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a community engagement initiative of Momence CUSD #1
While Momence eighth-grader Hunter Wigmore was born in the mountains of Vail, Colorado, he considers Momence home. He shares that he was only a week old when his family moved to the Midwest. With a father who grew up in Southern California and a mother who grew up in Momence, Hunter also spends considerable time with his grandparents in California.
Hunter loves sports, especially baseball. While he enjoys going where needed, he primarily considers himself an infielder, emphasizing pitching, catching, and first base. When asked what position he plays, he recites several before adding that he plays ‘pretty much anywhere the coach needs me to play.’
My mom and dad shaped me into who I am today. They push me and help me do all the right things.
By Barry Engelhardt
Classifying himself as competitive, Hunter is a three-sport athlete. When not playing baseball, he also enjoys football and basketball. He shares that he used to play for a travel baseball team and anticipates spending the summer in Costa Mesa, California, visiting with his grandparents and playing baseball.
Hunter looks up to his parents and says that baseball runs in his family. He says his “mom and dad shaped me into who I am today. They push me and help me do all the right things.” He also shares that ‘my dad turned me into a baseball guy.’ Hunter’s father and uncle grew up playing professional ball in Southern California. While his father stopped playing after high school, his uncle was drafted by the New York Yankees, fighting through the ranks to play AA ball.
One of Hunter’s favorite sports moments occurred during a travel tournament in Bettendorf, Iowa. While he shares that his team ultimately lost the game by a lone run, Hunter hit his first, over-the-fence homerun on a field that ran two hundred fifty feet on the corners. Hunter batted in a pair of runs with a runner on second. Even though the team lost the game, it “Lit a fire in my stomach; I’ve got to do better and work harder.”
Hunter’s dream is to play pro baseball, which is one of the reasons that he considers physical education his favorite subject. His second favorite subject is math, and he’s intrigued by finance and wants to explore becoming a financial advisor as a backup plan.
A straight-A student, Hunter is working his way through Algebra I as he finishes junior high school and plans to work through geometry, algebra 2, pre-calculus, and calculus in high school. He shares that school comes somewhat easily for him, but he doesn’t always enjoy reading and writing, preferring to consume information by audio or video whenever possible. He shares that reading can sometimes be slightly boring for someone who likes to remain active.
Hunter’s love of the coast, especially California’s beaches, is evident. He considers the California Angels his favorite baseball team. He hopes to go to college at Orange Coast College in Southern California.
Whether Hunter remains with his mother’s side of the family in Momence or returns to the coast, where his father was raised, he shares that he’ll keep pushing hard to do his best. While his singular goal is to become a professional baseball player, he also admits that maintaining high grades is critical. Whether he stays in Momence, moves to California, or goes wherever his coach needs him, he’ll always be a kid who calls Momence home.
