Keeping Their Eyes on the Prize

Every morning after 5 a.m., Jenny Kieffer wakes up her three sons. She wakes up Joe, 15, and fraternal twins Justin and Josh, 16. She feeds them breakfast and then takes them to Roncalli High School for their wrestling conditioning - running and lifting weights. As time consuming as it seems, those mornings have helped lead the twins to place in the Indiana High School State Wrestling Championship last year. As freshmen, Josh placed 5th at 103 pounds, and Justin placed 7th at 112. Now, sophomores joined by their freshman brother, Joe, success remains on their minds - every morning.  "They love the sport. They are good kids. They do this every day, and they love what they do," said Jenny Kieffer, a registered nurse married to Kevin, a firefighter. "This is what they do. But we keep our eye on the prize: The prize is education. What they do in sports keeps them busy. They get up in the morning. They go workout. They go to school. They come home. There are days they are tired. But they keep their eyes on the prize." Last year, the prize was placing in the state. This year, the twins want more. Justin currently wrestles at 119 pounds. "We've been doing this for more than seven years. My goal is to win a state championship," said Justin, who attended a wrestling tournament with his brothers in Kansas City, Mo., this summer to improve their technique. "We are brothers. We fight a lot, but not at home. It does get pretty bad sometimes on the mat at school. But we are there to support one another." The Rebels fourth-year coach, Lance Ellis, 37, understands the success the trio is seeking: From 1986-89, Ellis was a four-time state champion at Cathedral. "We have 41 kids on our team. It's the biggest we've had since I've been here. We have 20 freshmen on the team. We are looking for four good years, and the Kieffers have set the bar high for us," Ellis said. "We have a tough schedule and we are ranked in the state. They push one another every day. They come to practice early; they stay afterward to work. That rubs off on the team. They beat up on each other, but they are there to support one another." Josh is wrestling at 112 pounds this year and said that support for his brothers starts at the beginning of every meet. "I wrestle first, then it's Justin and then it's Joe at 125. We don't go in the stands until all of our matches are over. We cheer for one another," Josh said. "What I love about wrestling is that it's about you out there by yourself. There's no one out there for you to depend on. But I know I always have my brothers supporting me." At 15 years old, Joe is the biggest and youngest of the brothers. And while he hasn't yet enjoyed the success his twin brothers have experienced, he knows his success waits. "My goal this year was to make the varsity team. My junior and senior year, I want to be a state champion," said Joe, who is on the Rebels football team. "We have a mat downstairs at home and we go at it. It helps us get better." With the twins leading by example, Ellis expects great things for this season and seasons to come. "They are all students of the sport. They are tough kids, who work hard, and they come from a good family," Ellis said. "I am going to have at least three good years. My kids respect me and trust me. They know I have been there and done that. We don't have to talk about it. But I expect great things from this team." After all, success starts every morning at 5 a.m. "We have been blessed," Jenny Kieffer said. "Sports keep them busy and out of trouble. They are involved with our priest at church.  And they keep their eyes on the prize.  They are good children, athletes and scholars." -