NCAA Wrestling Championships: Seneca Valley grad Dylan Chappell falls short of medal in 3rd try
Dylan Chappell exceeded the expectations that came with his No. 21 seeding. The fourth-year Bucknell wrestler’s performance shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise considering the past.
A Seneca Valley graduate, Chappell was seeded lower this year at the NCAA Wrestling Championships than he was the last, when he was No. 16 in his weight class. It was his third trip to the tournament, and he fell just a win short of earning All-American status.
Chappell (141 pounds) started out by facing off with Virginia Tech’s Sam Latona, the No. 12 seed and a two-time All-American. Chappell said he entered that match confident and trusting in his training, knowing it was a winnable one.
“It’s like, this kid, everyone probably thinks he’s better than me. Everyone probably believes that I’m going to lose,” Chappell said. “So, (with) the underdog mindset, I’m going to go out there and show them that I deserved that higher seed, and I think I did that.”
Chappell upset Latona 7-4 before losing to fifth-seeded Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) by just one point, 5-4, and falling to the consolation bracket.
“Once you’re on the back side, knowing that every match could be your last match of the year, just approaching every match like that and letting it fly,” Chappell said. “Before each match, I don’t expect to be done after that, but just knowing that it could be, it’s a lingering thought. ... If you put it all on the line and you end up winning, then it’s an even better feeling. I thrive off that.”
With a 8-5 win over Purdue’s Greyson Clark (No. 27) and a pinfall against Oklahoma’s Mosha Schwartz (No. 19), Chappell set himself up for a chance to become the Bisons’ seventh-ever All-American. He fell short with a 4-0 defeat to Penn’s CJ Composto (No. 10).
He hopes to continue to progress, much like he has with previous years. He said he tries to “put together 11 solid months of training. You know, focusing on that goal, not letting the idea that it’s so far away take over. It’s like, ‘So what if it’s April? You know, I’m thinking about March next year. I’m thinking about how I’m going to get myself on that podium?’”
It will be somewhat different for Chappell, who has one more year of NCAA eligibility left, this summer as he balances an internship with the Perryman Company, a metal supplier in the Pittsburgh area.
“Knowing that next year, I can put an even better performance together, that’s my full expectation,” Chappell said.
