Bellefonte freshman Colin Harter had to deal with that and more throughout Saturday’s District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships. Just weeks before starting his preparations for his district debut, the Red Raider sprained his MCL competing at Sharon Duals, forcing him out for team postseason and putting his individual postseason chances into question.

“I was questionable about even coming to this because of my leg, and we decided last moment that we should do this,” said Harter when discussing his injury at Altoona on Saturday. “It worked out.”

Indeed, it did.

Despite all he had to endure – from the discomfort of his injury to the nerves of the moment, Harter fought through that adversity to prosper in his first postseason tournament. The freshman posted two pins while looking off a tough championship semifinal loss, ultimately clinching district bronze while punching his ticket to regionals.

TIM WEIGHT/For the Express Bellefonte's Colin Harter works for a pin against Central Mountain's Hunter Nace during the District 6 Class AAA wrestling championships on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Altoona.

“I came in with a bummed leg and just had to work through it and work around it. Had to change up my style this past week,” said Harter on that adversity. “Made it to regionals as a freshman. I think that’s a pretty good accomplishment.”

On top of the discomfort, Harter also had to adjust his wrestling style on the fly. He was able to work on that in practice leading up to the event but applying it to competition was still a difficult adjustment.

“I had to change my stance, change my shots up. Working to turn and reverse instead of getting to my feet and getting a bunch of takedowns,” said Harter on adjusting his style.

It’s a style that many wrestlers switch to when dealing with a leg injury, often coming with mixed results.

The issues were on display in his championship semifinal bout against No. 2 seed Connor Sidney (Hollidaysburg) – ranked No. 22 in the state at 107, where Harter couldn’t get to his offense and fell by 5-0 decision. But throughout the rest of his run, he showed signs he was finding his groove.

In two battles against fellow area freshman Hunter Nace (Central Mountain), Harter was dominant on top, keeping Nace from getting back up while ultimately turning him for a pin on both occasions – the latter being to punch his ticket to regionals. And in his tensest bout of the tournament against No. 4 seed Ethan Johnson (Mifflin County), Harter held Johnson scoreless on his way to a 1-0 decision.

The Bellefonte freshman has prospered throughout his debut campaign, building on a strong junior high stint and already matching up well against tough competition.

Harter – ranked No. 26 in the state at 107 – placed at King of the Mountain and LHACs amidst brackets featuring numerous state-ranked wrestlers. His record stands at 25-13 through districts. And of his 13 losses, just two featured bonus points while plenty came in state-ranked matchups.

It’s success that the freshman attributes to Bellefonte’s coaching staff, which has had a tendency to get the most out of its young talent in recent years. Last season, Bellefonte’s Andrew Gall had 30 wins as a freshman. And in 2023-24, Luke Hockenberry finished with 23.

“I think the coaches here at Bellefonte have helped me a lot,” said Harter. “I’ve had some questionable moments throughout my freshman season, and they’ve just said, ‘What would you do if that was a district championship?’ And that’s helped me get through this and work for this season and wins for my team.”

“He’s had success in junior high, and he has big goals for himself,” said Maney on Harter following a dual against Jersey Shore earlier this season. “So, just got to keep building, keep getting better.”

Moving forward, the goal for Harter is to have the same level of success at regionals that he had at districts, as he pushes to qualify for states in his first go. He’ll need a top five placement to do so, a prospect that’s easier said than done but one he believes he can tackle.

“I want to go to states as a freshman,” said Harter. “That’d be nice.”