One-on-One with Jake Deitchler

Jake Deitchler has turned a lot of heads in the wrestling world since he burst onto the senior level and earned a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman team at the age of 18. He became the first high school wrestler to make the U.S. Olympic team since Mike Farina made the Greco-Roman team in 1976. Following his Olympic experience, the precocious Anoka, Minnesota native chose the road less traveled and moved to Colorado Springs to train and wrestle Greco-Roman on a full-time basis at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Jake Deitchler

Since moving out to Colorado Springs, Deitchler, who moved up a weight class from 66 kg (145.5 pounds) to 74 kg (163 pounds), has traveled the world to wrestle in international events against the world's best Greco-Roman wrestlers.

Last month, Deitchler made the decision to return to Minnesota after the international wrestling season and join the University of Minnesota wrestling team. RevWrestling.com recently talked to Deitchler about his decision to return to Minnesota, his development as a Greco-Roman wrestler, his worldly experiences, and much more.

You recently decided to leave the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs after the international wrestling season and enroll at the University of Minnesota. How did you come to that decision?

Deitchler: It was a lot of things. This last year has been a crazy time. I made the U.S. Olympic team obviously at a real young age. That gave me a lot of insight and experience. It was a rush. So I made the decision to come out here. It hasn't been easy. I really miss Minnesota wrestling in general. I have that NCAA question. I want to wrestle at the NCAA tournament. Also, education is really important to me. I need an education.

Where do you think you have made your biggest gains in your wrestling since you started training Greco-Roman on a full-time basis?

Deitchler: I would say just experience, all around, being better at the game, and also growing into the weight class. I moved up a weight class after the Olympics. At first, I was kind of struggling. A lot of guys were bigger and pushing me around. Now I feel like I'm the guy pushing guys around. Just like anything, it takes time. But it's just a matter of getting experience, getting better, and trying to be the best. I feel like the underdog again because I'm up a weight class, which is great.

Jake Deitchler became the first high school wrestler to make the U.S. Olympic team since Mike Farina made the Greco-Roman team in 1976 (Photo/The Guillotine)

At the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, you lost the first period of every match you wrestled, but still found a way to win those matches. Have you learned to start your matches faster?

Deitchler: Yeah, I would say so. That's definitely one of the things that I saw as a weakness that I needed to work on in my game. From that, I learned that I have the ability to score when I need to, which is a huge tool. Also, if I'm down four or five points, I've learned to keep wrestling no matter what.

You sent shockwaves through the wrestling world when you made the U.S. Olympic team shortly after your high school graduation. Your coach, Brandon Paulson, talked about how you picked things up very quickly and just continued to get better. When did you really believe that you could make the U.S. Olympic team and compete in Beijing?

Deitchler: Truthfully, it was probably two weeks before the U.S. Olympic Team Trials that I really believed that I had a legitimate shot. I'm really close with my parents. My mother actually came to me and really questioned me. She said, 'Do you really think you can do this?' It was the first time that she had ever done anything like that in my career. It really made me think about it. And then I decided. I was like, you know what, in a high-level sport, or in life, you can't make excuses for anything. You figure out that age shouldn't be an excuse. Why shouldn't I believe that I can beat anybody in the U.S. or the world?

Your signature win at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials was over Harry Lester, a wrestler many people thought had the best chance of any U.S. wrestler to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. Did you study Lester prior to that match and come up with a specific strategy to beat him?

Deitchler: We did. With wrestling, you can obviously scout opponents. You don't worry about what they have, but instead just realize what they have. We knew what he had coming into that match. We had watched him and even game planned a little bit. But obviously we stuck to my game plan and what I needed to do to win.

Harry Lester announced his retirement shortly after you beat him, but has since come out of retirement. Is he someone you expect to become a rival for years to come?

Deitchler: I would have to say yes, but it depends on a lot of things, like remaining in the same weight class. Harry Lester is very talented. He's a good guy. I have a lot of respect for him as an athlete and as a person. The thing about having a great athlete like Harry Lester in our sport is that he pushes our sport and pushes me to new levels. When you have to beat one of the best guys in the world to make the team, it makes you a lot better.

Twenty years from now, what do you think you are going to remember most about your whole Olympic experience?

Deitchler: Looking back on it, I would have to say just competing with the best in the world. It helped me a lot. It was kind of a rush. It was a crazy time. You're so young and don't really know what to expect. It was the first senior level international tournament of my career, which is kind of funny because a lot of these guys at that point had been to like 35 countries. I have no regrets. It was a really fun time, but the coolest part is how much I learned through it ï¿½ about myself and about world-class competition. Just getting to see that and experience that was something I'll never forget.

Why you have been able to thrive so much under the tutelage of Brandon Paulson?

Brandon Paulson (Photo/The Guillotine)

Deitchler: I have as much respect for Brandon Paulson as just about anybody I know. I really look up to him. When you get to a high level, there are a lot of people who help you. They become your support system. For me, it was my family, my relationship and faith in God, and Brandon. Those three things. Those are the things I need in my life. Still, to this day, I talk to him on a daily to weekly basis. With Brandon, it's his enthusiasm and the way he lives his life. I respect him as a person. Who he is as a person is somebody that I would like to be like. I'm like, ï¿½This guy has it all.' I realized that if I really listened to him, I could do something great.

