Freestyle standout Kyle Dake ready to make return to wrestling mat

Kyle Dake used to be the guy you never saw wearing a cast.


Or hobbling around on crutches.


In addition to being an outstanding wrestler, Dake managed to stay relatively healthy and avoid any major injuries during his magical, four-year collegiate wrestling career at Cornell University.


That’s why in 2013 he became just the third wrestler to win four NCAA Division I titles and then immediately made an impact while jumping into freestyle wrestling full-time on the Senior level.


Dake threw a major scare into Olympic and World champion Jordan Burroughs at the 2013 World Team Trials before falling in overtime in the second bout of their entertaining best-of-3 series.


But even the seemingly indestructible Dake, who plans to return to competition full-time in early 2015, started to break down.


Dake knocked off three-time World champion Denis Tsargush of Russia and two-time World medalist Ali Shabanov of Belarus in his first Senior-level overseas event in November 2013 in Azerbaijan.


Making those wins even more impressive was the fact that Dake broke his hand the day before the tournament while wrestling with teammate Keith Gavin in practice.


“After I broke my hand, I talked to my coaches (Zeke Jones and Rob Koll) and they said you are already over here so you might as well wrestle if you can,” Dake said. “They said you won’t hurt your hand any more because it is already broken.”


Dake drew Shabanov in the first round and earned an impressive 7-1 win. He followed with a 10-5 win over Tsargush, who beat Burroughs en route to winning his third World title last month in Uzbekistan.


“I was barely able to use my hand,” Dake said. “It was tough – it was brutal trying to wrestle with one hand while competing at such a high level. I was able to get through those first two matches. I got a good gut wrench on Tsargush and was able to turn him.”


Dake followed by dropping a 7-1 semifinal decision to Gadzhi Gadzhiev of Russia. He fell 3-3 to Ashraf Aliyev of Azerbaijan in the bronze-medal bout at 74 kg/163 lbs.


“I expected to blow through the Russian in the semifinals after just beating Tsargush,” Dake said. “But my hand was really bothering me and the pain was just unbearable. And mentally I just wasn’t there. In the bronze match, I was up 3-1 late in the match and gave up a questionable takedown against the guy from Azerbaijan in Azerbaijan.


“It was a rough experience with the injury, but that tournament gave me a lot of confidence. I beat two really good wrestlers. It was a good experience for me.”


Dake recovered from his broken hand and stepped back on the mat in February, continuing his impressive run by winning the Cerro Pelado International in Cuba.


His training was going well until the Friday before the NCAA tournament this past March. An assistant coach last season for Cornell, Dake was working out in the wrestling room when he heard something pop in his foot.


“At first, I thought I had broken my foot,” he said. “The doctors looked at it and they thought it was a sprain.”


Dake then went to see a specialist and received much worse news. He had torn ligaments in his foot and would be sidelined for six months. He underwent surgery in April and then again in late July to have the screws and plates from the first surgery taken out of his foot.


“I was on crutches, and I was in a walking boot,” he said. “I was just miserable. I had never been on crutches for an extended period of time like that. It was definitely not fun at all.”


Dake said he was still able to “do a ton of stuff” while being off the mat.


“I did as much as I could with my upper body – I did a lot of lifting and worked on getting stronger,” he said. “And I did as much as I could with my healthy leg. It was tough because I couldn’t really do a lot of conditioning.”


Two years ago, Dake was preparing for his senior season at Cornell that culminated with him joining Oklahoma State’s Pat Smith and Iowa State’s Cael Sanderson as the only four-time champions in NCAA history.


Dake is the only wrestler to win four NCAA titles in four different weight classes.


“Obviously, a lot of things have to go right and fall into place for you,” Dake said. “What are the odds of an incoming freshman winning four NCAA titles? I’m sure it’s mind blowing. People get injured and sick – there are a lot of things that can go wrong during a wrestling season and during your career. It’s very difficult to do.”


Ohio State senior Logan Stieber is gunning for his fourth NCAA title this season.


“Stieber just has to stick with what he knows and continue to do what he does well,” Dake said. “He has to focus on dominating and not worry about losing. If he does that, he will be fine. He also has a great coaching staff that will help him stay focused.”


Dake watched online when Burroughs and rival David Taylor, whom he beat to win his fourth NCAA title, faced off in the finals of the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials this year.


“I didn’t go to the Open or the Trials,” he said. “It would have been really hard watching them do in person what I had planned on doing. But things happen for a reason.


“Those were some tough matches between Burroughs and Taylor. David was in really good position to win at the Open, but Burroughs stayed poised. They were obviously highly competitive matches. I just wish I could’ve been there wrestling.”


Dake is back training full-time now at Cornell. He said he hopes to compete in his next tournament in late January, possibly at the Grand Prix in Paris or at the Yarygin event in Russia.


“I’m back on the mat now,” he said. “I’m finally wrestling live. I’m not quite in good enough shape to compete in a tournament yet. I’m getting closer. I’m working on becoming better than I was before I got injured.”


Dake has strong training partners at Cornell in veteran freestyle wrestlers Nate Carr Jr. and Enock Francois. He also battles Cornell 184-pounder Gabe Dean, who won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships this past summer.


“It’s a real good training situation for me,” Dake said. “Nate and Enock, it’s great to have those guys to work out with. And then I have Gabe. He’s big and strong. He never gets tired and will fight for every point.”


For now, Dake is no longer coaching as he puts all of his emphasis on his wrestling career.


“It’s tough trying to split time between coaching and wrestling,” he said. “I want to do everything great, but you can’t split time and be great at both. I have to focus completely on wrestling right now if I’m going to reach my goals. Rob Koll and the other coaches understand that and they agreed it was the best thing for the program. I am still in the room and still around the team. I am still helping out where I can.”


Dake knows just making the U.S. World Team in 2015 will be a challenge with Burroughs still competing at a high level and guys like Taylor making progress as well.


Burroughs has already landed a spot in the finals of the 2015 World Team Trials by virtue of winning a World medal in 2014.


“Jordan is one of the best wrestlers ever,” Dake said. “He’s a great competitor, and I will have to up my game to be able to beat him. I will have to go through a tough mini-tournament just to get a chance to face Jordan, so obviously it’s going to be a challenge.”


Dake also was paying close attention during the 2014 World Championships, where Burroughs won a bronze medal despite being injured in his first match.


“I watched it online and I studied guys,” Dake said. “I watched for certain tendencies that guys have. I tried to be a student and learn as much as I could.”


A now healthy Dake, a member of the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, hasn’t backed away from his lofty goals.


“I want to go overseas and gain some experience and win some tournaments over there,” he said. “Everything I do is preparing me to try and win a World title next year. I’m focusing on getting better every single day. I want to be better today than I was yesterday.


“Everything is going really well. I’m excited to be back.”