Only days after attaining the state's top ranking in his weight class,
Alleghany (Sparta, N.C.) senior Luke Hampton was paralyzed during a wrestling match.
According to multiple reports, Hampton broke his neck at a Saturday tournament when he went head-first into a padded wall after he lost his grip while trying to take down his opponent. Hampton broke the C5 and C6 vertebrae.
"When I saw it, I thought maybe a concussion or he just hit his head," Alleghany coach Derrick Calloway told the
Winston-Salem Journal. "Right when I got to him, I knew immediately it wasn't good."
Hampton was the No. 1 wrestler at 182 pounds in the Class 1A division, and he also was a standout for the Alleghany football team that lost in the first round of the state playoffs.
Classmates and the community have rallied in support of Hampton, organizing fundraisers to help the family with medical expenses. The State Employees' Credit Union in North Carolina also has set up a fund in Hampton's name to accept donations. In addition,
Hibriten (Lenoir, N.C.), where the wrestling tournament was held, donated proceeds from the event to the wrestler's family.
