Kemerer enjoys target on back

Michael Kemerer has gone from a low point to a high point in his collegiate wrestling career over the past 16 months.

Kemerer, a four-time PIAA finalist at Franklin Regional High School, is now a redshirt senior at the University of Iowa.

Kemerer became a starter for the Hawkeyes during the 2016-17 season after redshirting his first year on campus. He earned All-American status by placing third in the NCAA Division I tournament at 157 pounds.

The following season, Kemerer placed fourth at the same weight. A shoulder injury during the consolation for third place kept him from earning a second bronze medal.

After two top-four finishes, it looked as if Kemerer was well on his way to reaching the pinnacle of college wrestling. But his dream of becoming an NCAA champion was put on hold during the 2018-19 season. He sustained a knee injury during a preseason workout and decided to have surgery on his shoulder and knee.

“I had shoulder surgery around Thanksgiving and knee surgery four weeks later,” Kemerer said. “The recovery was a long process.”

The surgeries couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the 2019 NCAA tournament was held at Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena.

“That was tough. I was really pumped when they announced Pittsburgh would be the site, then really bummed when I couldn’t compete.”

Kemerer made the trip to Pittsburgh to watch his teammates compete.

“It was more of a social visit for me,” Kemerer said. “I got to see my old coaches and teammates.”

During his recovery period, Kemerer went through a growth spurt. When he returned to the mat, he decided to move up two weight classes to 174, something that is rarely done in collegiate wrestling.

“I let myself grow into my natural weight,” Kemerer said. “I considered competing at 165, but I would have had to wrestle-off with [teammate] Alex Marinelli, and I would have still been cutting weight.”

Surprisingly, the move to 174 wasn’t as tough as it could have been.

“I just started wrestling bigger guys in practice,” Kemerer said. “It’s a little different style at that weight, but it came pretty easy for me. I still go for my attacks, but I’m wrestling smart.”

Kemerer began the season ranked No. 4 in the country and quickly moved up to No. 2.

On Jan. 31, Kemerer faced his stiffest challenge of the season when No. 2 Penn State visited the top-ranked Hawkeyes for a Big Ten Conference showdown in front of a sellout crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa was trailing Penn State, 14-10, when Kemerer stepped onto the mat. His opponent was No. 1-ranked Mark Hall, a three-time NCAA finalist and one-time champ. Kemerer brought the crowd to its feet by recording three takedowns, a reversal and a riding-time point in an 11-6 upset of Hall. The Hawkeyes went on to post a 1917 victory.

“It was one of the biggest wins of my career,” said Kemerer, who moved up to No. 1 in the rankings after the upset. “It was good to go out and get that win, but I still have a long way to go. March is the goal.”

Kemerer will most likely face Hall two more times, as they will no doubt be the top two seeds at the Big Ten tournament March 7-8 at Rutgers University. The same scenario will probably occur at the national tournament, which will be held March 19-21 at Minneapolis.

“It feels good to be ranked No. 1, but it also puts a target on my back,” Kemerer said. “I can’t let the pressure get to me. I have to stay cool and collected. I watched the video of my match with Hall and saw a few things I can improve on before we meet again.”

Kemerer has a chance to celebrate two titles at this year’s NCAA tournament, as the Hawkeyes are favored to win the team title.

“Iowa has won a lot of team titles over the years,” said Kemerer, referring to the Hawkeyes 23 team titles. “Our fans are used to winning, but it’s been a long time (2010) since we won a team title. We need to keep wrestling like we have all season. It would mean a lot to our program and to our fans if we could win the team title.”

Kemerer is joined at Iowa by former Franklin Regional teammate Spencer Lee, who has won a pair of NCAA titles at 125 pounds.

“Spencer is a freak,” said Kemerer of Lee, who is also ranked No. 1. “Nothing he does surprises me. His talent is limitless. He is such a good leader on and off the mat. It’s great to have him as a teammate again.”

Kemerer is a fifth-year senior, but still has a chance to wrestle next year.

“I should be able to get a medical redshirt for last season,” Kemerer said. “We have to wait until the season is over to apply to the NCAA, but I don’t think it will be a problem.”

Kemerer has already graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

“I’m now in the masters program for finance,” Kemerer said. “I will graduate next spring. The injury actually benefited me on the academic level. I will leave Iowa with two degrees.”

And possibly two NCAA titles.