Climbing to the top of a mountain often requires patience and perseverance.

Samantha Klingel needed to have both to capture first place in the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association’s National Tournament held a few weeks ago in Oklahoma City.A year ago, Klingel’s five-year goal of winning a national title in women’s collegiate wrestling was in serious jeopardy after she sustained severe sprains to both of her ankles.“This setback bummed me out pretty bad,” she said after earning All American honors for finishing fourth in the 2012 National Tournament and fifth in the 2013 competition.“I sustained a high ankle injury during the first day of practice last year,” she said. “After being on crutches for a few months, I tried to come back too soon, and then I sprained my other ankle badly.”Those closest to Klingel knew how disappointed she was.“I felt the hurt in her voice on the phone,” said her mother Nancy. “All I could tell her is that God works in mysterious ways.”Last chanceDue to her inability to wrestle a full season, Klingel was redshirted so she could return for one more try to get to the tournament and win it all. She finished this regular season undefeated in the 116-pound weight class.“My ankle injuries became a blessing in disguise, “ she said. “After intensive therapy, I was able to resume training and refocus on my goals.”Jason Moorman, Klingel’s coach at King University in Tennessee, had no doubts that she would recover from the setback.“Sam is very mature by the way she handles any adversity on or off the mat,” he said. “We felt she could set herself up as a fifth-year senior to have a very special season.”Klingel did just that.Not only did she help King win its third straight national team title in Oklahoma City, but in a remarkable and dominating performance at the individual championships, Klingel won five consecutive matches in which she did not allow her opponents to score a single point.In the final match, Klingel defeated Abby Lloyd of Simon Fraser University, 3-0. Early in the first period, she was awarded a point for stalling by Lloyd. In the second period, Klingel scored two points with a takedown and then defended herself the rest of the way.“When the match was won, I was on cloud nine,” said Klingel, who resides in Kresgeville with her family. “I ran and jumped on my coach coach and then I ran and jumped up on my dad.”Her father Ed knew how special the moment was.“You finally got the monkey off your back,” he told her.Moorman was also thrilled for Klingel.“Sam has been an integral part of our winning three national championships,” said Moorman. “Honestly, I don’t know if we could have attained our team goals without her. I am so happy for her, but she will also be deeply missed.”Been there, done thatKlingel’s national title adds to an impressive list of accomplishments. She has been a member of the University World Team for Team USA. She owns a USAW Junior Folkstyle National Championship title from 2011. In 2013, Klingel won a Pan American Championship title in Chile for Team USA.In April, she has been invited to the USA Olympic Trials, where she will test her wrestling skills against older and more experienced women.“I told Sam that she’s climbing the ladder,” said her father, who remembers her wrestling her brother when she was a kid in the basement of their home. “You can’t keep her down. She was a junior high District 11 champ and wrestled all boys when she was at Pleasant Valley High School. Now she wants to make the Olympic team and win. If not this year, she’ll be back in 2020.”Klingel is excited about the progress women’s wrestling has made in this country.“We’ve jumped from 12 to 32 in women’s college programs,” she said. “Most are in California and Texas, but the east coast is gaining momentum too.”Call her a trendsetter, or call her an anomaly, because she wrestles in a sport made popular by men.No matter what, Samantha Klingel has earned the right to be called one thing for certain.Champion.