Five minutes before attending a recent wrestling practice in State College, Pennsylvania, Kyle Dake received a call that his father had passed away. After practice, Dake got in his car and headed to his parents' home near Ithaca, New York. Among the first to offer their condolences was fellow Nittany Lion Wrestling Club athlete Jason Nolf. Nine days later, Dake wrestled Nolf for a spot in the Summer Olympics.
“We all bring some kind of baggage with us,” Dake said Saturday night at the U.S. Olympic Trials in State College. “We wrestle and get through it. If I decide to step on the mat, I choose to go. But I'm really grateful for his support.”
Dake ultimately defeated Nolf, a three-time All-American at Penn State, in tough moments for both wrestlers to qualify for the Olympics. Dake competed in his first major event without his father, Doug, who passed away on April 11th. Doug Dake also competed in professional wrestling. He was an All-American at Kent State University and coached at Cornell University, where Kyle won four NCAA titles. Kyle inherited his love for wrestling from his father. His family wore “Team Dake” T-shirts at the Olympic trials.
“It's really difficult,” Dake said after defeating Nolf 3-1 in the 74kg freestyle final on Saturday night. “This is the first time I've had to do something like this without him. I wish he was here and I want him to be proud of me and how much he means to me. It's hard in the world to say, 'We just went through so much.' Trying to help him and seeing him suffer so much about how tough a match this is. It gives you that perspective, you just go out there and do your best and be grateful for the opportunity, and yeah, it's just hard.”
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As Gaku says, everyone brings “some kind of baggage to the mat.” Norf may have had some as well. After losing the decisive match to Dake, Nolf, his emotions running high, headed to the locker room with former Penn State wrestler and mixed martial arts star Bo Nickal, one of his coaches. Nolf fought his way through the challenge tournament, defeating American wrestling legend Jordan Burroughs 3-0 to earn a match against his friend and club teammate. Dake, a four-time world champion, had won his previous six meetings. He added two more wins on Saturday with scores of 4-1 and 3-1.
However, after his second win, Dake said Nolf had been struggling with physical issues and was concerned about trying to take advantage of that.
“It was a good game,” Dake said. “We both wrestled hard. I don't want to wrestle someone who's injured. I don't want to just win just because he's injured, especially since he's my teammate. And I don't want to hurt him further.”
Dake joined the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in 2022 after winning his fourth world championship. He said the club, led by Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson and head club coach Jake Varner, taught him “how to be a better person.”
Fellow NLWC athlete David Taylor said before the Olympic trials, “I can't stand in Kyle's shoes.” [known] in my life. Along the way, I got to know Doug and his wife Jody. They were great people, Doug loved Kyle and Doug loved wrestling. ”
While celebrating his victory, Dake stopped to recognize Nolf. “It's hard when you're both the same weight and chasing the same dream,” Dake said. “None of us are going to get there.”
Dak was also sure that his father was watching.
“He just said he really likes watching me.” [become] “He's my father and he encouraged me to hang out,” Dake said of a recent conversation. “Let's compete with gratitude and mental strength. The two guys who got me into this sport, my grandfather passed away in the early 2000s and now my dad. I still carry the torch and gave myself another chance to win an Olympic gold medal.”
Kyle Dake celebrates with his family after winning the 74kg title at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials in State College.
Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
AllPennState is your destination for Penn State news, opinions and perspectives on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles, and an impressive catalog of articles. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.
