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Ohio State redshirt freshman Carson Kharchla gets his hand raised after winning a match at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Michigan. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Dept. of Athletics

Carson Kharchla’s life has been full of podiums.

The son of former Soviet Union wrestling national team member Miron Kharchilava, Kharchla is a legacy. His decorated career already includes two Ohio high school state championships, a national wrestler of the year award, an Ironman championship and a Fargo title.

At Ohio State, the redshirt freshman is searching for more podiums, hoping to become the nation’s best 165-pound wrestler and lead the Buckeyes to a national title.

His father relocated from Abkhazia — a small republic on the east coast of the Black Sea — to the United States in 1991, eventually becoming an assistant coach for Ohio State and Indiana before starting Team Miron Wrestling in Dublin, Ohio, where Kharchla started wrestling at 6 years old.

“I didn’t always want to wrestle in the beginning, but I knew it was always going to happen,” Kharchla said. “I pretty much hated it at first. It was meant to be, though.”

Kharchla said his father spent years training him to possess superior technique on head and hand skills while on his feet. His work ethic, combined with his stocky and muscular build, allowed him to become a polished wrestler with experience beyond his age.

Kharchla’s opportunities to compete against other wrestlers were limited. Team Miron’s philosophy is for wrestlers to only enter tournaments if they plan to win, so Kharchla’s victories came with a hunger for more, but he knew training was the priority.

It wasn’t until Kharchla arrived at Olentangy Liberty High School in Powell, Ohio, that he would prove himself to be one of the nation’s best wrestlers. 

In his four seasons as a Patriot, Kharchla amassed a 101-4 record, winning back-to-back Ohio High School Division I state championships and capping his career with a 31-0 senior season.

Olentangy Liberty’s head coach Mark Marinelli said Kharchla is the most talented wrestler he has trained in his coaching career.

“I’ve coached NCAA champions and world team members, All-Americans and state champions, but he’s the best wrestler I’ve coached or been around,” Marinelli said. “He’s the best wrestler I’ve ever seen.”

Kharchla’s high school success caught the attention of multiple Division I universities, including Ohio State, Virginia, North Carolina State, Oklahoma State and Minnesota.

Although Kharchla committed to Ohio State during his senior high school season, he said the Buckeyes weren’t always his top choice.

Even though Kharchla did not want to stay in his home state, Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan made sure Kharchla understood the Buckeyes were still saving a spot for him on their roster.

“Carson was, arguably, pound for pound, the No. 1 recruit in the country coming out of high school that (graduating) year,” Ryan said. “He walked through national tournaments and was dominant, so the expectations for him were incredibly high.”

Kharchla said he used one of his five official visits to tour Ohio State’s wrestling facilities, and to his surprise, the university he originally wanted nothing to do with ended up being a perfect fit.

Kharchla went on two more official visits after spending time at Ohio State, but he had already decided where to go in his heart. He wanted to be a Buckeye.

On Oct. 19, 2018, Kharchla signed with Ohio State. According to InterMat, Kharchla was the No. 5 wrestler in the class. FloWrestling ranked Kharchla as the No. 10 wrestler overall.

Ryan decided to redshirt Kharchla for his freshman season so he could compete for a national championship the following year, he said.

Most redshirts compete for the university unattached from the program in open tournaments. An unattached wrestler is not affiliated with their collegiate program, does not wear university-affiliated clothing and pays their competitive fees. They compete in front of minimal crowds with no coach and no teammates.

Despite finishing his redshirt season with a 16-0 record and four tournament titles, Kharchla said the experience was primarily negative.

“Every guy that redshirts hates the redshirt season,” Kharchla said. “It’s not what you think college will be like. It feels like you aren’t really a part of the team.”

Kharchla recalls the Michigan State Open last season as a moment where he felt disconnected from the program. Ohio State’s full roster traveled to East Lansing, Michigan, for the tournament, but Kharchla and fellow redshirt Dylan D’Emilio shared a different experience as they were left off the active roster for the tournament.