This is a hypothetical question. But had you failed to make the U.S. Olympic team, do you think you would have gone directly to the University of Minnesota instead of to the U.S. Olympic Training Center?

Deitchler: To tell you the truth, I never really thought about that. I really wouldn't know at this point. When you're an 18-year-old kid, you're innocent and naï¿½ve. You haven't had to make a lot of big, life decisions. When I made that decision, it was one of those life decisions that you have to make, but you keep on making them your whole life. Since I moved out and started doing things on my own, I'm starting to make a lot of those decisions by myself. The cool part about this last year is the experience I have gained. I could look at this last year as a waste of time because I didn't wrestle folkstyle. But I don't look at it like that. I look at from the standpoint that I've been to seven countries in the last year and a half. I've been wrestling the best guys in the world. There's nothing better that I could do. That's going to give me some experience and confidence going to the University of Minnesota.

When you made your decision last summer to train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and not enroll at the University of Minnesota, J Robinson said, "Basically, what you have is someone not honoring their commitment. It's that simple. You hope people will do what they say they're going to do. It's disappointing, but we'll go on." Did those comments bother you? And have you had to reconcile with J?

Deitchler: I sat down with J, Joe (Russell), and the coaches, personally and with my family, at different times. When I was at the Olympics in China, it was a whirlwind. I was there 27 days in a row. And then I came home and moved out here. As far as what else was going on in the world at that time, I had no idea. Truthfully. I didn't know what he said. I didn't know what anybody said. To tell you the truth, after I lost at the Olympics, it hurt. I kind of got away. I was hurt by my loss. There were some days that I would feel that pain from my loss. Obviously, I won't let that cloud my future. With J, it's nice because I sat down with him and said, ï¿½This is what I want. This is where I need to be.' We definitely cleared the air. I have a lot of respect for J. I'm excited to wrestle for him, as well as Joe, Brandon Eggum, Luke Becker, and all these guys, and be on the team. That's what I want. And I told them that. We definitely cleared the air and answered any questions that needed to be answered.

Jake Deitchler moved up a weight class from 66 kg (145.5 pounds) to 74 kg (163 pounds) this season (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)

You made the decision to move up a weight class from 66 kg (145.5 pounds) to 74 kg (163 pounds). Why did you decide to move up a weight class? And how has the transition been moving up a weight class?

Deitchler: I had to realize that I was 18 years old and still growing. I might continue to grow until I'm 23 years old ï¿½ because that's what has happened in my family. I had to cut an excessive amount of weight last year. Not too many people knew about that. It takes a lot of discipline. I didn't cut like 20 pounds in two days. I was really smart about it. But it was tough. I actually took a picture of myself before weigh-ins and I'm like, 'Wow, that's me?' I definitely want to move up in weight to keep my love for the sport, allow myself to grow physically, and not worry about cutting weight. I can worry about wrestling.

Will you only be training Greco-Roman in the months in which you are not competing collegiately for the University of Minnesota?

Deitchler: When I sat down with the coaches, I told them that I'm excited to be here and wrestle folkstyle, to be a part of a team, and to win an NCAA championship as a team and as an individual. Those are the goals. Obviously, I have a passion and love for Greco-Roman wrestling as well. I'll do that in the spring and summer and try to make the U.S. World and Olympic teams. But when I'm there, I'm there to be at the University of Minnesota. In season, I'm going to wrestle folkstyle.

Obviously, you have been focusing strictly on Greco-Roman for the past year. Now that you are going to be competing in collegiate wrestling next season, have you started working on your folkstyle technique yet?

Deitchler: At this point, I'm focused on Greco because I'm finishing out my season here at the training center. My goal is to move back this summer and get my folkstyle game down, train, get coaching, and work on everything. I'm excited to get back into it.

Has there been discussion with the coaching staff at the University of Minnesota as to whether you will compete for a spot in the lineup next season or redshirt? And do you have a preference?

Deitchler: We don't really know yet, I guess. I'm going to wrestle this summer and sit down with the coaches. I have to discuss that with him. I'm not even sure yet.

Assuming you do compete for a spot in the lineup next season, do you have any idea what weight class you would wrestle?

Jake Deitchler (Photo/The Guillotine)

Deitchler: Dustin (Schlatter) is a senior next season. The nice thing is that I can make 157 and do it right, but in the same sense, I can get big enough where I can wrestle 165. I'm already pretty big. What weight class I wrestle doesn't really matter to me. I'm just excited to wrestle, be there, and win. It's going to be fun.

What excites you about returning to Minnesota?

Deitchler: It's funny ï¿½ the cold weather. It's going to be great going to college, being around people my own age, getting an education, wrestling on a team with guys that love wrestling that I love being around, and just being in Minnesota. That's my home and a place I'm proud to be from. I'm excited to come back and be with my support group as well.

Please Note: This story also appears in the May 15 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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