Financial advisors often review with clients the value of adding gold to their portfolio.
Montgomery’s Zoe Furman and Montoursville’s Gage Wentzel have already acted upon that advice, returning home from Hershey with state championship gold medals around their necks.
The latest in a long line of area grapplers to reach the state wrestling summit, Furman became the first District IV girl to win a state crown, defeating Greater Johnstown’s Sayona Harris-Haye by a 10-6 decision at 136 pounds.
Wentzel capped his senior year by winning the 172-pound AA title with a convincing 11-2 major decision over Derry Area’s Mason Horwat.
Safety experts will tell you that when climbing a ladder, it is best to do so one step at a time. Both heeded that advice. Furman’s triumph came after an injury her sophomore year denied her a state championship opportunity, followed by a loss in the state final her junior year.
Wentzel’s climb to the top rung was a bit steeper. As a freshman, he placed fifth at Hershey, third as a sophomore, losing in the state finals as a junior before casting out the demons with this year’s championship. Along the way, he became Montoursville’s all-time wrestling wins leader with 188.
Zoe, the daughter of Max and Jodi Furman, developed an interest in wrestling at an early age.
“I started wrestling in fourth grade. My younger brothers had been wrestling for a few years. I got tired of going to their matches, watching them, and not being able to do anything. I convinced my dad to let me start wrestling, and obviously it went on from there.”
A four-sport athlete competing in soccer, softball, and track, besides wrestling — Furman established an early goal and went for it.
“Ever since I was younger and the sport got sanctioned by the PIAA, it has always been a goal of mine to have this dream come true. Not just for me, but for my family, my school district, and even District IV. To be the first girl from the district to win a state championship is an honor and something I am very proud of to have been able to accomplish.
“This past year, I had a strength and conditioning trainer I’ve been working with daily. After recovery, we would practice for about two hours. Depending upon the level of competition coming up, we’d adjust our level of intensity.
“The morning of the championship match, I checked my weight. I was pretty good, so I had a bagel with a cut-up banana and honey for breakfast. I’m a little nervous before every match, so the nerves were there. But the way I prepared myself, I was able to stay pretty calm.”
Harris-Haye presented a unique challenge, having defeated her the previous week in the regional tournament.
“Even though I had beaten her the week before, this was different. This was for a state title, and everything was on the line. I knew she was a good wrestler, but I did not know if maybe she didn’t have her best match the week before. Maybe she would change her approach and come out with a different attack plan. At the same time, she didn’t know what I was doing to prepare. I just concentrated on doing what was best for me to get ready to face her again. This was a physical match. She was a great wrestler and opponent.
“It was great to accomplish my goal, but one of the really neat things was the reception I received when I came back home. It was amazing to see the level of support I had from so many people. I can’t express enough how much that meant to me to have that many people in my corner cheering me on the whole way.”
With the memory of the state championship fresh in her mind, Furman hopes other young girls may want to follow in her footsteps.
“I’d tell them to stick with it. Wrestling is a very tough sport, both physically and mentally. It is a sport that can change you as a person and set you up for life in the long run. There are long practices that sometimes you may not want to do, but they will help you in the future.”
Furman, who compiled a 95-5 career record at Montgomery, will be furthering her education and wrestling career by attending Edinboro University.
Gage Wentzel’s love affair with the resilient mats began at an earlier age than Furman’s.
“Wrestling has been in our family. My dad has always been there, my older brothers wrestled, and my sister was a cheerleader for wrestling. I’ve been around wrestling since I was three years old, and it carried down the family line. I developed a passion for the sport as it was something I could do and enjoy with a bunch of friends.”
Following his sophomore year, Wentzel felt his wrestling roots needed strengthened.
“I’ve been blessed to have the help of so many people in my training regimen. My dad owns a wrestling club, my trainer, Josh Aarons, helps me with cardio workouts, and when you live in Montoursville, you are surrounded by others who’ve had wrestling success. I lift and work out daily. I’m not a big weight cutter. I like to eat and feel good.
“Before I went to Josh in my junior year, I wasn’t that strong. He helps me with nutrition, gives me smoothies, and assists with replenishing my body after going through two workouts a day, four days in a row. It all comes down to trying to become the best version of yourself, and that’s been passed down by others. You look at the goals you want to achieve, and if you have faith and a good work ethic, those things will fall into place.”
Wrestling at 172 pounds on championship Saturday left Wentzel with time on his hands.
“The morning of the match, I wanted to treat it like any other day. After the weigh-in, I had some smoothies and took a nap. Later, I ate lunch and just relaxed. Some of the other wrestlers, who had finished the tournament, went out and got McDonald’s as their season was over. They teased me about that. As my match got closer, I went through my warmup routine and went out for the finals.”
Parents Jamie and Mike have been instrumental in Gage’s life.
“My dad instilled in me the drive to improve every single year. I strived to do that, and it became doable. Every year, you need to keep on climbing, no matter what bracket you are in. You are going to face different opponents, and you know the need to get stronger. I think what really helped me this year is my relationship with the Lord. Knowing he was with me in everything I do makes me feel more relaxed and allows me to wrestle free. My coaches always remind me to smile when I’m out there and remember it’s fun.”
In addition to his state championship and Montoursville win total, Wetzel departs the high school sport as a four-time state medalist, three-time sectional champion, two-time District IV champ, and one-time Northeast Regional champion. In the fall, he will be attending West Virginia University, majoring in Wildlife Management.
“The state championship was awesome,” he added. “But you’ve got to stay humble, and you can’t forget what got you there. You can never stop being kind to people, the way you speak, your actions, and the way you live a healthy life. That doesn’t change just because you become a state champion. You need to go day-to-day and do the things that got you there.”
