The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Chardon siblings primed for big weekend
Margaret making third trip to state gymnastics; Jake aiming for return to podium in wrestling
When it comes to sibling rivalries, Jake and Margaret Hamulak are like any other brother and sister.
When it comes to sibling rivalries, Jake and Margaret Hamulak are like any other brother and sister.
“She likes to take my ice cream,” said Jake, a senior wrestler at Chardon, rolling her eyes. “Every time. Even if it’s in a bag with my name on it, she’ll take it. Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.”
His sister, a junior on the Chardon gymnastics team, didn’t argue the accusation. Rather, she flashed a shy smile and shrugged her shoulders at the freezer pilfering.
For sure, the Hamulaks are like any other brother and sister across the area.
But one area sets them apart from the rest.
Jake and Margaret Hamulak are state-caliber student athletes in different sports in the same season.
As the Feb. 29 weekend approaches, Jake is preparing to embark on his third and final run at a state championship in wrestling, while Margaret is gearing up for her third crack at the state gymnastics meet.
Jake and his Chardon teammates will be taking part in the Division II sectional wrestling tournament at Lake Catholic this weekend, while Margaret (along with teammate Chloe Budd) will be taking part in the vault at the state gymnastics meet at Hilliard Bradley High School.
They might differ when it comes to ice cream, but when it comes to the shared goals for this weekend and beyond, they couldn’t be on each other’s side any more than they already are.
“It’s pretty cool,” Jake said. “Not many families have two athletes in two different sports get to state. It’s cool because I don’t think it happens very often.”
Margaret nodded in affirmation, acknowledging the magnitude of the coming weekend. It’s the final week of her season, but it’s the start of her brother’s final month as a high school wrestler before he moves on to the college ranks at the University of Chicago.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “He’s worked really hard for this. I know he’s been sick recently, but I’m excited for him.”
Which is hard to tell, if you know the Hamulak kids, who are about as chill emotionally as the ice cream they tend to bicker about at home.
When Margaret was announced as a state-qualifier at the district meet last weekend at West Geauga, the major show of emotion was a smile as she walked to the front of the mat for her medal and recognition.
When Jake placed fourth in the Division II state tournament last spring, he was stone-faced serious as he climbed to his step on the podium.
If the Hamulak siblings won the lottery, they’d likely just nod their heads collectively and mutter “Oh, that’s cool,” while others would be jumping around and highfiving anyone in earshot.
“He’s pretty calm,” Margaret said, nodding toward her brother. “So am I. I just try to go out and have fun. I don’t focus too much on scores and make it more pressure-some than it already is.”
Margaret is no stranger to the big stage of gymnastics. She qualified as an individual and as a member of the Chardon team as a freshman, then again as a team member as a sophomore.
“My freshman year, I fell in the floor exercise, so I don’t know where I placed,” she said. “This year, it’s just the vault.”
A week ago at the district level, she ramped up the difficulty level of her vault at the suggestion of Coach Kasey Eichele, which she said increased her chances of qualifying for the state meet.
She scored a 9.275 from the judges, which placed her 12th. The top 17 advanced to state.
“I’m going to do the same vault at state,” Margaret said. “I know I can do it better. I’ve been working on it and I’m more comfortable with it. District was the first time I tried it.”
Jake is coming off a recent bout with the flu, but is sporting a 28-4 (.875) record this season with 14 pins. He recently recorded his 132 career victory, which makes him the winningest wrestler in Chardon history ahead of Mike Connick (129) and John Connick (128).
“I hadn’t thought about that since my freshman year, but it’s cool to break the record,” Jake said. “Everything I’ve done has set me up for the next few weeks. There’s not much more I can do now besides go out there and perform.”
An exemplary studentathlete, Jake will wrestle at the University of Chicago following graduation and plans to major in molecular engineering. He has a 3.9 grade-point average and scored a 34 on his ACT exam.
Because of their schedules, the Hamulaks don’t often get to watch each other perform. For instance, while Margaret is vaulting in Hilliard this weekend, Jake will be wrestling in the sectional tournament.
The pair said they’ll keep up with each other’s accomplishments either via Twitter or text.
“I really hope he wins it,” Margaret said with a smile of pride for her brother.
Jake hopes his sister gets to the state podium in the vault, too. He’s even offered a bribe.
Perhaps with a little ribbing, like siblings tend to do, but a bribe nonetheless.
“Oh, if she places at state, I’ll buy her her own ice cream,” he said. “Then she’ll quit taking mine.”