AWL I preview at 97 kg: Jacob Kasper (Team Dake) vs. Kyven Gadson (Team Taylor)
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
On paper, it would make sense that 2015 NCAA champion and 2018 Final X runner-up Kyven Gadson of Team Taylor would be a big favorite over Jacob Kasper of Team Dake at 97 kg during AWL I on Friday.
Not only does Gadson have a much larger freestyle resume than Kasper but he is competing in his native Iowa and should have a supportive crowd behind him. Gadson grew up in Waterloo, which is about an hour away from Cedar Rapids, but he was also a college star at Iowa State. This should be like a home match for him.
Kasper throws a unique twist into this matchup, because most of his success in the international styles at the Senior and age-group levels is in Greco-Roman. Add in his folkstyle skills as a two-time NCAA All-American at Duke, which should allow him to transition just fine into freestyle. Kasper competed at heavyweight during his college career, while Gadson was a 197-pounder, so there could be some size consideration also.
There is no guarantee that Kasper will be the only one making big throws in this matchup either, just because of Kasper’s Greco-Roman training. Gadson has always been capable of getting exciting high-amplitude moves during both his folkstyle and freestyle careers. There was that big throw that Gadson hit in the NCAA finals as a Cyclone senior that allowed him to pin freshman Ohio State star Kyle Snyder. And as recently as the 2018 Final X in Lincoln, although Snyder won the series in two bouts, Gadson popped a four-point blast double taking Snyder right off the mat. Gadson can score with explosive techniques from a variety of positions.
The wrestling community knows all about Kyven Gadson, who has taken on the challenge of chasing his Olympic dream with Olympic and World champion Snyder in his weight class ahead of him. He is doing everything that he needs to do in order to be the best in the nation, and also the best in the world, at 97 kg in freestyle. He is well known both locally and nationally. As seen at the NCAAs and in Final X, Kyven is also very comfortable with the bright lights and attention on him.
AWL I gives Jacob Kasper a chance to further establish his brand even more within the wrestling community. An Ohio state placewinner who was not heavily recruited, Kasper went to Duke and has been part of the program’s improvement under coach Glenn Lanham. While in college, he pushed himself in the post-season, and made a big breakthrough in Greco-Roman, with Senior-level placements at the U.S. Open in 2016 and the World Team Trials in 2017. At the same time, he was able to earn All-American honors his last two seasons at Duke. He was quoted in college about aiming to beat Snyder, which got him some attention in the Twittersphere.
Kasper is now coaching at Duke, and pursuing his international career with the Wolfpack RTC at nearby North Carolina State, where one of his training partners is two-time World freestyle medalist Nick Gwiazdowski. Kasper attended the Freestyle National Team training camps this summer and served as the training partner for Gwiazdowski at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest. We can be sure that his freestyle skills have been developed and improved based upon such high-level exposure.
You can find stories on the internet about how Kasper served as a training partner for UFC champion and two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier, and has an interest in Mixed Martial Arts. In addition, you can find stories about how the WWE and its legendary recruiter Gerry Brisco has been seeking to bring Kasper into professional entertainment wrestling. Kasper has gone through some WWE training. A guy who has goals at the Olympic Games, in the UFC and in the WWE all at the same time is interesting, to say the least. Kasper brings a certain flair with him to AWL I.
The main question right now is whether Kasper, with his unique multi-discipline focus, will be able to defeat proven freestyle star Gadson, who continues to improve as he focuses on just one style of combat.
Tickets for AWL I: THE BEGINNING can be purchased at www.americanwrestling.org
The event will be broadcast live by TrackWrestling
TEAM DAKE – 97 kg
Jacob Kasper, Durham, N.C. (Wolfpack RTC)
College: Duke
High School: Lexington (Ohio)
Born: Oct. 3, 1994
• Third at 2015 and 2016 University Nationals in Greco-Roman
• Third in 2017 Last Chance World Team Trials Qualifier in freestyle
• Sixth in 2017 U.S. World Team Trials in Greco-Roman
• Seventh in 2016 U.S. Open in Greco-Roman
• Fourth in 2014 University Nationals in Greco-Roman
• Two-time NCAA All-American for Duke (2017-2018)
• 2018 ACC champion
• Two-time Ohio state placewinner (3-4)
TEAM TAYLOR – 97 kg
Kyven Gadson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids/Cyclone RTC)
College: Iowa State
High School: Waterloo, Iowa (East)
Born: July 9, 1992
• 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
• 2018 Final X runner-up
• 2017 U.S. Open champion
• Second in 2017 U.S. World Team Trials
• 2016 University Nationals champion
• Third in 2016 and 2018 U.S. Open
• Second in 2018 Pan American Championships
• 2017 Henri Deglane Challenge champion (France)
• Third in 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial International
• Third in 2017 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)
• 2011 UWW Junior Nationals champion
• 2015 NCAA champion for Iowa State
• Three-time NCAA All-American
• Three-time Big 12 champion
• Two-time Iowa state champion and one-time runner-up
Not only does Gadson have a much larger freestyle resume than Kasper but he is competing in his native Iowa and should have a supportive crowd behind him. Gadson grew up in Waterloo, which is about an hour away from Cedar Rapids, but he was also a college star at Iowa State. This should be like a home match for him.
