Wesleyan’s Armstrong chases titles

Anne Marie Armstrong could be a double-digit state champion if her left knee holds up, because eight really isn’t enough.

The Wesleyan senior earned her eighth state championship Saturday in a 71-31 thumping of Savannah Country Day in Macon. Armstrong has won three championships in basketball, three in volleyball and — here are the key words — two more in track.

Enlarge this image

Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com

Wesleyan’s state-title victory over Savannah Country Day gave Anne Marie Armstrong her eighth state title in three sports.

Enlarge this image

Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com

At the end of her rehab, Wesleyan senior Anne Marie Armstrong has ultrasound therapy performed on her left knee by head athletic trainer Steve Stepp.

• Soundslide: Armstrong talks about her high school career



MORE GEORGIA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

• Young theft victims appear on NBC's 'Today' 
• Cobb cheerleader accused of theft out on bond 
• Victims' dad: Charge cheerleader's accomplices 

Two more in track would stand between Armstrong and her leaving the Norcross private school with 10 individual and team state championships. It wouldn’t be a record, since distance runner Emily Reese left Chamblee with 12 state titles (eight in track and four in cross country) last year. But the number would put her in even more select company than she is already.

What stands between Armstrong and the double-digit possibility is the operation she will have Friday to repair a torn meniscus in her left knee.

Surgery choice

She’s torn in more ways than one. She wants to defend the high-jump championship she won as a sophomore and junior, and pick up one in either the shot or the discus to reach double digits. But she doesn’t want to rush back and risk a medical setback that might delay her college basketball debut with Georgia.

“I would be excited if I got 10, but I wouldn’t be ecstatic,” she said. “I wouldn’t really be upset if I didn’t get it. Still, I’d be disappointed if I never got a shot at the high jump. I definitely want nine and 10.”

The meniscus is the cartilage that connects the thigh bone to the shin bone and the kneecap, and it ensures that weight is evenly distributed over the knee joint.

Armstrong, the reigning Miss Georgia Basketball and — as of Thursday — the Gatorade Georgia girls basketball player of the year, has a choice: Have a minimally invasive procedure that would allow her to recuperate in time to qualify for the state track meet, or have a more thorough repair that would ensure that she’s ready to play basketball when she enrolls at Georgia in the fall. The former would require at least four weeks of rehabilitation time. The latter would require about six months. But, as Armstrong is well aware, the more thorough operation is no sure thing.

She had the same injury to her right knee two years ago, and doctors tried stitching the meniscus, the more thorough repair. It never healed properly and she had to undergo an additional operation.

Armstrong, who isn’t sure exactly when she hurt the knee in February, said it will be the doctor’s call which to choose this time, based on what he sees when he starts to operate. A torn meniscus generally is not considered as severe as a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Basketball coach Jan Azar is convinced Armstrong will heal quickly, whichever route she goes.

“I don’t know many athletes who are 6-3 and built the way she is,” Azar said. “She’s a very, very athletic kid.”

Close monitoring

Because Armstrong was nearing the end of her career, Azar allowed the senior a little more latitude in determining how much she plays. But she leaned heavily on trainer Steve Stepp to monitor Armstrong’s knee — as he has done for the past four years — and make sure the player didn’t endanger her future.

“In medicine, it’s not always an exact science,” Stepp said. “If you’re looking for somebody to say there’s a 56.55-percent chance that she will reinjure that knee, I can’t say that. But her doctor and I are confident that she’s not going to do any more damage to it by playing on it.

“Can it happen? Absolutely. There is risk, but it’s a risk she and her family are willing to accept.

“Her mom’s a nurse, so she has a fairly significant medical background, and her dad’s a renegade athlete himself, so he has a general idea of what we’re talking about.”

Because the Wolves blew out all their opponents in the state tournament — 25 was the closest margin — Armstrong rested more than she would have if the games had been close. But even if they had been closer, Azar said she would’ve been cautious.

“As long as she feels good and there’s no swelling in the knee, she’s good to go,” Azar said. “We [were] trying to let her finish it out the right way. But first and foremost is her health, and we [were] not going to do anything to jeopardize that.”