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Gold medal next? Dake still stands out at Cornell

Lansing High graduate Kyle Dake trains at Cornell with his aim set on this summer's Olympic Games in Rio.

Lynn Worthy
lworthy@pressconnects.com | @PSBLynn
Kyle Dake, seen here celebrating his fourth consecutive NCAA title in 2013, lost in the 86 kilogram (189 pound) championship match at the Olympic Trials in Iowa City, Iowa, on Sunday.

College wrestling legend Kyle Dake practically became part of the Cornell University wrestling program at birth.

He graduated as one of the most celebrated wrestlers in NCAA history in 2013, the only wrestler in history to win four national titles in four separate weight classes, and he hasn’t strayed far from the program.

Dake, who turns 25 later this month, has his sights set on winning a gold medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The Lansing High graduate and two-time New York state champion trains regularly with the current Big Red team at the Friedman Wrestling Center.

He joined former teammates Cam Simaz (Class of 2012) and Steve Bosak (Class of 2013) as the latest inductees into the Cornell Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni during Sunday’s Cornell-Oklahoma State dual meet at Newman Arena. Troy Nickerson, a Chenango Forks graduate, and Jordan Lee could not attend, but were also inducted.

“It definitely means a lot to me,” Dake said of his induction. “I know it means a lot to those guys too. Steve and Cam are both great guys. They put their heart and souls into this team. It’s just awesome to be able to get in there with those guys because they’re my teammates and we accomplished something pretty awesome together. We were all fortunate to win in 2012. It was a great year for us.”

Dake became the third college wrestler to win four national championships, and the first to accomplish the feat in four different weight classes as well as the first to do so without a redshirt season. He earned three Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Wrestler of the Year awards as well as the 2013 Hodge Award as the national Wrestler of the Year. He finished his collegiate career with 79 straight wins and a 137-4 record.

Dake’s star shines bright among the local wrestling community. A recently-released documentary chronicled his pursuit of a fourth NCAA title during his senior season. A crowd formed around him as he joined the current Big Red wrestlers to sign autographs and take pictures with fans after Sunday’s meet.

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While training at Cornell, Dake wrestles with juniors Gabe Dean and Brian Realbuto. Dean is the defending NCAA national champion at 184 pounds, and Realbuto is a two-time All-American at 157 who moved up to 174 this season.

“I’m fortunate enough to be right around his weight so I get to work out with him a lot,” Realbuto said. “There’s nothing like that, to have someone who has accomplished everything there is in a college setting to be around you all the time. I look up to him a lot. He’s kind of a mentor for me. It’s really great having him around.”

Dake bought a house in Lansing two years ago. He and his fiancée, Megan Palladino, live there with their dog. Considering his success, there likely aren’t many places in the country that wouldn’t welcome him with open arms if he wanted to make it his training headquarters, but Dake has remained in the area where his wrestling love affair began.

Dake's father, Doug, served as a volunteer assistant at Cornell in the early 1990s. The running joke is that head coach Rob Koll gave Doug a hard time for having to leave practice early to be present for Dake’s birth.

“This is where I think I can be my best,” Dake said. “There’s a couple great guys around. Brian Realbuto is one of them. Gabe Dean is another one of them. Then I’ve got some other training partners as well. It’s just a really good situation for me. I’m close to my family so if I ever need anything or what have you, they’re right next door. It’s a beautiful thing for me to have that. I’ve always been with my family, and that’s a very important part of my life.”

Former Cornell wrestler and four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake signs autographs following a Cornell dual meet against Oklahoma State in Newman Arena in Ithaca on Feb. 7, 2016.

Dake said he wrestles six days per week, and lifts weights three days per week as part of his effort to keep weight on. His list of sponsors include Milwaukee Tools, the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club, X-Athletic Apparel, Core Power and the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club.

After earning collegiate titles at 141 pounds (2010), 149 pounds (2011), 157 pounds (2012) and 165 pounds (2013), he has wrestled mostly at 74 kilograms (163 pounds) on the national and international circuit since graduating from Cornell.

A member of Team USA for two years, Dake placed second to 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs at 163 pounds in the U.S. World Team Trials in 2015. Dake has bumped up another weight class to 86 kilograms (189 pounds) in hopes of earning a spot on the Olympic team.

“He has moved up another weight class and that was a big transition, but his strength is incredible,” Koll said. “He’s an unbelievable athlete, and he’s always been an amazing technician. At the upper weights, it even is magnified because they’re not as good of athletes at the upper weights. He’s quicker. He’s not as strong relatively-speaking and doesn’t have as much bulk, but he is faster and his technique is even more dominant. I’d be shocked if he’s not in Rio.”

Dake won the U.S. Nationals at 86 kilograms in December in Las Vegas, to qualify for the Olympic Trials being held in Iowa City, Iowa, in April. The road to the Olympics runs through Iowa, the state where he won his fourth NCAA title.

“I expect to win,” Dake said. “I don’t train to take second. I don’t train to take third. I train to go win every single tournament that I’m in. It’s part of who I am, just wanting to be my best no matter what the situation is. I just want to do my best. That’s what I train to do every single day.”