Dake looking to make immediate impact at Cornell

Great things are expected of Kyle Dake, Cornell University freshman ... not just from wrestling fans and the media, but also from his coach, Rob Koll, who has referred to Dake as "the second coming of Troy." Considering his accomplishments -- and his InterMat ranking as the No. 4 recruit in the nation for 2009 -- it's no wonder expectations are so high. Dake was a two-time New York high school state champion and has already made a name for himself in national competition. He also has wrestling in his genes. His grandfather, Robert, and his dad, Doug, both found success in wrestling on the mat and as coaches.

A family mat legacy

Kyle Dake

When asked how he got started in wrestling, Kyle Dake immediately traced his roots back to the family tree: "Grandpa was head coach at Lansing High School in the 1960s. He moved to Ohio, where dad grew up, and became an Ohio state champ." (After winning that state title for Westlake High in suburban Cleveland in 1980, Doug Dake headed about an hour southeast to Kent State University, where he was an NCAA All-American at 177 pounds in 1985.)

The Cornell freshman continued, "Mom and dad moved back to New York. Dad served as a volunteer assistant coach at Cornell, then took over as Lansing High coach."

"I was around wrestling ever since I was a baby. I would spend time in the wrestling room even back then. I was about 4 or 5 when I started wrestling."

"Now my younger brother Corey is in it. He placed fourth in the state last year. I guess it's really a family affair."

"It's always been fun," Kyle Dake said. "When I started winning, it got even more fun."

"Dad was never one of those crazy parents. Very supportive ... We had fun traveling to tournaments. It was a great bonding experience."

Doug Dake was a MAC champion and All-American for Kent State in 1984 (Photo/Kent State Archives)

Kyle Dake's parents helped him keep things in perspective. "Things were low-pressure. They didn't want me to burn out ... Thanks to that approach, I never didn't want to go to practice."

"As a kid, I wrestled just three months, then played football, soccer and baseball the rest of the year. "

Ask him if that multi-sport approach helped make him a better wrestler, Dake somewhat turned that notion on its head: "Wrestling gave me the athleticism to do well in other sports."

However, starting in seventh grade, Dake started to weed out other sports one-by-one, concentrating solely on wrestling starting in ninth grade. By tenth grade, he took up wrestling year around, competing in both freestyle and Greco-Roman for the highly respected Shamrock Wrestling Club in Binghamton, New York.

High school heroics

Kyle Dake found success in high school right from the start. As a freshman competing at 96 pounds for Lansing High, he went to the New York state tournament undefeated. "That year, I was tech falling everyone," said Dake. "In the semis, I was leading 9-0. In the beginning of the third period, he put me in a spladle, and I got pinned. I ended up taking third that year, 39-1."

That summer, Dake competed at the Junior Nationals, placing third in both Greco-Roman and freestyle competition. Among his rivals in Fargo: Penn State freshman David Taylor, InterMat's No. 1 recruit in 2009.

As a sophomore, Dake wrestled at 112 pounds, making it to the finals at the state tournament. "I went up against a senior who was supposed to demolish me. Instead, I got the pin, and won Outstanding Wrestler." At the 2007 New York state championships, Dake pinned Mike Gomez of Locust Valley at 5:25 to win the Division II title at 112.

Kyle Dake (Photo/TheMatSlap.com)

Later his sophomore year, Dake became the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champ. However, he suffered a broken hand that summer, and had a disappointing tournament "wrestling one-handed" as Dake put it.

That year, Dake was named "Male Athlete of the Year" in Tompkins County where he lived. And it was at this time he was introduced to the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club, based in Ithaca. "I got one-to-one coaching from college wrestling coaches that made a real difference," said Dake.

Junior year, Kyle Dake moved up to 130 pounds. ("I never had to cut weight in high school," Dake disclosed.) He was undefeated that year, until the state finals, when he met Ian Paddock, a three-time state champ from Warsaw High (now at Ohio State) who Dake described as "a tough guy." "He put me on my back for five points. I lost 7-4."

That summer was one to remember for Dake. Among the highlights: He won the NHSCA Junior Nationals, the FILA Junior Nationals, and the Junior World Team Trials, where he defeated Eric Grajales in straight matches to earn a place on the 2008 US Greco Junior World Team, and a trip to Istanbul.

Wrapping up a sterling prep career

Kyle Dake won a 2-1 decision over Mike Nevinger of Letchworth to win the Division II title in 2009 (Photo/TheMatSlap.com)

As a senior, Kyle Dake again moved up in weight -- to 140 pounds -- and again had a perfect season. In the finals at the 2009 New York state championships, Dake got a 2-1 decision over Mike Nevinger of Letchworth to win the Division II title. (Dake's finals rival is now his teammate at Cornell.) About a month after winning his second state crown, Dake came out on top at the 2009 NHSCA Senior Nationals.

Kyle Dake finished his high school career with a 224-14 record, two state titles, (along with runner-up and third-place finishes the other two years), and three NHSCA national titles. He was team captain all four years of high school. For all these reasons, Dake was ranked as the No.4 recruit in the entire nation by InterMat.

Kyle Dake's family wrestling bonds go beyond having a father and grandfather in the sport; his dad Doug was his high school coach. When asked for this interview what that was like, Kyle Dake responded, "There's life at home, and life in the wrestling room. The lines were never blurred. I think dad was an awesome coach."

