Chambersburg’s Tate Nichter Rebounds From Sectional Setback to Win District 3 Title
HERSHEY, Pa.: Chambersburg’s Tate Nichter admitted that he didn’t sleep very well last week. He had a lot on his mind.
Nichter couldn’t stop thinking about his semifinal setback against Big Springs’ Hunter Gregoris during last week’s Sectional Tournament. It was a disappointing bout in which the Trojan sophomore was the heavy favorite and got decked.
Not only did it humble Nichter, it made him refocus and get in the right mindset heading into this week’s District 3 Championships.
This time, there were no upsets. There were no lapses. Nichter took care of business on the mat and charged through the 145-pound field to capture his first District 3 title and 12th overall for Chambersburg.
“It’s been keeping me up all night,” Nichter aid. “I’ve been waiting to talk to you guys [the media] for a week now.
“It really made me come down. I thought I was going to walk through that tournament and got stung in the semifinals. It humbles you a little bit and gave me more motivation to come win this and get that redemption.”
Nichter wasn’t challenged in his first three matches, scoring a fall and two decisive decisions to punch his ticket to the finals against Wilson’s Brandon Connor, the No. 8-ranked wrestler in the state.
The championship bout wasn’t so easy. Connor got on the scoreboard first in the second period with an escape in the first 10 seconds to carry a 1-0 lead to the third.
That’s where Nichter got busy. He escaped off bottom at the 1:05 mark and earned a takedown five seconds later to take a 3-1 lead.
“I knew it was going to be a close match,” Nichter said. “Someone had to do something, or it was going to go to overtime. He’s a long kid, and I had to get inside on him. I snapped, he took a shot, and I spun behind really quick.
“Last week, I was going in trying to stick everyone. I went in kind of cocky, picked to win everything, and I didn’t think anyone could get me off that pedestal. This week, I wrestled smart the whole tournament.”
Wilson managed to escape with 28 seconds in the match. He pushed the pace and had a hold of Nichter in the closing seconds.
But, Nichter didn’t wilt. He was able to fight Wilson off just long enough to preserve the 3-2 victory, a satisfying title, and a good night’s sleep.
“I was scared, but wrestling with my brother [Luke] every day … He’s a funky kid,” Nichter said. “So, I’m used to it. I tried to stay calm, but it was scary.
“It wasn’t about this medal, it was about last weekend. There were a lot of doubters, but I wanted to prove to everyone that I’m as good as I am as a wrestler.”