A rising Lehigh freshman had aspirations to become a great wrestler in the coming days. After all, he did pull off the upset of the season a year ago. Competing in the finals of the Journeymen Collegiate Classic held at Freedom High School, this wrestler achieved the unimaginable. He managed to defeat the World and NCAA champion Vito Arujau in a scintillating display of sublime wrestling. Quite expectedly, the spirits of the youngster were significantly high after the victory, and he wanted to touch the sky soon. 

Surely, this Lehigh phenom Ryan Crookham soon turned out to be a sensation in the NCAA realm. Competing in the 133 category, he clinched the number 1 ranking to further establish himself as a force to be reckoned with. With his career derailed by injuries in the past, Crookham mentioned that he was pretty sure about his abilities to trounce Arujau. And not only himself but also the Lehigh sophomore’s entire team had the same belief in him. With the young gun looking ahead to attain wrestling greatness, a somber update has threatened to derail his career yet again!

An update dated January 10, 2025, from an Instagram account, ‘College Wrestling News,’ had the Lehigh fans crestfallen. The post revealed that star sophomore Ryan Crookham has suffered a broken elbow. While this was bad enough news, his recovery timeline was even more of a nightmare. The post detailed that looking at the seriousness of the injury, Crookham will not be making any further appearances in the NCAA this season. While his season-ending injury will surely be a big upset for Lehigh, Crookham will be hoping to get back to his full strength when he returns next season. 

Claiming the bronze medal in the 133 lbs division a year ago, Crookham made some significant progress. Displaying some exquisite wrestling, the star sophomore ruled the 133 lbs division this year with a 5-0 lead. Indeed, this was a sad turn of events for the rising star. After all, Crookham not only defeated Vitor Arujau but also a dominant Aaron Nagao, which made the expectations shoot sky-high for the athlete. 

Coming into the season, Crookham oozed confidence. Speaking on his incredible victory against the stalwarts, the Lehigh sophomore said, “But yeah, every day I wake up and that’s my goal, that’s what I believe I can achieve every single day. So just going out and actually achieving it, it’s kind of what I expected more or less. So I’m just using that as fuel going forward for the rest of the season.” Unfortunately, while that dream of his will have to take a backseat as of now, wrestling fans expressed their disappointment upon hearing the news. 

Fans feel sorry for Ryan Crookham

The bothered fans immediately flocked to the comments section after hearing the concerning news. Hearing the news of the athlete’s injury and the team’s setback, one fan still tried to remain hopeful. Last year Crookham had a third-place finish at the NCAA level and won the EIWA championship at 133. Such victories have made fans hopeful regarding his performance this season. One fan recommended he apply for a medical redshirt, which would allow him to preserve his eligibility and compete in future seasons without risking further injury. “They are saying now he may be back by the end of the year. Might not be worth it though and better to apply for medical rs if possible”, commented the netizen. They believe Ryan Crookham might attempt a comeback later this season, but question whether it’s wise given his broken elbow.

Echoing the same thought and emotion, another netizen wrote, “Hopefully the injury isn’t too serious but if it is I hope that they play it smart, get a medical to heal up, and then come back next season.” Winning bouts and receiving the Coaches’ Trophy as Outstanding Wrestler at the EIWA Tournament, he has already emerged as a challenging contender on the mat, but unfortunately, the injury might stop him from competing this season. Despite the setback, several fans would wait for his recovery and comeback. 

Another fan’s comment expresses disappointment over missing the opportunity to watch Ryan Crookham compete this season due to his injury. Given Crookham’s rise to prominence, including his upset victory over Vito Arujau and his #1 ranking at 133 lbs, fans had high expectations for his performance. The commenter mentioned, “Damn, was looking forward to seeing him this year.” Their reaction reflects the anticipation surrounding Crookham’s potential, which was abruptly halted by the news of his broken elbow and season-ending injury.

Another commenter resorted to expressing disappointment over Ryan Crookham’s injury, which has sidelined him after an impressive season last year. The fan noted that Crookham had a strong performance in the past, but his absence this season, along with a noticeable increase in injuries among athletes, has turned out to be frustrating for the fans. Sharing their personal opinion, the Reddit user mentioned, “Shame on Crookham though had a solid season last year, barely saw him this year and now him and so many guys are getting injured which I guess injuries do happen every year but it just seems more prevalent this than other recent years.”

Another netizen referred to Pat Mineo, a wrestling enthusiast on X known for his accurate updates, expressing hope that Ryan Crookham receives a medical exemption to retain eligibility for future seasons. The fan believes Crookham, who was ranked #1 and undefeated this season, had an unbeatable chance to become a three-time champion before his injury. “Pat mineo is usually correct, hopefully crookham gets a medical and still has the chance to be a 3-timer. No one was beating him this year”, stated the netizen. Their words also show support for Crookham’s potential to recover and continue dominating in the sport.

Thus, with things going haywire for Ryan Crookham this season, he would be eager to make his comeback in the coming months. However, it will be interesting to see whether the young gun can keep up with the same intensity that he had shown this year or not.