One-on-One with Destin McCauley

Destin McCauley is one of the nation's top high school wrestlers. The 17-year-old McCauley, a junior at Apple Valley High School, is a three-time state champion with a career record of 188-7. In 2006, McCauley became the first seventh-grader in Minnesota State High School League history to capture a state wrestling championship when he won the 103-pound Class AAA title. He was a Cadet Nationals freestyle champion in 2008, Western Junior Regionals freestyle champion in 2009, and a third-place finisher at the 2009 Junior Nationals in freestyle. InterMat has ranked McCauley as the No. 4 junior in the country and fourth in the country at 145 pounds.

InterMat recently caught up with McCauley and talked to him about this year's Apple Valley team, the disappointment of coming up short of a state title last season, whether he has started looking at colleges, his loss to Dylan Alton, his victory over Taylor Massa, and much more.

Destin McCauley is a three-time state champion with a record of 188-7 (Photo/The Guillotine)

Apple Valley is getting a lot of national attention heading into this season because of the No. 2 national team ranking. What makes this Apple Valley team special?

McCauley: I think that makes this team more special than others is that this team is really a family. We all bond well together and each one of us has had some success in wrestling.

How important is to you to help get Apple Valley to No. 1 in the country this season?

McCauley: I mean, that would be great for our team to be ranked No. 1, but the only thing we can do is give every match and every dual all we got. The rankings don't matter too much to me ... just as long as I know we are doing what we do best out on the mat.

Since there is not a true national championship event for high school wrestling teams, what would Apple Valley have to accomplish this season, in your opinion, to earn that No. 1 national ranking at the end of the season?

McCauley: To earn that spot of course we would need to go undefeated throughout the season and win a state title. Also, that means our team would have to have a great showing at The Clash and Cheesehead.

Destin McCauley lost three times to Bloomington Kennedy's Robby Fisher last season, including twice at the state tournament (Photo/The Guillotine)

You wrestled Robby Fisher four times last season. How difficult was it to wrestle such a familiar opponent so many times?

McCauley: I think anyone you wrestle multiple times each match after the first will get harder. You get to know your opponent so well, the way they wrestle, and the moves they hit.

Last season did not go as planned for you. What did you learn about yourself last season?

McCauley: Last year was a big eye-opener for me. I got complacent with what I had ... and didn't train the way I should have been. It taught me that no matter what your ability is that you can always get better and progress. Plus, if you think you are OK with what you got, sooner or later you are going to get beat ... because there is always someone out there trying to improve themselves to get better and be No. 1.

From the outside, it would be easy for people to assume you are feeling less pressure this season compared to past seasons. Is that the case?

McCauley: Yeah ... There is a little less pressure I think this year, but for myself I need to go out there this season and show people that it was just a bump in my journey to becoming one of the best wrestlers in the nation.

Apple Valley is the wrestling program in Minnesota that people love to hate. Does the animosity toward Apple Valley bother you? Or is something you thrive on?

McCauley: Ha ... I love it! That means that most of the time all the attention is on your team ... because everyone wants to see you lose. That just gets our team pumped for the dual meets so the crowds are actually doing us a favor.

Destin McCauley placed third at Junior Nationals in freestyle this past summer (Photo/The Guillotine)

More and more high school wrestlers are committing to colleges earlier than in the past. A couple of nationally-ranked juniors, Hunter Stieber and Nico Megaludis, recently announced their college commitments to Ohio State and Penn State respectively. Obviously, college wrestling coaches cannot have personal contact with you until July 1. Have you started looking at colleges?

McCauley: I think that's great for those guys. They are really tough wrestlers and good friends of mine. I'm just starting to look at colleges. Right now I'm keeping an open mind to all colleges out there. Certain things that I'm looking for are obviously a great coaching staff I can get along with, good workout partners, a freestyle program for me in the summer, and just a place I feel comfortable with. A second home for me.

This past summer, you finished third at Junior Nationals in freestyle at 145 pounds. You dropped a match to Penn State recruit Dylan Alton. What was the difference in that loss to Alton?

McCauley: He is a real tough wrestler and I just couldn't get him out of position. I also think that I should have had more fun out there and tried to open up more and not have been so nervous about the outcome of the match.

Destin McCauley celebrates after winning a Cadet Nationals freestyle title in 2008 (Photo/The Guillotine)

Taylor Massa of St. Johns High School in Michigan has won everything under the sun in age-group events. But you were able to dominate Massa, outscoring him 10-1 in two periods at the Western Junior Regionals in freestyle. What was the key to that victory over Massa?

McCauley: I think that my style of wrestling matches well against his. I really just had to keep my feet moving and not stand in one place. I made sure my shots were quick and explosive and when I got the takedown, I was looking for a turn right away.

Last season, Apple Valley was ranked third in the final national high school team rankings ... behind Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio and Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. When you went to Graham coach Jeff Jordan's camp this past summer in Ohio, was there any ribbing or teasing going on between you and the Graham wrestlers and coaches about who has the better high school team?

McCauley: Ha ... Yeah, there was a little bit here and there. Coach Jordan always loves to point out the fact that St. Paris Graham is up on Apple Valley in dual meets 1-0. I try telling him that it would be different now, but we can never really find out.

If there is one wrestler past or present that you would pay to watch, who would it be?

McCauley: Gable. No doubt. I liked his mentality towards wrestling and his matches. He is one of ... if not the greatest wrestler of all time. His style of wrestling is something that made wrestling exciting to watch.

In recent years you have chosen to compete in more national freestyle events than national folkstyle events. Do you favor freestyle over folkstyle?

McCauley: Yeah ... I do favor freestyle over folkstyle. My ultimate goal for wrestling is to make the Olympic team and medal at the Olympics. If I want that to happen, I really need to focus on freestyle because all the other countries are doing it year round when we are forced to wrestle folkstyle for half a year until we are out of college.

This story also appears in the November 20 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on how to subscribe, click HERE.

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