Polar Bear Spotlight: Chase Sumner
By Wes Mayberry
ADA — The Ohio Northern wrestling program has a proud tradition of success both on the mat and in the classroom under 35th-year head coach Ron Beaschler. Senior Chase Sumner (Ada) has exemplified those ideals.
"I was raised in an environment where all my family members expect a lot out of me, and that's no different here at ONU," Sumner said.
Not only is Sumner a two-time NCAA Championships qualifier, he is also a three-time National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American. He takes great pride in being both a standout wrestler and student and has his sights set on making some history before he leaves Ada.
"As soon as I got here, I knew I wanted to be a four-time Scholar All-American," he said. "I don't think ONU has had a four-timer in wrestling yet, so that's my goal."
Indeed, the ONU wrestling program has never had a four-time Scholar All-American in its ranks. Sumner is one of nine student-athletes in program history to have earned the accolade three times.
Sumner also has unfinished business at the NCAA Championships. He qualified for nationals in 2020, but the event was canceled amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. He finished as the runner-up at 149 pounds at the NCAA Central Regionals last season to once again qualify for nationals and fell one victory shy of earning All-American status.
"That was an experience I'll never forget," he said. "It was awesome knowing that all your hard work paid off and got you to where you wanted to be. It didn't end the way I wanted it to, but getting that experience and knowing what I need to do to get back there was what I enjoyed most."
It was quite an impressive end to a season in which Sumner battled injuries.
"I don't think I could've done it without Coach Beaschler and our athletic trainer. Their support helped push me forward," he said. "They know when to push me and when to let off. Knowing how to work hard but not push myself too far helped me out last year."
Now injury-free, Sumner has gotten off to a hot start this season, posting an 11-1 record with five falls, two technical falls and one major decision to his credit in helping the Polar Bears to a 9-0 record in dual meets. He was named Ohio Athletic Conference Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 14 and is now 69-13 overall in his career. But Sumner has his sights firmly set on the final destination.
"I'm going to get back to the national championships, and this year, I'm going to win the dang thing," he said.
Beaschler believes Sumner has what it takes to do just that.
"Chase is an extremely talented wrestler who can beat anybody in the country, and he can accomplish some great things this year," he said.
Winning a national title would be a crowning achievement for Sumner, who has been wrestling since he was 4 years old. From the age of 8 into his middle teens, he competed throughout Ohio as part of a travel team. He won his first state championship when he was 12 and went on to become a four-time Northwest Conference champion and three-time state placer at Ada High School, finishing fourth as a sophomore, eighth as a junior and seventh as a senior.
Beaschler didn't have to travel far to recruit the Ada native to ONU. It also helped that Sumner was in the same high school graduating class as Beaschler's son, Zach.
"I had a great relationship with Coach Beaschler before college," Sumner said. "I went to school with his son, and I knew how he ran his program, and I wanted to be a part of it. I knew I had a chance to help the team grow, so going to ONU was almost a given."
Growing up in Ada, Sumner attended several matches and grew quite familiar with the Polar Bear wrestling program. He would even wrestle with current assistant coach Kyle Kwiat, who amassed a record 158 victories at ONU from 2009 to 2013 and is the program's only two-time national champion and four-time All-American. He also knew that ONU had a high-quality pharmacy program, and since he wanted to pursue a career in the healthcare field, becoming a Polar Bear seemed like the perfect fit. Staying close to home has been an added bonus.
"I live at home and commute every day. It's a two-, three-, four-minute drive," he said. "It's great to save money with things like food and laundry and gas. Also, I know a lot of people, and that network is a good thing to have, especially in college."
He has also enjoyed Beaschler's coaching style.
"I like his intensity. Everything he does is with meaning. He doesn't do anything just because," Sumner said. "And I like how he expects a lot out of his wrestlers, which increases our abilities."
Academically, Sumner started as a biology major and was eventually guided toward the pre-physician assistant program. He completed some job shadowing this past summer and enjoyed the experience, cementing his desire to pursue a career in healthcare.
"I want to go to PA school, and hopefully once I graduate from there, I'll be somewhere in the orthopedic field," he said.
Balancing classes with practices and competitions can be difficult at times, but Sumner, who is also a member of the Biological Student Association, wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, he credits athletics with helping him succeed in the classroom.
"I think my grades are better during wrestling season because I'm on a time schedule all the time, so it forces me to do my work," he said. "Whenever I get done with practice, it's like, 'Alright, you have to hit the books because you just practiced for three hours.' Balancing that has made my academics better."
So it may be only a matter of time before the three-time Scholar All-American achieves four-time status.
More about Chase
Fun Fact: Chase enjoys playing video games, citing Fortnite as one of his favorites.
Top ONU Professor: Chase has trouble picking out his favorite ONU professor, as he has liked several of them. However, he highlighted Dr. Rema Suniga as a standout. "I like how much she expects out of us," he said. "She expects a lot and is always there to help, and she's always willing to stick her neck out for you."
Hometown Tidbit: Despite its small size, Ada (2.135 square miles with a population of just under 6,000) has both a movie theater and a bowling alley.
Chase's Favorites
Food: Steak
Restaurant: Texas Roadhouse
TV Show: The Office
Movie: Avatar
Sport (other than wrestling): Football
Pro Sports Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Pro Athlete: Jordan Burroughs
Music Genre: Country
Singer: Luke Combs
Place He's Traveled To: Outer Banks, N.C.