Indians take third at Regionals
Jacob Kleimola and his competitor hand fight in the beginning of the match. This was the first time that Kleimola has wrestled in the Regional tournament.
February 11, 2014
On Saturday, Feb. 8, the Calumet High School gymnasium was packed with enthusiastic fans and hard-working athletes. The boys varsity wrestling team was competing in the 2014 IHSAA Regionals.
At the end of the day, the team walked away with two Regional Champions and eight Semi-State qualifiers. The champions were Jacob Kleimola (10) in the 160 weight class and Gelen Robinson (12) in the 220 weight class. In addition to the two champions, Branden Truver (11), Jacob Sebahar (12), Daniel Vargas (12), Jacob Stewart (11), Kodie Christenson (11) and Nicholas Minkema (12) were the Semi-State qualifiers. The Indians finished third as a team with 107.5 points.
“It’s great knowing that I have won [Regionals]. This is my third year in a row winning Regionals, so it’s always great to know that I’m doing good this far into the season,” Robinson said.
While Robinson holds a veteran status on the wrestling team, Kleimola is also making a name for himself as he continues to win in the post-season. After winning a Sectional championship for the first time, his experience at Regionals proved to be just as rewarding.
“You know [being a Regional champion] feels really good. I’ve never even wrestled at Regionals before, so [wrestling] my first year as a sophomore has been really exciting, but now I am just looking forward to getting ready for Semi-State,” Kleimola said.
The 2014 IHSAA Semi-State wrestling tournament will take place on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 8:30 a.m. in the Merrillville High School gymnasium.
