OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Gretna East senior wrestler Jace Larchick is heading to the state championship match after overcoming an injury that sent him to the hospital during his quarterfinal bout.
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Larchick's opponent Thursday took him down on his neck. He was taken out on a stretcher and evaluated at the hospital.
Larchick advanced to the next round because of a disqualification for his first career state semifinal appearance.
"I hadn't really got a bad head injury like that ever in my career, so just really scared, nervous for what was going to happen in the future," Larchick said.
His mom Terri saw it from the stands.
"It breaks your heart," Terri Larchick said. "When I saw the medic look up in the stands and he started looking for parents, I knew it was going to be really bad. It just wasn't a routine situation."
At the hospital, he started to feel better.
"As soon as they told me I could wrestle (Friday), I was just locked in, ready to go," Larchick said.
"The very first question he asked was 'Did I win?'" Terri Larchick said. "And he wanted to watch all the remaining matches. So I knew at that point in time he was going to be OK.
"He's such a fighter. He's such a go-getter. He has such tenacity."
That showed in the semifinals. Larchick won on a 10-6 decision and will compete for his first state title on Saturday.
"Letting everyone know that I bend, I don't break, and we'll be back (Saturday)," Larchick said.
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