Penn wrestler returns to the mat quickly after Lisfranc surgery.
Connor Wetzel, 18, of Sunbury, had a very successful wrestling career going into his senior season at Shikellamy High School, proudly boasting a record of 98 wins with only 34 losses.I was very disappointed. I felt like I was in a good spot, and now I was facing a major setback,” Wetzel said. “I thought my season was over.”
The Lisfranc ligament provides stability in the foot, connecting the bones in the midfoot to those in the forefoot. It is located between the base of the cuneiform bone, or the big toe, and the second metatarsal bone of the second toe. Injury to the ligament causes inability to bear weight, instability to the foot and pain and swelling in the midfoot region.I feel the best I have in a long time, and I am looking forward to beginning to work out with the Lock Haven wrestling team this summer,” Wetzel said.After months of training and conditioning during the offseason, Wetzel was primed to make a mark in his final season and take a place on the podium at the state championships. But a severe injury at a summer wrestling tournament provided a major setback.
During a match, his opponent shot in, and when Wetzel sprawled to avoid the takedown attempt, he felt extreme pain in his left foot. He finished the match and, somehow, came away with a win but knew he had suffered a significant injury.
“I felt something pop in my foot, and when I came off of the mat, my foot had swollen up pretty badly,” he recalled.
The school’s athletic training team urged Wetzel’s family to take him to the Orthopaedic Urgent Care Clinic at Geisinger HealthPlex Woodbine in Danville. Tests and imaging revealed a torn Lisfranc ligament in his midfoot — an injury that would require surgery and potentially months of recovery.
