Junior Mack Reiter of Minnesota tore a ligament in a knee on Oct. 19. The Don Bosco of Gilbertville graduate said he will return from the injury Feb. 1.
Mack Reiter of Minnesota doesn’t plan to let knee surgery keep him from the NCAA 133-pound championship he vowed to win after placing fourth last season.
Reiter, a four-time state champion at Don Bosco of Gilbertville, is a junior at Minnesota. He’s twice been an all-American.
Reiter expects to be ready to go Feb. 1 – less than four months after undergoing surgery for a torn ligament in his right knee. Reiter sustained the injury in practice Oct. 19.
“The way I look at it, if I get into the Big Ten tournament, I got a shot at winning the national title, “Reiter said. “I know I’m doing the right things now with the cards I have been dealt. I just have to play the hand I got and, hopefully, things will fall into place for me and I can be on top at the end.”
Despite being sidelined all season, Reiter is still No. 5 at 133 pounds by W.I.N. Magazine.
Reiter’s spot in the lineup for the No. 1 Golden Gophers has been filled by freshman Mike Thorn, the son of John Thorn, a standout wrestler at Algona and an all-American at 118 for Iowa State in 1983.
Reiter said he originally planned to wrestle and skip the surgery. After choosing the surgery, Reiter had another decision to make.
“We elected to go with my tendon instead of the cadaver because of the chance of my body rejecting the cadaver, “Reiter said, adding that one-third of his patellar tendon was stitched into the ligament.
“One setback would be too much, then I wouldn’t be ready for Big Tens and NCAA, “Reiter said. “We made all of the right choices; we’ll be ready come early March.”
Reiter has a reason for a speedy return.
“I made a promise to my trainer that I would set the all-time record for fastest ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) recovery, “Reiter said. “About 30 seconds before they put me under, I told him I’d do it.”
There is also that national championship. Reiter said he’s tired of waiting for the top prize.
“I want a national team title, I want a national individual title and I think we’re going to get both, “Reiter said.
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