Triumphant Return: Buckhannon-Upshur’s Abby Radabaugh regains pre-injury form in chase for state title

“Everything I’ve done since taking up wrestling has been with winning a state championship in mind,” Radabaugh said. “That potential to become something more than I ever thought I could be is exactly what first brought me to the sport and drove me to work harder to return from injury.

“Maya Garcia winning a state title in eighth grade got me to try the sport in high school. Seeing her win it again last year definitely motivated me to try to get back to my best during my recovery.”

Even with no prior experience, Radabaugh impressed on the mat as a freshman, closing the season with runner-up honors in the 2023 state tournament. Yet, the season-ending injury slowed Radabaugh’s momentum — temporarily putting her dreams of becoming a state champion on pause.

Radabaugh credited the culture of coach Jacob Orr’s Buckhannon-Upshur program for helping her use the adversity of her injury to grow.

“This team and coaching staff are full of wonderful people who have encouraged and empowered all the girls in our program,” Radabaugh said. “Although wrestling is a seemingly individual sport, I believe it comes down to pushing each other within the team. Both my coaches and teammates have done exactly that, especially last year when I was hurt.”

Once cleared to return, Radabaugh’s climb back to the top of the mountain began in earnest, ramping up her training in the lead-up to the season.

“I learned that coming back from an injury is one of the most difficult things an athlete can do,” Radabaugh said. “Even after a long year of rehab, it was hard to fully trust my body again once I stepped back onto the mat.

“I had to gradually work myself back to where I was at the end of my freshman year. I competed with the Team Valkyrie Wrestling Club under coach Chris Ward during the offseason to build some confidence back. Even with all the work I put in, I still didn’t feel quite at 100% at the start of the season.”

Now fully healthy, Radabaugh has begun to hit her stride, as recently showcased by a pair of pins over ranked opponents in No. 3 Cameron Seeley (PikeView) and No. 6 Nevaeh Mason (Parkersburg) to lead Buckhannon-Upshur to a team title in the Cornelius Godfrey Memorial Tournament at Logan on Jan. 17.

“It took a lot of determination, but it feels great to be back quicker and stronger at 235 than I was before,” Radabaugh said. “It means the world to me to be back and helping our team.”

With just two regular-season competitions remaining, Radabaugh and the Buckhannon-Upshur wrestling team are gearing up for a crucial stretch. Buckhannon-Upshur will first take the mat in Liberty (Raleigh)’s Lady Raider Rumble on Jan. 31, followed by a historic moment for the program — hosting the first-ever all-girls tournament in Tennerton, the Bonnie the Buccaneer Beatdown on Feb. 1.

“I would really like to mention how excited the other girls and I are for the first-ever Bonnie the Buccaneer Beatdown on Feb. 1,” Radabaugh said. “It’s going to be really cool to host and be a part of the first one.”

With the postseason just around the corner, including the Big 10 Conference tournament on Feb. 14, Radabaugh believes both she and her team are in the right position to compete at the highest level.

“Both the team and I are exactly where I felt and expected we should be at this point in the season,” Radabaugh said. “With the new wrestlers we’ve added, we’re deeper. I think we have the pieces to do something special this year.”