Nathan Tomasello Will Skip U.S. Open to Undergo ACL Repair Surgery

The four-time Big Ten Champion and four-time All-American wrestler finished his career as a Buckeye with a third-place finish at the NCAA tournament in Cleveland – a feat that defied the medical odds given the severity of the injury he sustained at the U23 World Team Trials at the beginning of the season.

"Back in October, when they took the MRI they found that my ACL was torn, and my lateral meniscus," Tomasello said on the Steelwood Radio podcast. "In order to not have my knee lock out, they had to go in and trim my meniscus so when I did wrestle, it wouldn't be a hindrance." 

Tomasello sustained what was initially called a "lower body injury" sometime during a three-match series with Daton Fix. Tomasello later confirmed to Eleven Warriors that he would have surgery to repair his meniscus, and would miss the first three months of his senior campaign.

No one outside the program knew that Tomasello's injury was more than a torn meniscus. He revealed the full scope of the injury during his appearance on the Steelwood Radio podcast:

When they did go in and look, they saw that something super unique happened – they saw the meniscus was torn and they did the operation to trim it, but they saw that the torn ligament had reattached partially to my PCL and started to scar over, and that actually was a blessing because it allowed me to have more stability going forward, so that allowed me to get back and not have to wear the brace this season.

The former NCAA champion, in essence, wrestled his final matches in an Ohio State singlet with one fully-functional knee. He announced via Instagram this week that he will now undergo surgery to fully repair the damaged ACL, forgoing this week's U.S. Open in Las Vegas – and with it, a shot at this year's Senior World Team.

 

Through a lot of thinking and praying I have decided at this time it is best to get surgery on my knee. I tore my ACL and meniscus back in October wrestling in the finals of the U23 Trials, and couldnt believe I might not be able to compete my senior year at Ohio State. When I woke up the following morning and returned to campus, I never looked back. I believed in our doctors, trainers, coaches, and teammates would provide all that I needed to comeback and wrestle through it the past few months. But in order to be all in for the next part of my wrestling career I believe it is the right time to get everything healthy so I can give everything Ive got. Im motivated to accept the challenge of rehab and do all that it takes to improve on the road back. For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7).

A post shared by Nathan Tomasello (@_na_to) on Apr 25, 2018 at 9:57am PDT

He is slated to undergo surgery within the next week, with a five-month recovery period before he can return to mat drills. He said he expects to return to competition in early 2019, perhaps at the prestigious Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia. 

"The next thing I want to do is pursue making the Olympic team, making World teams and being the best in the world at my weight," he said. "With the environment here at Ohio State, with the people and the coaches who believe in me and every day improving and learning, it will give me a great opportunity to represent the U.S. and be the best guy I can be at wrestling."