Staudenmayer Leaves As Plymouth Whitewarsh's Best

John Michael Staudenmayer will always hold a special place in history—quite literally.

A banner will be foisted up and placed on the walls of the school’s gymnasium for what very well could be the greatest wrestler in Plymouth Whitemarsh history.
 
Staudenmayer, headed to North Carolina on a wrestling scholarship, will graduate as the Colonials’ record-holder for all-time victories, closing a tremendous career with a 168-12 mark, including an all-time senior season in which he went 43-0 and won the PIAA 171-pound state championship.

He leaves as the second state wrestling champion in school history, next to Justin Giovinco, who won two state championships at Plymouth Whitemarsh and is one of Staudenmayer’s coaches at PW.
 
It’s been such a whirlwind ride for Staudenmayer that he barely had time to step back and absorb it all.
 
“I think I have now,” Staudenmayer said.  “After I wrestled in the Dapper Dan, which was two weeks after states, I’ve had a lot of down time. I wrestled one time from then until May. It was kind of nice to enjoy my senior year and sit back. It took a while for it all to set in. I was sitting there with Justin (Giovinco) at the NCAA (championship in Philadelphia), and it kind of hits you. I set out to win the Beast of the East, win states and go undefeated. I did it. Then it all sinks in; it does freeze you for a second."

Staudenmayer says his successes did not come over night.

"It’s been a long journey for me," he said. "I wasn’t that great growing up. I was an average wrestler to have these things happen, I can’t believe all this has happened. You put in the multiple hours, and you have to know what you want.”

There was no question about that: Staudenmayer was the best wrestler in the Philadelphia area and arguably the best wrestler in the state.

When any high school sports fan thinks of Plymouth Whitemarsh, they invariably think of the basketball program, which is traditionally a state-championship caliber team. Staudenmayer’s success this past season forced fans and students alike at PW to think differently. He kept winning, all the while keeping an even, humble demeanor, plowing ahead, moving forward and basically smashing every wrestler that came in his path.

He’ll be graduating June 9, and then it’s off to the Disney Duals from June 24-29 at the World Wide Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. He’ll take July off, getting in family and friend time, then head to North Carolina in early August, loading up and arming himself with the same singular focus that led him to a state championship this year.

The state championship banner that will blaze his name on it will go up there with the other state championship banners the school has won in the past, with one big caveat to it: Staudenmayer leaves as the best ever in his sport. He leaves an incredible legacy and a happy chapter of his life.

“That’s what’s tough about it, but I have to be ready to move on and accept new and bigger challenges,” he said. “I’d like to compete in the NCAAs one day. First, I want to get in the North Carolina lineup. Then work on qualifying for the NCAA championship and hopefully be an All-American at least twice. To be honest, I don’t even think about national championships. I don’t want to set goals I don’t know about. I want to start small and know the baby steps. It won’t be easy. I want to set goals and work hard to get to it.”

It’s nothing Staudenmayer hasn’t done before.