#TeamUSATuesday: Greco-Roman National Team member Dalton Roberts
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by JD Rader, USA Wrestling
Dalton Roberts is currently the No. 1 wrestler at 60 kg for Team USA’s Greco-Roman National Team.
After winning Fargo and making a Cadet World Team in high school, Roberts chose to go to Northern Michigan University and train Greco-Roman full time.
While at NMU, the Fowlerville, Mich., native became a UWW Junior Nationals champion, two-time University Nationals champion, two-time Junior World Team member, a U23 World Team member, and a U.S. Open champion.
Roberts still resides and trains in Marquette, Mich. at the Olympic Training Site. He took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions.
What is your favorite movie?
Step Brothers. I kind of relate it to my brother because we fight all the time, and over stupid stuff too. It’s just such a quotable movie.
Who is your favorite musical artist?
Garth Brooks. I have almost every CD of his.
What is your favorite food?
Does coffee count?
Did you play any other sports growing up?
I did. I played soccer from second grade to eighth grade and football from second grade to eighth grade. Then I was too small and started wrestling.
Who is your favorite wrestler, either past or present, to watch?
That’s a tough one, there’s so many, but I’d have to go with either Dennis Hall or Brandon Paulson. That marathon match they had, I could watch that every day.
What is your favorite place that you’ve traveled to?
I would say Germany. We went a couple years ago for the Junior World Championships. They were in France, but we trained out in Germany. We were staying in back county. Get up every morning and go on walks. We would have to drive a little bit to the practice facility, but it was just nice to be away from a big city and do our own thing.
What do you normally do to pass time on long trips?
Either listen to music or tell Tracy Hancock that he’s ugly. I constantly remind him of that because he’s pretty found of himself.
What are some of your hobbies off of the mat?
I enjoy running. I know that’s kind of paradoxical of wrestlers, but I enjoy long runs. I also just bought a mountain bike, so I’ll get into some future mountain bike races and what not.
What was your major in college?
Marketing. I chose that because everything in the world involves marketing in some shape or form. I think the practicality and wide use of it can get me a long ways.
Why did you choose to stay at Northern Michigan after graduating?
I like the training partners, the city, Andy (Bisek) and Rob (Hermann) are awesome coaches, and the environment we’re cultivating here is next to none. It’s definitely showing in competition. It’s something that I want to be around.
How did you get involved in wrestling?
I started in the eighth grade. I have a twin brother, and he and I would fight a lot. One day there was free pizza at the wrestling signups in junior high, and I wasn’t interested, but he went just to get a free slice of pizza. The coaches made him show up to at least one practice, and he started liking it. Then we were fighting later that week and I think he cradled me and held me down. I felt so defenseless. I had never wrestled. I didn’t know what to do, and I thought, “Well, I better start wrestling if I ever want to beat him up again.”
How has wrestling impacted your life?
It’s taught me perseverance and patience through the good and the bad. It’s taught me a lot of grit. There’s a lot of life skills that you can get from sports in general, but especially wrestling. It kind of breeds a different type of human. It’s definitely something I pride myself in.
What kind of advice would you give a younger wrestler?
I’d say don’t worry about weight cutting. If I have one regret in wrestling, it’s that maybe I shouldn’t have cut weight at a young age. Even high school because you’re making weight so often in the season. If you have five practices in a week and you’re cutting weight, you’re focused on making weight not wrestling. I would say focus on your technique and skills, not trying to make a lower weight.
Do you have any prematch rituals?
I usually pick one or a couple songs and put them on repeat the whole tournament. At the U.S. Open it was John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads. I had that song on repeat. Other than that, I like those little goo gells that marathon runners use.
What motivates you?
Improving myself and others. I want to be at least one percent better every day. If I get one percent better every day for 365 days, next year I’m going to be 365 percent better. That’s incredible.
The Roberts File
Birthday: July 21, 1996
Hometown: Fowlerville, Mich.
High school: Fowlerville HS
College: Northern Michigan University
Residence: Marquette, Mich.
Club: New York AC
Twitter: @DRoberts59kg
Instagram: @droberts60kg
• 2018 Senior World Team member
• 2018 U.S. Open Champion
• 2017 U23 World Team member
• 2017 and 2016 University Nationals champion
• 2016 and 2015 Junior World Team member
• 2015 UWW Junior Nationals champion
• 2013 Junior Fargo champion
• 2012 Cadet World Team member
After winning Fargo and making a Cadet World Team in high school, Roberts chose to go to Northern Michigan University and train Greco-Roman full time.
