned when the gold slipped away, and then cheered again in recognition of Lee’s accomplishments.

“It’s well-represented,” Sill said. “People from all over just to support Spencer.”

Japan’s Rei Higuchi, the top seed, used a takedown early in the second period to defeat Lee, 4-2.

“I think obviously when you get to this pinnacle, your goal is to win it,” said Matt Lebe, head wrestling coach at Franklin Regional. “I’m sure it’s going to be a disappointment, but at the end of the day … we’re so proud of him.”

The large crowed at the watch party exemplified how beloved Lee is in his hometown, Lebe said.

A better view of the crowd here at Rick’s in support of Spencer Lee @TribLIVE

(I stood up on the stage for this one since I am short!) pic.twitter.com/86NGpqjjCb

— Megan Swift (@mgswift7) August 9, 2024

“This says a lot for our current wrestlers, for our alumni and people who started this program,” he said. “It means the world.”

Lee’s fans at Rick’s said they weren’t surprised to see him make it to the final round. Many predicted he would win gold.

As a silver medalist, he became the first Westmoreland County athlete to win an Olympic medal.

Lebe said Friday’s outcome won’t deter Lee from seeking the gold again.

“As long as Spencer wants to win, he will be in the position to win many gold medals,” he said.

Growing the sport

Nathan Smith said he met Lee about 10 years ago when they started wrestling each other at Franklin Regional and became “real good buddies.”

“It feels like getting hit by a semitruck,” he said of wrestling with Lee. “It was kind of almost mythical in a way — it just didn’t feel real.”

Smith, 24, of Murrysville said the pair discovered they had similarities outside of wrestling like playing video games — and they lived just over a hill from each other.

“I used to go over to his house and play Pokémon,” he said. “It’s awesome to see someone you know go on to do such great things.”

While Lee was wrestling at Franklin Regional, Smith, who graduated from the district in 2018, said he was “just one of the guys.”

“He was just another person,” he said.

Smith said he wasn’t surprised Lee made it as far as he did — given his work ethic.

“Everyone expected it,” he said. “It was just a matter of when.”

Though the loss was disappointing, Smith emphasized that Lee is now an Olympic silver medalist.

“It’s heartbreaking to know everything he went through just to get there,” he said.

Colton Camacho, another wrestling teammate of Lee’s from high school, texted Lee Thursday night ahead of the big match.

“It was pretty awesome to be around a high-class athlete like that,” said Camacho, 23, of Edinboro. “He’s a big nerd, but he’s also a great person; I literally spent like every day with him for basically two years.”

Lee’s confidence can sometimes be mistaken for arrogance, he said, but that’s not the case.

“He’s a pretty down-to-earth guy,” Camacho said. “He’s just a good human being all around.”

In the two years Camacho wrestled with Lee, he said he only got three points against him.

“He just whipped my butt a bunch of times,” Camacho said.

Before meeting Lee, Camacho said, he had heard of his reputation in wrestling. Once they met, though, Lee became a leader on the Franklin Regional wrestling team, as well as a big brother and coach figure to Camacho, he said.

“If Spencer’s healthy, he’s extremely dangerous,” Camacho said.

Lee’s future

Eric Mausser was Lee’s coach for his freshman through junior year at Franklin Regional.

“He’s a great kid — had a lot of expectations for himself,” said Mausser, who is now the principal at Mercer Area High School. “He was an intense kid.”

The wrestlers always had to write down goals ahead of the season, and he said Lee always said he wanted to be an Olympic gold medalist. That’s the reason Lee went to wrestle for the University of Iowa.

“He’s always adapting, always getting better,” Mausser said. “He just continued to develop.”

Friday’s match between Lee and Higuchi was great, he said.

“You feel bad for Spencer; you know how much time he’s put into it, his family’s devoted to it,” Mausser said. “It was great to see all the support he had in Murrysville.”

The loss was deflating after seeing Lee take the early lead, Sill said.

“Once he gets on top of you, usually it’s a lights-out game,” he said of Lee’s skills. “He’s just a total package as far as a wrestler goes.”