Kasper throws a unique twist into this matchup, because most of his success in the international styles at the Senior and age-group levels is in Greco-Roman. Add in his folkstyle skills as a two-time NCAA All-American at Duke, which should allow him to transition just fine into freestyle. Kasper competed at heavyweight during his college career, while Gadson was a 197-pounder, so there could be some size consideration also.
There is no guarantee that Kasper will be the only one making big throws in this matchup either, just because of Kasper’s Greco-Roman training. Gadson has always been capable of getting exciting high-amplitude moves during both his folkstyle and freestyle careers. There was that big throw that Gadson hit in the NCAA finals as a Cyclone senior that allowed him to pin freshman Ohio State star Kyle Snyder. And as recently as the 2018 Final X in Lincoln, although Snyder won the series in two bouts, Gadson popped a four-point blast double taking Snyder right off the mat. Gadson can score with explosive techniques from a variety of positions.
The wrestling community knows all about Kyven Gadson, who has taken on the challenge of chasing his Olympic dream with Olympic and World champion Snyder in his weight class ahead of him. He is doing everything that he needs to do in order to be the best in the nation, and also the best in the world, at 97 kg in freestyle. He is well known both locally and nationally. As seen at the NCAAs and in Final X, Kyven is also very comfortable with the bright lights and attention on him.
AWL I gives Jacob Kasper a chance to further establish his brand even more within the wrestling community. An Ohio state placewinner who was not heavily recruited, Kasper went to Duke and has been part of the program’s improvement under coach Glenn Lanham. While in college, he pushed himself in the post-season, and made a big breakthrough in Greco-Roman, with Senior-level placements at the U.S. Open in 2016 and the World Team Trials in 2017. At the same time, he was able to earn All-American honors his last two seasons at Duke. He was quoted in college about aiming to beat Snyder, which got him some attention in the Twittersphere.
Kasper is now coaching at Duke, and pursuing his international career with the Wolfpack RTC at nearby North Carolina State, where one of his training partners is two-time World freestyle medalist Nick Gwiazdowski. Kasper attended the Freestyle National Team training camps this summer and served as the training partner for Gwiazdowski at the 2018 World Championships in Budapest. We can be sure that his freestyle skills have been developed and improved based upon such high-level exposure.
You can find stories on the internet about how Kasper served as a training partner for UFC champion and two-time Olympian Daniel Cormier, and has an interest in Mixed Martial Arts. In addition, you can find stories about how the WWE and its legendary recruiter Gerry Brisco has been seeking to bring Kasper into professional entertainment wrestling. Kasper has gone through some WWE training. A guy who has goals at the Olympic Games, in the UFC and in the WWE all at the same time is interesting, to say the least. Kasper brings a certain flair with him to AWL I.
The main question right now is whether Kasper, with his unique multi-discipline focus, will be able to defeat proven freestyle star Gadson, who continues to improve as he focuses on just one style of combat.
Tickets for AWL I: THE BEGINNING can be purchased at www.americanwrestling.org
The event will be broadcast live by TrackWrestling
TEAM DAKE – 97 kg
Jacob Kasper, Durham, N.C. (Wolfpack RTC)
College: Duke
High School: Lexington (Ohio)
Born: Oct. 3, 1994
• Third at 2015 and 2016 University Nationals in Greco-Roman
• Third in 2017 Last Chance World Team Trials Qualifier in freestyle
• Sixth in 2017 U.S. World Team Trials in Greco-Roman
• Seventh in 2016 U.S. Open in Greco-Roman
• Fourth in 2014 University Nationals in Greco-Roman
• Two-time NCAA All-American for Duke (2017-2018)
• 2018 ACC champion
• Two-time Ohio state placewinner (3-4)
TEAM TAYLOR – 97 kg
Kyven Gadson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids/Cyclone RTC)
College: Iowa State
High School: Waterloo, Iowa (East)
Born: July 9, 1992
• 2018 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
• 2018 Final X runner-up
• 2017 U.S. Open champion
• Second in 2017 U.S. World Team Trials
• 2016 University Nationals champion
• Third in 2016 and 2018 U.S. Open
• Second in 2018 Pan American Championships
• 2017 Henri Deglane Challenge champion (France)
• Third in 2017 Dave Schultz Memorial International
• Third in 2017 Cerro Pelado International (Cuba)
• 2011 UWW Junior Nationals champion
• 2015 NCAA champion for Iowa State
• Three-time NCAA All-American
• Three-time Big 12 champion
• Two-time Iowa state champion and one-time runner-up
