Campbell faces long road back
Moniteau grad, YSU freshman tears ACL in first track meet
By Mike Kilroy
Eagle Staff Writer
BUTLER TWP — Cambrie Campbell sprinted down the runway in her first collegiate meet at Youngstown State University in late March and fired the javelin.
Unhappy with the throw, she intentionally faulted.
The Moniteau graduate and freshman on the Penguins' track and field team was determined to make a better throw on her second attempt.
She sprinted down the runway again and got in position to make another heave.
Only this time a cleat caught on the runway surface and her right knee bent awkwardly.
She heard a pop.
Campbell knew her season was over after just two throws.
“It just gave out,” Campbell said. “I went into the trainers' room and I was so mad. I knew I was done. I was crying and mad and thinking, 'How did this happen?'”
The damage was extensive.
Campbell had torn her ACL completely and suffered partial tears to her MCL and meniscus.
The injury was so severe, the surgeon wanted Campbell to go through vigorous prehabilitation before surgery.
“He said if I just jumped into surgery my muscles would completely disappear and it would make recovery even harder,” Campbell said. “This way, recovery would be easier.”
The “prehab” was by no means easy, especially in the beginning.
But after nearly 10 weeks, Campbell was doing squats in the weight room.“It felt more and more comfortable as I went along,” Campbell said. “I was doing stuff I didn't think I could do.”Campbell finally had surgery Friday and received some welcome news.The MCL was almost healed and the surgeon was able to save the meniscus.Only the ACL had to be repaired, which should shorten her recovery time.“It went very well,” Campbell said. “The prehab definitely did help.”That was a silver lining what was in many ways a dark cloud hanging over her first track season.Unable to compete, Campbell became a reluctant spectator.“It's not easy to be positive all the time, especially when you're watching every day instead of competing,” Campbell said.But she made the most of her time.She worked on her mechanics. She watched other throwers and tried to learn from them. She studied film to try to hone her skills.And Campbell's skills are significant in the javelin.She picked up the event during her sophomore year at Moniteau and excelled almost immediately.Campbell placed third at the PIAA Track and Field Championships in the javelin at the end of that season.She placed third again there as a junior and fifth as a senior.Last summer, she placed sixth at the New Balance outdoor nationals in the javelin to earn All-American honors.She parlayed that into a spot at Division I Youngstown State.Because of her injury, Campbell received a medal redshirt. She will still have four years of eligibility.She considers it, jokingly, as a “do-over.”“It's funny now,” Campbell said. “It wasn't so funny then.”Campbell expects to be ready for next outdoor season.Her throwing coach at Moniteau, Ryan Protzman, doesn't doubt that.“She's a tough kid,” Protzman said. “One of the hardest workers I've ever met. I have no doubts she'll have one heck of a comeback.”
