JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WJAC) — A trio of local athletes will represent the United States in international competition this summer.

6 News met with the group that plans to add some more medals to a growing trophy case.

For most athletes, summer usually means time off to recuperate, but for three local wrestlers, summer will be as busy as ever.

Bishop McCort wrestlers Keegan Bassett, Melvin Miller, and Bo Bassett are fresh off of a successful trip to Las Vegas where each of them won gold in their age group at the US Open.

Keegan won U15 gold in both Greco Roman and freestyle wrestling at 41 kilograms - roughly 90 pounds.

Bassett won Pan-American gold last year and he says he knows what it will take to win in Peru this year.

"I think I just got to keep doing what I’m doing because obviously I won it last year, so I know that it's working. So just keep doing what I’ve been doing."

Miller, who won a PIAA state title in March, won gold in the U17 71-kilogram division - roughly 157 pounds – and will represent the United States World Team in Jordan this summer.

This will be his first time competing internationally and he says he expects to win gold there as well.

"All my teammates, my family, my support system, I mean they all believe in me. I mean 'why not you?' That's what my coaches always say."

At the U20 level is Bo Bassett, who is also a newly minted PIAA state champion, and won gold at 65- kilograms - roughly 143 pounds.

He's already experienced at the world level and says earning the opportunity to represent his country was a challenging task.

"As far as winning tournaments, this was probably the toughest one ever. Just with the amount of talent that was in the weight. There were over 125 kids. There were a lot of really good guys and you had to qualify to be in this. You had to be pretty prestigious in your own right to be in the tournament."

Making the world team is a two-step process for Bassett as he has an automatic spot in the finals of the team trials, and he'll have to win a best of three series to represent the United States in Spain come September.

But his spot to wrestle at the Pan-American championship in July is secured.

With all three of the guys competing internationally, they say this experience will only help them when they get back to high school wrestling.

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