While at NMU, the Fowlerville, Mich., native became a UWW Junior Nationals champion, two-time University Nationals champion, two-time Junior World Team member, a U23 World Team member, and a U.S. Open champion.
Roberts still resides and trains in Marquette, Mich. at the Olympic Training Site. He took some time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions.
What is your favorite movie?
Step Brothers. I kind of relate it to my brother because we fight all the time, and over stupid stuff too. It’s just such a quotable movie.
Who is your favorite musical artist?
Garth Brooks. I have almost every CD of his.
What is your favorite food?
Does coffee count?
Did you play any other sports growing up?
I did. I played soccer from second grade to eighth grade and football from second grade to eighth grade. Then I was too small and started wrestling.
Who is your favorite wrestler, either past or present, to watch?
That’s a tough one, there’s so many, but I’d have to go with either Dennis Hall or Brandon Paulson. That marathon match they had, I could watch that every day.
What is your favorite place that you’ve traveled to?
I would say Germany. We went a couple years ago for the Junior World Championships. They were in France, but we trained out in Germany. We were staying in back county. Get up every morning and go on walks. We would have to drive a little bit to the practice facility, but it was just nice to be away from a big city and do our own thing.
What do you normally do to pass time on long trips?
Either listen to music or tell Tracy Hancock that he’s ugly. I constantly remind him of that because he’s pretty found of himself.
What are some of your hobbies off of the mat?
I enjoy running. I know that’s kind of paradoxical of wrestlers, but I enjoy long runs. I also just bought a mountain bike, so I’ll get into some future mountain bike races and what not.
What was your major in college?
Marketing. I chose that because everything in the world involves marketing in some shape or form. I think the practicality and wide use of it can get me a long ways.
Why did you choose to stay at Northern Michigan after graduating?
I like the training partners, the city, Andy (Bisek) and Rob (Hermann) are awesome coaches, and the environment we’re cultivating here is next to none. It’s definitely showing in competition. It’s something that I want to be around.
How did you get involved in wrestling?
I started in the eighth grade. I have a twin brother, and he and I would fight a lot. One day there was free pizza at the wrestling signups in junior high, and I wasn’t interested, but he went just to get a free slice of pizza. The coaches made him show up to at least one practice, and he started liking it. Then we were fighting later that week and I think he cradled me and held me down. I felt so defenseless. I had never wrestled. I didn’t know what to do, and I thought, “Well, I better start wrestling if I ever want to beat him up again.”
How has wrestling impacted your life?
It’s taught me perseverance and patience through the good and the bad. It’s taught me a lot of grit. There’s a lot of life skills that you can get from sports in general, but especially wrestling. It kind of breeds a different type of human. It’s definitely something I pride myself in.
What kind of advice would you give a younger wrestler?
I’d say don’t worry about weight cutting. If I have one regret in wrestling, it’s that maybe I shouldn’t have cut weight at a young age. Even high school because you’re making weight so often in the season. If you have five practices in a week and you’re cutting weight, you’re focused on making weight not wrestling. I would say focus on your technique and skills, not trying to make a lower weight.
Do you have any prematch rituals?
I usually pick one or a couple songs and put them on repeat the whole tournament. At the U.S. Open it was John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads. I had that song on repeat. Other than that, I like those little goo gells that marathon runners use.
What motivates you?
Improving myself and others. I want to be at least one percent better every day. If I get one percent better every day for 365 days, next year I’m going to be 365 percent better. That’s incredible.
The Roberts File
Birthday: July 21, 1996
Hometown: Fowlerville, Mich.
High school: Fowlerville HS
College: Northern Michigan University
Residence: Marquette, Mich.
Club: New York AC
Twitter: @DRoberts59kg
Instagram: @droberts60kg
• 2018 Senior World Team member
• 2018 U.S. Open Champion
• 2017 U23 World Team member
• 2017 and 2016 University Nationals champion
• 2016 and 2015 Junior World Team member
• 2015 UWW Junior Nationals champion
• 2013 Junior Fargo champion
• 2012 Cadet World Team member
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