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02-18-2012, 03:19 AM
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02-18-2012, 03:19 AM
It was during his sophomore season that Campbell County senior Garth Yenter remembers feeling pain that wasn’t quite normal. The next year, it simply became too much.
He missed a day of school because of it, and just couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
Wrestling is a physically demanding sport, one in which muscle soreness is commonplace, but Yenter knew he was in good shape and knew this wasn’t just ordinary muscle soreness.
A doctor confirmed that, diagnosing Yenter with rheumatoid arthritis, which is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that can affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks flexible joints and occurs most frequently between the ages of 40 and 50. Reports claim that one percent of the world’s population has the affliction.
The doctor told Yenter to take the year off from wrestling, but he would have none of that. He started on medicine right away, tried to stay in cardiovascular shape by riding a stationary bike every day, and after returning to the mat in January 2011, won the state title at 103 pounds.
This year, wrestling at 120 pounds, Yenter will take an undefeated record into the state meet that begins today at Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.
Yenter still takes pills and gets a shot once a week to fight the affliction, but for the most part the pain is behind him.
“I was never one that had to tape my wrists or ankles or anything, but looking back on it I remember my sophomore year my wrists hurt when I was lifting and I always had to tape them,” said Yenter. “When the doctor told me what I had, my first thought was whether or not I could continue wrestling. It’s not exactly a good sport for something like this with all the bumping and banging.
“Since I’ve gone on the medication I do feel a lot better. I really started to feel better around last February, but I wasn’t in the kind of shape I wanted to be. It was about May or June of this past summer when I was training for national tournaments where I really started feeling in shape and 100 percent. I haven’t had any problems this year.”
Campbell County coach Mike Bankemper said Yenter downplayed the affliction last year and simply worked as hard as he could to return.
“This year there was no doubt he was going to have a great season, because he was back in shape and there was nothing going to stop him,”said Bankemper.
Yenter is ranked No. 1 in the state.
“Coach B always tells us we go into state with a 0-0 record and that’s how I have to approach it,” said Yenter, who has a formal offer from Boston University and plans to visit Michigan State.
Yenter is one of the keys if Campbell County is going to win the state team title. The Camels enter the tournament ranked No. 2 behind Larue County.
Other highly ranked Camels are sophomore Sean Fausz, who is No. 3 at 126 pounds; junior Paul Hamilton, who is No. 2 at 138 pounds, junior Stephen Myers, who is No. 1 at 152 pounds; freshman Austin Myers, who is No. 2 at 220 pounds and senior Mason Franck, who is No. 2 at 285 pounds.
“We maybe need a perfect storm, but we definitely have a shot,” said Bankemper, who led Campbell County to state titles in 1990, 1991 and 2004.
Among other area wrestlers to watch are Ryle senior T.J. Ruschell, who is No. 2 at 126 pounds after winning state at 119 last season and Simon Kenton junior Kevin Cooper, undefeated and No. 1 at 145 after winning state at 135 last season.
He missed a day of school because of it, and just couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
Wrestling is a physically demanding sport, one in which muscle soreness is commonplace, but Yenter knew he was in good shape and knew this wasn’t just ordinary muscle soreness.
A doctor confirmed that, diagnosing Yenter with rheumatoid arthritis, which is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that can affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks flexible joints and occurs most frequently between the ages of 40 and 50. Reports claim that one percent of the world’s population has the affliction.
The doctor told Yenter to take the year off from wrestling, but he would have none of that. He started on medicine right away, tried to stay in cardiovascular shape by riding a stationary bike every day, and after returning to the mat in January 2011, won the state title at 103 pounds.
This year, wrestling at 120 pounds, Yenter will take an undefeated record into the state meet that begins today at Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.
Yenter still takes pills and gets a shot once a week to fight the affliction, but for the most part the pain is behind him.
“I was never one that had to tape my wrists or ankles or anything, but looking back on it I remember my sophomore year my wrists hurt when I was lifting and I always had to tape them,” said Yenter. “When the doctor told me what I had, my first thought was whether or not I could continue wrestling. It’s not exactly a good sport for something like this with all the bumping and banging.
“Since I’ve gone on the medication I do feel a lot better. I really started to feel better around last February, but I wasn’t in the kind of shape I wanted to be. It was about May or June of this past summer when I was training for national tournaments where I really started feeling in shape and 100 percent. I haven’t had any problems this year.”
Campbell County coach Mike Bankemper said Yenter downplayed the affliction last year and simply worked as hard as he could to return.
“This year there was no doubt he was going to have a great season, because he was back in shape and there was nothing going to stop him,”said Bankemper.
Yenter is ranked No. 1 in the state.
“Coach B always tells us we go into state with a 0-0 record and that’s how I have to approach it,” said Yenter, who has a formal offer from Boston University and plans to visit Michigan State.
Yenter is one of the keys if Campbell County is going to win the state team title. The Camels enter the tournament ranked No. 2 behind Larue County.
Other highly ranked Camels are sophomore Sean Fausz, who is No. 3 at 126 pounds; junior Paul Hamilton, who is No. 2 at 138 pounds, junior Stephen Myers, who is No. 1 at 152 pounds; freshman Austin Myers, who is No. 2 at 220 pounds and senior Mason Franck, who is No. 2 at 285 pounds.
“We maybe need a perfect storm, but we definitely have a shot,” said Bankemper, who led Campbell County to state titles in 1990, 1991 and 2004.
Among other area wrestlers to watch are Ryle senior T.J. Ruschell, who is No. 2 at 126 pounds after winning state at 119 last season and Simon Kenton junior Kevin Cooper, undefeated and No. 1 at 145 after winning state at 135 last season.
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