The Christiansburg High School wrestling team picked up its 17th straight state title this winter, and many of its student-athletes will reap the benefits as they continue their career on the mat in college.
Marshall Keller and Xander Whitehurst are two of those individuals. Keller will attend Princeton University and Whitehurst is slated to be part of a second-year program at Bluefield College. They signed letters of intents Thursday in the high school’s gymnasium.
Keller, who has wrestled at the varsity level for four years and has been in the sport for 14 years, is a three-time state champion that was ranked as high as fifth nationally this past season at 138 pounds.
Whitehurst has also wrestled at CHS for the past four years and is a four-time state finalist and won the state championship this past year.
Keller has maintained a 4.0 grade point average, thus being part of the lure to an Ivy League school.
“I chose to attend Princeton University because of the challenge and prestige that particular school can offer. They have a wrestling team that is on the verge of becoming a front runner in the D1 championships as well as having the highly honored Ivy League tag,” he said.
Keller plans to major in economics because he has a dream of owning and operating his own food business one day. Although, as of late, he has become fascinated in chemistry and feels his major could possibly change during the first year of college.
Whitehurst chose Bluefield because it was close to home and he felt like he would be a really good fit to the school’s wrestling program. He plans to major in criminal justice.
Keller’s biggest memory at CHS will be the excitement of both the team and individual wins.
“The highlight of this for me was after I won my second state title in the Salem Civic Center. I won and was overcome by the roar of the crowd. I remember jumping into my coach’s arms, then jumping the guardrail and sprinting up the steps to be welcomed by cheers and high fives by fans as well as the biggest hug from my parents and sister. That feeling of joy with tears is indescribable,” he said.
Because of their success at the high school level, both wrestlers still hold some lofty goals. Keller believes he can be an NCAA champion.
“The new wrestling room I will be walking into is full of talent, and I’m going to have to prove myself. The only direction for my career on the mat from here is up,” he said. “The success of the CHS wrestling program has gotten me to the point I am today because the program was all about achieving greatness. In that wrestling room I could not get away with a half effort. I was pushed to take full advantage of all opportunities I earned. CHS wrestling has instilled in me a mental toughness that no one else has. I am at the peak of my life right now because I treat every day like a wrestling match, no matter the how hard or nasty life gets I keep fighting because life will not defeat me.”
Whitehurst, on the other hand, has the opportunity to help build a new program, and he too hopes to reach the lofty goal of a national title.
The two seniors join Eric Eva in continuing their careers at the next level. Eva will wrestle at Davidson this fall.
