PHS grad headed to NAIA wrestling power

PALMER — When Caleb Deemer first walked through the doors of Palmer High School as a freshman, Deemer’s goals for the future included the chance to play college football.

But as Deemer grew, so did his love of wrestling. During Deemer’s junior season, he realized his future was on the mat, and not on the football field. His primary goal changed, and recently Deemer realized that goal.

Deemer, a Palmer High 2014 graduate, committed to Morningside College last month, and will wrestle for the NAIA program in Sioux City, Iowa.

Palmer High activities director Dale Ewart, Deemer’s longtime wrestling coach, said he saw Deemer’s ability and potential early in Deemer’s wrestling career.

“From the very beginning I thought wrestling was more his deal. Think he saw that later than anyone else,” Ewart said recently. “He’s always been a super aggressive kid. (When he started wrestling) he didn’t have a clue what he was doing, but he was aggressive. He may have been doing things wrong, but he was always going 90 mph.”

As Deemer became more skilled and learned technique, he didn’t lose that aggressive nature.

“Kids who have that in wrestling do really well,” Ewart said.

Deemer said somewhere midway through his high school career is when he started to realize which sport his future was in.

“Until about my junior I was going to play football in college. My junior year, I decided I liked wrestling more, and was a little bit better at it,” Deemer said.

Deemer was made a team captain in wrestling his junior year, and that played a role in shifting his goals, he said. Deemer also enjoyed his best season to date, finishing as a Northern Lights Conference runner-up, then third in the state tournament.

Deemer became one of the top wrestlers on his squad as a senior. He won his first region title, winning the 195-pound crown, advanced to the state finals, and placed second. Deemer also became the first Palmer wrestler to win an individual title at the school’s annual tournament, the Lancer Smith Memorial.

Now, Deemer has the chance to compete for a nationally ranked NAIA program. Morningside, which finished the 2013-14 season ranked ninth in the country by InterMat Wrestling, won its fourth consecutive Great Plains Athletic Conference title. The Mustangs were 7-0 in league duals, and 12-6 overall.

“The wrestling program is top-notch,” Deemer said. “I’m very excited.”

Morningside was one of a number of programs interested in Deemer. The list also included Midland (Neb.) and Concordia (Minn.), which were both ranked in the top 22 of InterMat’s season-ending poll.

Deemer said a number of factors, in addition to the quality of the wrestling program, set Morningside apart from the remainder of the schools. Deemer said Morningside’s offer included a stellar financial aid package and work studies job.

Deemer said he was also drawn to the campus and the school’s academic programs. He plans on studying science and pursing a career in teaching.

Deemer, who stands at 5-foot-11, was recruited to wrestle at either 184 or 197 pounds for the Mustangs. He said he’s guessing he’ll land at 197, but is comfortable competing at a higher, and even lower class.