Rising freshman athlete Cameron Thornton is already making a name for himself across multiple sports after a standout eighth-grade year at Minneola Charter School.

Cameron will attend Lake Minneola High School this fall and he capped off a fantastic 8th grade school year by winning a district championship in the high jump during his first season competing in track and field.

“I have been playing basketball since I was 4 years old,” Cameron says. “I just started track and field this year.”

Despite being new to the sport, Cameron quickly found success. He says winning the district title in high jump gave him confidence and proved he could excel outside of basketball.

“Winning first place in the high jump this year was great,” he says. “Being new to this sport it was a challenge because I am so locked in with basketball. The fact that I came in first place and did so well just gave me a huge boost of confidence in myself.”

Cameron also qualified for the state finals in track and field, an experience he described as unforgettable.

“States was a great experience,” he says. “This being my first year I was just happy to have made it to the state finals. Although I didn’t get first place, I was just happy to put Minneola Charter on the map and represent my school.”

Basketball, however, remains Cameron’s greatest passion. The 3.8 GPA student has been competing in AAU travel basketball since he was 9 years old, traveling around the country and sharpening his competitive edge.

“My favorite memory so far is me traveling with my teammates playing AAU basketball,” he says. “Traveling around the country playing basketball are probably some of the best times I’ve had with my teammates.”

One of Cameron’s biggest moments came this past season when he scored 44 points against East Ridge Middle School in a highly anticipated rematch of the previous year’s finals.

“I didn’t realize at the end of the game that I scored that many points,” Cameron says. “I was in a zone and couldn’t be stopped.”

Cameron helped lead Minneola Charter to a district championship in basketball and earned team MVP honors while helping guide the team through an undefeated season.

“Winning the district championship this year was probably my highest moment of this year so far,” he says. “Losing some of our players last year, I knew that I would have to physically and mentally lead my team. I didn’t only just want to win, I wanted to dominate and go undefeated.”

Cameron says his competitive mindset comes from years of playing multiple sports, including football, baseball, soccer and basketball since the age of 4.

“Once I started playing travel basketball, it changed the way I compete,” he says. “Almost every weekend I compete for championships in AAU basketball. The desire for me to win and compete is very high. I am extremely competitive and I love to train.”

Cameron also credits two major role models for shaping his mindset. The late NBA legend Kobe Bryant and Cameron’s father, Andre Thornton.

“Kobe Bryant is a big role model for me,” he says. “His work ethic brought him so far and that’s who I strive to be like.”

As for his father Andre Thorton, he continues to push Cameron daily both in athletics and in life.

“My Dad always says, ‘Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something. If you want something, go get it. My Dad drills this into me.”

It was also his father who encouraged him to take up track and field during his eighth-grade year.

“My Dad was the one who got me into the high jump,” Cameron says. “He challenged me to play three sports for my eighth-grade year. He said track and field would be great conditioning regardless if I liked it or not.”

And like it Cameron did as he went out and won a district championship this season becoming one of the most dominant middle school track and field athletes in the area. 

Cameron balanced flag football, basketball and track and field this school year while remaining heavily involved at school academically. He says  math is his favorite subject because he enjoys problem-solving and figuring out formulas.

As he prepares for high school athletics at Lake Minneola High School, Cameron says one of his biggest motivations is setting a positive example for his two younger brothers.

“The biggest challenge I have overcome is somewhat of a personal challenge,” he says. “I have two younger brothers who both play basketball as well. They are watching everything I do and I want to be the best I can be for them.”