Wrestling: Dublin Jerome Celtics’ Ian Cho battles back from arm injury
After missing most of last season with an arm injury, Dublin Jerome sophomore wrestler Ian Cho has returned this winter on a mission.
Cho was 2-2 as a freshman before suffering a fractured growth plate in his left elbow during a practice in December 2020.
A year later, Cho had compiled a record of 24-4 at 138 pounds entering an OCC-Cardinal Division match against Olentangy Berlin on Jan. 20.
“I had four matches and I didn’t do that well,” Cho said. “I didn’t get (to wrestle) last year, so I want to make the most of what I have. It stinks sitting out. I don’t want to sit out again.
“Since I didn’t compete a lot of last year, I didn’t really know where I was competitively. It had been so long since I’d gone against tough guys, so I came into this season not knowing what to expect. I got a couple of good wins.”
Cho said he did not require surgery and was in a sling for about two weeks, but couldn’t return to wrestling until early spring.
Although he was out of the lineup last season, Cho remained part of the team, offering guidance and support to his teammates.
“I like watching matches and I was there to support my teammates,” he said.
Coach Matt White said the four losses this season have come against state-ranked opponents.
“We never really got a chance to see what he was capable of last year,” White said. “We knew he was going to be good, but coming in as a freshman, you just never really know, especially only wrestling four matches. This year he’s exceeded expectations. He’s really stepped up and worked hard.”
Cho credits White for his guidance during the rehabilitation from his injury.
“He’s supported me throughout my injury,” Cho said. “He never stopped believing in me. When I broke my arm, he said, ‘It’s all right. You’ll come back next year and you’ll be better.’ ”
White was impressed with Cho’s perseverance and willingness to work after he returned to the mat.
“He did a lot of stuff in the offseason,” White said. “I know how much it meant to him. I know he was really upset how last year turned out, but he really put a lot of work into it to get himself back to where he felt he should have been and it’s really paid off for him.”
Cho went 3-0 in winning the Kevin Michael Tournament at 138 on Jan. 15 at Columbus Academy.
Cho took pride in his 8-5 victory over Marysville’s Lincoln Witt on Jan. 13 in a 69-9 dual loss for the Celtics. While recovering last season, Cho recalls watching Witt win by pin in the teams’ OCC-Cardinal match.
Senior Coleton Fleury won by pin at 215 (1 minute, 40 seconds) for Jerome’s other points in this year’s league loss to the Monarchs.
Cho’s season also has included finishing first in the Big Walnut Classic on Dec. 11, second in the Logan Elm Tournament on Jan. 8, third in the Olentangy Liberty Classic on Dec. 18 and fourth in the John Brown Memorial Tournament on Dec. 4 at Mount Vernon.
As Cho prepares for his first postseason, White believes the adversity he faced last season will help him succeed.
“If you’re in this sport long enough, you’re going to have your speed bumps along the way and good things are going to happen in addition to bad things,” White said. “It really speaks a lot to his character as to how he handled the situation.
“A lot of kids could have packed it in and said this isn’t for me, but he was really motivated to come back.”
While many wrestlers begin competing at the youth level, Cho took up the sport in seventh grade at Grizzell Middle School.
“I played a lot of hockey,” he said. “My brother (Sam) also wrestled in middle school and I wanted to try it out. I thought I might as well try it out and see what happens and I really liked it.”
White said he also is expecting strong postseasons from Fleury and senior Othman Taha at 175/190. Before the Berlin match, Fleury was 14-7 and Taha was 13-4. They both finished first at Academy, with Taha winning at 175.
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Wrestling: Dublin Jerome's Cho battles back from arm injury