Ohio State’s coaches and non-redshirt wrestlers took a team bus while Kharchla traveled with D’Emilio in his car. The university paid for the program to stay in a hotel, while Kharchla and D’Emilio purchased their room. The team was allowed to have coaches in their corner during competitions, while Kharchla and D’Emilio coached each other.

“In competitions, you feel separated, but then you come home and practice, and you are together,” Kharchla said. “It stinks doing the same things as the team, sometimes extra, and not getting the same reward right away.”

Despite its difficulties, Kharchla said wrestling apart from his team helped him develop and learn the skills necessary to succeed in college wrestling.

“The transition between high school and college wrestling is drastic,” Kharchla said. “The matches are longer, and the wrestlers are bigger and stronger. The redshirt year helps you build the base and get matches under your belt.”

Because of the pandemic, the team could not train together as they would in a typical offseason, so Kharchla spent his time at Team Miron. He said he felt disappointed that he couldn’t train with his teammates, but was happy to have a facility where he could refine his skills.

With the offseason coming to a close, Kharchla wrestled in FloWrestling’s RTC Cup in December 2020, plowing his way through national champions and Olympians in Ohio RTC’s fifth-place finish.

“He really shined,” Ryan said. “He went undefeated, and I think we all saw in that weekend the guy that we knew we recruited and that he was finally going to have a chance in college to show his talents.”

A month later, Kharchla trained with his team before their first matches with Illinois and Wisconsin. He earned a spot in the starting lineup at 165 pounds and felt excited to perform for the Buckeyes.

Unfortunately, Kharchla wouldn’t see his name on the lineup card.

While sparring with redshirt junior Kaleb Romero during practice, Kharchla felt a pop in his knee. He battled through the initial pain and continued wrestling throughout the week, but his knee became stiff as time progressed, and he lost mobility.

Kharchla sought guidance from his mother, Jeanna Kharchilava, a retired athletic trainer. She told him his knee would need a minor repair, and he could return to wrestling within a month. Still, she suggested he receive an MRI to confirm the injury’s severity.

An optimistic Kharchla sat down with Ohio State’s trainer, eager to learn his results. But the news he received was far from what he wanted to hear.

Kharchla tore his ACL.

Kharchla said his mental health took a significant hit, as he had trouble processing the present and future impact of his injury.

“I don’t think I answered my phone for a while,” Kharchla said. “I told the coaches I needed however long I needed.”

Kharchla said the most challenging realization was that he couldn’t meet the high expectations his coaches and teammates set for him after a dominant redshirt season and impressive offseason.

Ryan expected Kharchla to compete for a championship, believing he was a clear favorite to claim both the conference and national titles.

“I know a lot of people had expectations and wanted to see me wrestle, but I wanted to see myself wrestle more,” Kharchla said. “I was motivated and on top of my diet, workout and exercise, and then this happens. It shocks you and rocks you to your core.”

Kharchla said he felt thankful to have his family during the difficult time. They understood his mental and physical pain the experience caused him. He also found comfort in supporting his teammates, especially D’Emilio.

“I got to enjoy some of the things he got to enjoy and feel some of the pains and sorrows he had to feel too,” Kharchla said. “That helped me feel like I was more a part of the team than not a part of the team.”

Once Kharchla was cleared to begin rehabilitation, he worked to strengthen the muscles surrounding his knee. His primary focus was to reactivate his quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.

The recovery is still ongoing, and Kharchla is working to return to the mat during the offseason. Unlike last summer, he will train with the team, but he will also return to work with his father, something he appreciates more as he grows older.

“Training with my dad has been a big key in my life so far,” Kharchla said. “He is one of the best coaches in the world, so I won’t waste the opportunity by not going to see him.”

In the fall, Kharchla will return to Ohio State’s campus in search of more podiums. 

Kharchla said he would be a better wrestler than before his injury, believing his body can push barriers and exceed the high expectations he has set for himself. He also said he thinks he will come back to a team primed for success.

“I want to get back and win with this team,” Kharchla said. “We have the talent in the room to win a championship, and I believe every kid on this roster can win a title. All we need to do is wrestle like I know we can.”