COVINGTON – Chase Vanderhorst is one of the elite wrestlers in the history of the Covington wrestling program and he is pursing his wrestling dream at Ohio Northern University. Vanderhorst committed to the Polar Bears on Friday, May 24th.
“It’s pretty nice up there,” said Chase in regards to why he chose Ohio University as his immediate future. “I like the coaches and the people up there and they have a good wrestling program and a Mechanical Engineering program.”
Mechanical Engineering is the same educational path his father, Eric, and his brother, Cael, have taken. Cael was also one of the elite wrestlers at Covington and will enter his senior season at Ohio Northern.
“Being able to wrestle one more year with Cael, that’s going to be fun,” Chase said.
Cael, a 2021 Covington graduate, agreed.
“I’m really looking forward to being in the wrestling room with Chase,” Cael said. “We never really got to compete at the same time in Covington because when I was a senior, Chase was out his entire freshman year due to a football injury. It’s going to be cool to be on the same wrestling team with him again and to spend time together.”
Chase is the middle child of three children for Eric and Wendy Vanderhorst – his older brother, Cael, and his younger sister, Ramse. All were present to witness Chase sign his commitment to Ohio Northern University on the same day as Wendy’s birthday.
“Ohio Northern is a good wrestling program and a good education opportunity,” said Eric, Chase’s father and former high school coach. “The fact that it is close (to Covington), it is much easier to go watch both Chase and Cael wrestle in college.”
Chase has seen his older brother wrestling at the collegiate level, which has helped him get to know some of the wrestlers on the team.
“I know some of the wrestlers that are there – I’ve seen them wrestle,” Chase explained. “I also know some more wrestlers who will be there with me as a freshman.”
Chase had a great high school career at Covington as he was a three-time state placer after losing his entire freshman season due to an injury. He placed fifth at state in 2022 and 2023 and then placed fourth at state in 2024.
Those accomplishments matched Cael’s accomplishments in high school as Cael was also a three-time state placer despite losing an opportunity to be a four-time state placer due to the Covid cancellation as a junior in 2020.
“They both made a huge impact on our wrestling program at Covington – not only because of what they did at state, but because they helped a lot of their teammates,” Eric said. “Hopefully they both have the same impact at Ohio Northern.”
The wrestling tradition of the Vanderhorst family is the most impactful in the history of Covington as Eric was a two-time state qualifier in 1991 and 1992 and his brother Craig (Chase’s uncle) was a two-time state placer in 1983 and 1984. Chase and Cael added six more state medals to the family history and now are pursuing their goals at the collegiate level.
The goals Chase hopes to accomplish are at the elite level.
“Make the varsity team, the National Tournament and become an All-American,” said Chase of his goals. “It all comes down to getting better and better every day.”
Getting better and better every day is the Vanderhorst tradition and Chase is keeping it going.
