Ohio State freshman Kyle Snyder taking aim at winning first NCAA title

Junior World champion Kyle Snyder has his sights set on winning his first NCAA title. John Sachs and Ohio State file photos.


Kyle Snyder has never backed away from a challenge.


As an 18-year-old, high-school senior, Snyder walked onto the mat before a huge crowd at New York City’s Times Square and stared directly at his opponent.


That opponent was Olympic gold medalist and five-time World champion Khadzhimurat Gatsalov of Russia.


Snyder didn’t back down. Trailing midway through the match, Snyder powered in on a single-leg attack, hoisted Gatsalov high into the air and planted him on the mat to score a stunning takedown. The powerful Gatsalov recovered to earn a 6-3 win in the 2014 Beat the Streets Dual.


Even in defeat, Snyder sent a loud and clear message that day. He’s ready to make a huge impact on the collegiate and international levels.


He doesn’t turn 20 years old until late November, but the Ohio State freshman is off to a superb start in his first collegiate season. He’s ranked No. 3 nationally at 197 pounds after recent wins over All-Americans Scott Schiller of Minnesota and Morgan McIntosh of Penn State.


“My goal has always been to be a four-time NCAA champion,” Snyder said, “and be a World and Olympic champion.”


Those lofty goals don’t seem all that unrealistic for Snyder, who won a 2013 Junior World title as a 17-year-old. He followed that by winning a bronze medal at the 2014 Junior Worlds at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.


“Competing at the Junior Worlds was an awesome experience for me,” Snyder said. “It introduced me to the international style of wrestling, and I faced guys that I will see down the road on the Olympic level. Going overseas and seeing how other countries train was a really good experience. I learned a lot.”


He bypassed his senior year of high-school competition to train full-time in freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Snyder was the 2013 ASICS High School Wrestler of the Year after his junior season. He was 179-0 in high school.


He then joined a strong Ohio State program this season and has made an immediate impact at 197 pounds.


“The transition back to folkstyle wrestling has been good,” Snyder said. “Our coaching staff has done a great job helping me with the transition. It’s definitely taken some time to get better in the top and bottom position. I’ve been able to use a little more strategy riding guys and I’ve improved getting out from the bottom position.”


His recent wins over McIntosh and Schiller sent a message that Snyder is a legitimate contender to win an NCAA title next month in St. Louis.


“Those are guys I need to beat at Big Tens and NCAAs,” Snyder said. “Those were good wins for me. It feels good to know the training I’ve done and the technique I’ve been learning is working against quality opponents.”


Snyder is part of a strong Ohio State team that is now ranked No. 3 in the country after a big home win over then-No. 3 Minnesota this past weekend.


“Our goal at the beginning of the year was to win Ohio State’s first NCAA team title. And that’s still our goal,” he said. “We need everybody to contribute. We need to score bonus points and hold ourselves accountable in helping the team.”


Snyder joined a powerful Buckeye team led by three-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber, a past Junior World silver medalist who is ranked No. 1 at 141 pounds.


“Logan is so special – not just because of his wrestling but because of how calm he stays. He never loses his cool on the mat,” Snyder said. “It’s great being around somebody who already has three national titles. I pick up small things watching him train and seeing how he carries himself. He is great about answering questions. I try to pick his brain as much as I can.”


Snyder trains in a strong room that includes two top big men – Tervel Dlagnev and J.D. Bergman – who are part of the Ohio Regional Training Center program. Dlagnev is a two-time World bronze medalist and Bergman has made two Senior World Teams. He also works with 2014 NCAA runner-up Nick Heflin, who competed for the Buckeyes at 197.


“It’s an awesome place to train,” Snyder said. “My workout partners are about as good as you can hope for with Tervel, J.D. and Nick, plus the college guys in the room. It’s a great situation for me.


“Tervel spends a lot of time with me. He’s taught me a lot of technique and helped me make a lot of adjustments. He’s helped take me to a new level.”


Snyder is eligible to compete at the Junior Worlds again this year, but he also has bigger goals in his sights. He plans to make a run at the 2015 U.S. Senior World Team at 97 kg/213 lbs.


“Kyle has already proven he can be the best wrestler in the World in his Junior age group, and I believe Kyle will successfully and quickly carry this confidence and skill on to the Senior level,” said U.S. Assistant National Coach Brandon Slay, an Olympic gold medalist. “Kyle has the potential to be a multiple-time World and Olympic medalist. Most importantly, Kyle knows deeply that potential only matters if it is combined with a stellar attitude and unparalleled work ethic, and I believe Kyle has these two attributes.”


U.S. Assistant National Coach Bill Zadick was in Snyder’s corner when he won Junior Worlds in 2013.


“Kyle is a great young man who has a passion for life and wrestling, which propels him to learn and continually improve in all areas in and out of our sport,” said Zadick, an NCAA and World champion. “I have enjoyed working with him and look forward to seeing him continue to develop. I believe his potential to be extremely high and the sky the limit moving ahead collegiately and internationally."


For now, Snyder’s focus is squarely on the final six weeks of the college season.


Snyder may have an opportunity to face returning NCAA champion J’den Cox of Missouri at next weekend’s National Duals in Iowa City. Cox is ranked No. 1 and won the 2014 NCAA title as a freshman.


“I haven’t wrestled him yet,” Snyder said. “We lost to them earlier this year, but he bumped up to heavyweight which allowed them to win the dual. Hopefully, I will get to see him before NCAAs. It will be an exciting match.”


The Buckeyes will host the Big Ten Championships next month in Columbus.


“It’s really exciting to have it at home,” Snyder said. “Everything is easier when you’re at home – making weight, sleeping in your own bed and wrestling in front of your home fans. It’s going to be a great experience having Big Tens here.


“March is when it really starts to matter and when you really need to wrestle your best. I’m real excited to wrestle in my first NCAA tournament, and hopefully compete my best for five matches.”