Heidelberg Athletics Hall of Fame
"He was the most unselfish wrestler I ever coached. His record would have been better his senior year, but he sacrificed for the team," his former coach at Heidelberg College, Pete Riesen, said of him.
Mike Kakias was a four year letter winner in wrestling at Heidelberg College and never lost a match during the regular season while wearing the tricolor. He finished with an amazing 55-3 career record and the 55 wins were the most in Heidelberg history at the time of his graduation in 1976.
Kakias was unbeaten at 17-0 in the 118-pound division and won the Ohio Athletic Conference championship in 1974. He finished second in the OAC in 1973, 1975 and 1976. During his years of going to the mat for Heidelberg, the Student Princes compiled a 45-8-1 record and in 1976 Kakias was honored as the Sayger Award winner.
A graduate of Canon-McMillan Senior High School, he gave notice early that he would become one of the greatest wrestlers to wear a Heidelberg uniform when he defeated defending title holder, Jim Aquilo of Mount Union, 9-4 in the OAC finals his sophomore year, a revenge win over an opponent who had defeated him his freshman year.
"Kakias is a real intense competitor who just works and works. He is strong, and his technique is excellent. He knows where he is and what's happening at all times, and he doesn't make silly mistakes," Riesen said after his championship performance.
Kakias began wrestling in the third grade and was coached by an uncle along the way. He lettered three years at his high school and was the Western Conference Champion in 1970 and 1971. He won Section In two years in his weight class. During his high school career he piled up a 63-2 record and his senior year he recorded the quickest victory in just 16 seconds. Thus, in high school and college he had an outstanding 118-5 record.
Since leaving Heidelberg Kakias has taken his valuable experience into the coaching field and has aided in the success of many high school wrestlers. His teaching career began as an elementary physical education instructor in Niles and he also coached wrestling at Howland High School in Warren upon graduation in 1976.
In 1978 he became the head wrestling coach at Louisville High School and taught physical education in the Louisville City Schools in Louisville, Ohio. Following three successful years at Louisville he moved to Hiram College where he served five years as the assistant wrestling coach with various aspects of the wrestling program.
For the past six years he has been teaching sixth grade reading and social studies at Hudson Middle School in Hudson, Ohio where he also serves as the Middle School wrestling coach. Kakias and his wife, Karla, have two children, Jay 7 and Michael, 3.
(This profile appeared in the 1993 Hall of Fame Banquet program.)