Asked the same question in a March 2009 interview with the Lansing Star, Kyle Dake said, "I like it. He's always been there for me and he was a pretty successful wrestler as well, so he always has good advice. To succeed at a sport, you need support from both your coach and your family at home. Some athletes don't get that, and I've been fortunate to get both."

In addition to being coached by his father, the younger Dake benefited from the coaching of John Kotmel, assistant coach at Lansing High. "He's been coaching me for a long time, so he really knows me. And he knows so much about wrestling. He's been like a mentor to me."

Staying close to home

A high school wrestler with the credentials of a Kyle Dake would be a highly sought-after commodity for any collegiate wrestling program. "I looked at a few schools, but wanted to stay close to home," said Dake.

Dake got his wish. In October 2008, he made a commitment to wrestle for Cornell University, practically in his backyard. "We live just five miles from Cornell," according to the Lansing High graduate.

Kyle Dake picked up a 4-1 decision over Missouri's Kyle Bradley in the semifinals of the 2009 NHSCA Senior Nationals (TheMatSlap.com)

In citing reasons beyond proximity to home for choosing Cornell, Dake responded, "I love the coaching. There are great guys in the practice room. You can't beat the academics. It just feels like the perfect fit for me."

Cornell head coach Rob Koll shared his enthusiasm for Dake. In his recent online newsletter: "I hate to build up too much expectation for a freshman, but since I have been referring to Kyle as the 'second coming of Troy' (Nickerson, 2009 NCAA Division I champ at 125 pounds) I guess it is too late! Kyle grew up in Lansing, N.Y. and has been to more Cornell wrestling matches than any of our current wrestlers. He is going to be a great one, and I am certain having him on the team will help us to continue to build our fan base within the local community." (According to Koll's newsletter, Dake is the projected starter at 141 pounds.)

Coach Koll provided InterMat additional insight as to what makes Kyle Dake such a highly prized recruit: "I have been friends with Kyle's parents longer than Kyle has been alive so it would have been tough to lose him as a recruit. He is a great kid on and off the mats. Although he is young he is already a great leader and will help us to attract wrestlers with similar attitude and ambition. He has the athleticism and work ethic that is required to achieve immediate success at the national level."

In its summer 2009 assessment of incoming freshman classes at Division I college programs, InterMat ranked the Cornell at No. 18. In its write-up for the Big Red program, much of InterMat's focus was on the wrestler it ranked as fourth in the nation: "The anchor of this class is a kid that just loves to compete and succeed. Dake was a state champion this past season, champion at the NHSCA Senior Nationals, and has competed at the FILA Junior World Championships in Greco-Roman."

The college life

Kyle Dake has been at Cornell a couple months now, living on campus, going to classes, and working out with his teammates. "I'm glad to be in the dorms," says Dake. "It's an important part of the college experience."

"I'd like to think I'm an intelligent person, but I'm having to work hard to keep up-to-date with my coursework. I don't want to have to deal with the pressure that comes from falling behind."

"I think I'm handling things well. I'm pretty good at budgeting my time. My parents really stressed that over the years"

When asked if he's already selected a major, Dake answered, "I'm trying to find out what I really want to do. Right now, I'm taking fundamental courses like psychology and writing."

In the interview earlier this year with his hometown newspaper, Dake was asked about his "coaching" his high school teammates from the sidelines. "I like to see other people be successful too," said Dake. "I've grown up with a lot of my teammates: they've been wrestling with me for a long time. I want to do my part, and if sitting on the sidelines and yelling or telling them what to do helps them win, then I'll do it every time. I've been captain of the wrestling team since I was a freshman. People look up to you as an example and for advice. I've been helping people out for so long that now it's become fun."

Might coaching be a career option? "It's a possibility," Kyle Dake said in this interview for InterMat. "I think it would be awesome."

Self-imposed great expectations

What does Kyle Dake like about wrestling? "I enjoy the satisfaction of winning," Dake told the Lansing Star. "I'm the only one out there, so I have to rely on myself. It's a physical battle with your opponent. You have to prove your own dominance. You don't have to wait for someone to throw a ball at you. It's also taught me how to do what's right, not just in wrestling but in my day-to-day life. You have to lose weight and practice every day. In the end, if something goes wrong on the mat, you only have one person to look towards, and that's yourself."

Dake describes his wrestling style as, "Different than 'regular' -- unorthodox. I work for my openings, rather than wait for the action to come to me. I'd like to think I'm a lot like Jordan Leen."

"Since the beginning of this season, I'm getting so much better. I feel like I'm moving with more fluidity, and getting more effective shots."

Kyle Dake defeated New Mexico's Max Ortego, 5-2, to win the 2009 Senior Nationals title (Photo/TheMatSlap.com)

Kyle Dake has set high goals for himself. "I hope to be starting this fall at 141 ... Right now, my goal would be to never lose a match, and win four NCAA titles. Is that doable? Given my coaches, with hard work and lots of luck, anything is possible."

When not in the wrestling room or classroom, Kyle Dake likes to hang out with his roommate Stryker Lane, freshman heavyweight from Colorado. "We act like kids -- play video games, wiffle ball in the courtyard."

Dake also enjoys going out in a boat on one of the lakes in and around where he grew up.

However, with the academic demands of an Ivy League university and a top-rated wrestling program, coupled with high expectations from wrestling fans -- not to mention his own rigorous goals -- Kyle Dake may not have much time for relaxation.

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Dake looking to make immediate impact at Cornell

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