by Lem Satterfield
E-mail: lsatterfield@digtalsports.com
(See video interviews below)
There's a wrestling mat in the basement of their Ellicott City home, but the Kraisser's living room, nevertheless, often becomes the place for horseplay.
"Get into your stance," an 8-year-old Jason Kraisser recently told his brother, Calvin, who is just 2 years old and the youngest of seven children born to Cliff and Kerri Kraisser.
"I do gymnastics," said Holli Kraiser, a precocious 5-year-old who is no stranger to the informal wrestling scrimmages with Calvin -- although Kerri isn't likely to allow her youngest daughter any formal participation in the sport.
"Once he [Calvin] pinned me. And I can pin him too," said Holli Kraisser. "But he only pinned me one time -- when I was 4. But now, I'm 5."
Meanwhile, two of Holli's siblings grappled for position. Soon, Jason took control, grinning as he playfully decked Calvin with a pinning move called "The cradle."
In a subsequent bout with Nathan, 15, however, Calvin gained a measure of redemption -- this after snagging a single-leg for a takedown, bringing the second-oldest Kraisser child to the floor and slapping the carpet for the pin.
"I had no idea that we'd have this many children, but it's been a huge blessing to us. I did think that sports would be a big part of our lives," said Kerri Kraisser, a Longwood College graduate who met Cliff, at Centennial and later began dating him during the latter stages of their college careers.
Cliff was a Maryland state champion at Centennial as a senior in 1983, and Kerri, a former state placing gymnast. Cliff's brother, Jeff, graduated from Centennial in 1986 and also wrestled with Cliff in high school as well as at Virginia Tech.
"I didn't know how much wrestling would be involved, but we wanted the kids to be active in sports as well as being academically committed," said Kerri Kraisser, who lives with her children, Calvin, Holli, 5, Jason, 8, Austin, 11, Brandi, 12, Nathan, 15, and Brian, 16 in the home where Cliff was raised.
"I just finished my second year of wrestling, and I'm going into my third," said Jason, a member of Howard County's recreation league who already has won five tournaments.
Austin, who wrestles under four-time NCAA All-American and former Olympian Cary Kolat, already has won junior league states three times.
"Brian and Nathan began wrestling, and I wanted to get into it. So my dad put me on the rec team," said Austin Kraisser, who has been wrestling for six years and has lost count concerning the number of trophies he has won.
Although he never won a junior league state title, Brian was a placewinner several times.
Brian had a breakthrough season, however, as a Centennial sophomore last year, finishing second in the Howard County tournament, third at the Class 4A-3A East Regional, and sixth at the Class 4A-3A states.
"Most of the teachers [at Centennial] knew me because I was Cliff and Kerri's son. So they had high expectations of me," said Brian Kraisser, who maintained a 3.5 grade average. "I'm trying to set the bar for [his siblings] to come in and do well."
But Nathan Kraisser enters Centennial as perhaps its most decorated incoming freshman in the school's history.
Nathan Kraisser won 95 matches over the course of the past year, and has nearly 500 career victories.
In January, Nathan won the prestigious Tulsa Nationals, winning the crown over a wrestler who was after his eighth straight title in the event.
Last month in Fargo, North Dakota, Nathan Kraisser finished fourth in the Cadet Freestyle Nationals at the Fargo Dome at North Dakota State University.
Nathan's finish earned him All-American honors for placing within the top eight of his 98-pound weight class.
Like his older brother, Brian, Nathan began wrestling when he was 6. Nathan is trained now, most notably, by Cary Kolat, in Timonium.
Nathan's acheivements compare favorably to those of Glenelg resident Nick Schenk, who, as a McDonogh freshman, two years ago, went 43-0 on the way to winning tites in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association, private schools states and National Preps.
"[The accolades] make me feel pretty good, but I try not to let it affect my mental aspect too much. I don't want to become overconfident," said Nathan Kraisser, who expects to compete at either 103 or 112 pounds for the Eagles.
"This next year, I'm planning on wrestling at 103, and then, after that probably 112. After that, I'm not really sure," said Nathan Kraisser. "Hopefully, I'll be a good, solid 103-pounder next year, and be able to keep my weight throughout the whole year."
