HERSHEY: Chance Marsteller had to brace himself for the news that he was going to be wearing a back brace for four weeks.
But he had a little something to take care of first.
The nation’s second-ranked wrestler from Kennard-Dale won his fourth PIAA Class AAA title on Saturday at Hershey, and it was a gold-medal effort in more ways than one.
“I knew I had to go out and take care of business,’’Marsteller said. “I have a stress fracture in my back right now and I’m going to be in a brace for four weeks, so I just wanted to go out and take care of business, keep it serious and keep it fun at the same time.’’
He said he hurt his back during the District 3 sectional tournament, although he put up with some lower back and leg pain earlier in the season as well.
He was irritated at himself that he was forced to take the first injury timeout in his career in the District 3 finals, and even more torqued about being slapped with the first stall warning and stalling points in 166 high school matches, from which he emerged victorious in all of them.
He said Saturday that he couldn’t walk for “about a day and a half’’ after the districts. He thanked back specialist Dr. Walter Peppelman and physical therapist Dr. Neff “for helping me get to states.’’
That’s as far as he’s going for the time being. The Dapper Dan Classic in which he was supposed to wrestle Penn State recruit Bo Nickal of Allen, Texas, March 16 in Pittsburgh won’t happen for Marsteller. Doctor’s orders, he said.
“It’s pretty bad,’’ Marsteller said. “I’m just holding up this tournament not trying to show any emotion.
“Just like any other wrestler or any other athlete, you don’t often show signs of weakness; that’s the last thing you do. My back’s pretty serious; I’ll be in a brace for four weeks.’’
Not being able to compete at the Dapper Dan is disappointing, he said, but necessary.
“It’s pretty upsetting,’’Marsteller said. “A lot of people are pretty upset at me but I’d rather have my back and my career rather than the Dapper Dan, although I feel like I’m letting a lot of my Pa. teammates down.
“I looked forward to wrestling in that, so I’m pretty upset about it.’’
Looking forward, though, is what he’s doing. He wants to make the USA Junior World team and he said he’ll be going to Stillwater, Okla., in June to begin training at Oklahoma State, his college of choice.
“But right now I want to relax and get ready for freestyle season,’’ he said.
His fourth state title certainly eased any pain. He earned a couple of standing ovations, and raced off the mat after majoring Pittsburgh Central Catholic’s Kyle Coniker 14-2 and headed to the stands to greet family and friends.
He signed autographs for young admirers, all the while getting back slaps and congratulations from coaches, other wrestlers, even referees.
“I was kind of shocked how serious people took it,’’ Marsteller said. “It’s kind of a big deal but it’s been done before, you know. It was really something else the way everyone else treated it. That’s why now I feel a little different than any other state title.’’
Marsteller’s ultimate goal is making the Olympic team, if not 2016, then 2020.
“I set a goal to be an Olympic gold medalist one day and everything else that comes along the way, comes along the way. And I know it’s going to come along the way because, as you’re working to get to the top, milestones like this will come.’’
A follow-up recap of the PIAA Wrestling Championships will be posted on PennLive on Monday.