GROVE CITY , Pa (WKBN) – Grove City native Chase Karenbauer is only 15 years old, yet he is becoming one of the most decorated wrestlers the town has ever had.
Grove City High School Wrestling Coach Wes Phipps said his staff has had their eyes on Karenbauer since he was a little kid.
“So my first year coaching, we didn’t have a single kid qualify for state,” said Phipps. “So I really got on our staff to go to the youth state qualifier. We go down there and Chase is one of the many area six champions that we had.”
In the fall of 2024, Karenbauer will be attending Grove City High School as a freshman and plans to join the wrestling team.
“I’m a very active kid. I don’t like to be cooped up at a desk or anything,” said Karenbauer. “So when I got in here, I got to be free. Wrestling is the best, interact with other kids and make good friends.”
However, as soon as Karenbauer sets foot inside the Grove City campus he will have already experienced feats no current student has.
“When I won those gold medals, I mean, it’s awesome because one of the best experiences you can have as a wrestler, going out representing your country,” said Karenbauer. “Obviously, if you win, you get to hold that American flag around your back and run around. It was awesome.”
Karenbauer is a four-time Pan-American Championship gold medalist. He won two medals in Freestyle Wrestling and two in Greco-Roman Wrestling.
The Pan-American Championships consist of athletes from nations across the Americas. It is held in the Americas and has thousands of athletes who compete.
The Grove City standout won his first two gold medals in Panama at the 2023 Pan-Am Championships. He won his last two gold medals in June in El Salvador at the 2024 Pan-Am Championships.
“Representing my family, my city, my town, and then just representing all my friends and family is just great,” said Karenbauer.
According to his family, Karenbauer is only one of two Americans in his current age group to have four Pan-Am gold medals.
“Oh man fearless, Chase doesn’t care how big they are, who they are, he goes and wrestles with them,” said Phipps.
Karenbauer said he was drawn to wrestling when he was four years old. He said his parents had the Olympics on the TV and he loved the way the athletes were throwing each other.
The gold medalist said this year he has to conquer Pennsylvania high school wrestling but going to the Olympics is always the dream.
“That’s a big dream of mine, I think being able to go would be awesome,” said Karenbauer. “It’s very scarce, every four years and just not everybody gets to go to it. I know I can have success at any level.”
Coach Phipps said Grove City has never won a wrestling District 10 Championship. He said he hopes Karenbauer’s energy and international experience helps propel the team to new heights.
The Eagles start wrestling next in Winter of 2024.
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