LebCo Athlete of the Week: Karter Adams (Week Ending January 26, 2024)

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Karter Adams

The Lancaster Lebanon League Wrestling Championships took place the weekend of January 24th. In the tournament, three members of the Northern Lebanon Wrestling Team climbed to the top of the podium. Among the gold medalists was Karter Adams, who won the 127-pound weight class. The senior went 4-0 on his way to winning the championship after bringing home silver last year. In earning the top spot, Adams joined teammates Aaron Seidel and Sam Wolford, who were also crowned the top in the Lancaster Lebanon League. As a result of his performance, Adams was honored with the votes from our voters in naming him as a LebCo Athlete of the Week.

After beginning the tournament by pinning his opponent from Lancaster Catholic in just forty-four seconds, Adams went on to win his next two matches with tech falls over opponents from Hempfield and Donegal (Tech Falls are wrestling’s equivalent of the mercy rule). In the finals, Adams met Penn Manor’s Lincoln Yackanech, a tough opponent who he had defeated two weeks prior in sudden victory. This match would not be as close as their prior match-up, as Adams earned the 20-5 tech fall just under four minutes into the match.

About his rise to the top, Adams said, “I was happy with how I wrestled. Lincoln and I had a close match at Mid-Winter Mayhem, so I was happy to be able to get a win when it counted.”

Adams followed up Leagues with a solid performance in the District 3 Team Wrestling Championships, going 3-1 as the Vikings claimed 3rd place in AA. His sole loss came to last year’s PIAA State runner-up, Annville-native Greyson Music, who now wrestles for Bishop McDevitt. His other three victories were pins, with the quickest one coming in just twenty-two seconds.

There is no doubt that Adams is on fire right now. With 71 wins over the past two years, he is aiming to make it to the Giant Center for the PIAA State Championships this March. Last year, he saw his season end just shy of States with an 8th-place finish at Regionals.

With a record of 36-9, Adams already had more wins than he did all of last year. With the “Road to Hershey” set to begin on Valentine’s Day with Sectionals, Adams is poised to add several more victories to his win total before his high school career is complete.

When his time wrestling for Northern Lebanon finally comes to an end, it will be a bittersweet moment for Adams. He said, “We have such a good group and a great coaching staff that make the sport enjoyable. So, it’s going to be hard to step away from this team at the end of the year because we have made such a close bond over the years.”

He went on to talk about his experience as a Viking, saying, “My team pushes me, and they keep me on my toes. The coaches make all of us live up to a standard, not as just wrestlers, but as people. They joke around and make the sport fun. I am thankful to have that.”

Adams is quick to acknowledge that his success is not solely his own. He attributes much of it to the unwavering support of his parents, who have been there for every match and game, including his time on the Northern Lebanon Football Team. His Christian faith is also a cornerstone of his life, and he is grateful for the role he feels God has played in his success.

With only a few months left in his high school experience, Adams is currently weighing his options to attend college or to go into the Army. Whichever path he chooses, he has shown a level of tenacity that will bring him many more accomplishments in the future.

For now, Adams’s only achievements he is concerned about are the ones that allow him to keep competing as a Viking. With the goal being Hershey, we wish Adams, along with all of his teammates, all the best as they enter the do-or-die portion of the season.

Photos for this article were provided courtesy of Susan Dengler (Owlcatraz Photography)

 For more on the LebCo wrestlers who medaled at Leagues, check out: Lancaster League Wrestling Championships: LebCo Wrestlers Combine for Thirty-Two Medals, Three Gold; ELCO Finishes 2nd Overall

Be on the lookout for a features about fellow LebCo Athletes of the Week: Dakota Dengler & Kenzie Eckhart

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting: January 20 – 26

Previous Winners

Jason Foutz (Week of December 2nd)

Robert Santiago (Week of December 9th)

Kane Kline (Holidays)

Aaron Seidel (Week of January 6th)

Elisha Slabach (Week of January 13th)