Big

Would be a shame if he had to practice riding all year instead of reverse lifts

goferphan

Probably easy to remain humble when you are an Olympian and you are still redshirting next year.

J Rob almost has to certainly reconsider though if you can bump Schlatter to 157 and put Deitchler in at 149. Safratowich can stay at 165 and compete with Glasser but you can't let this kind of talent sit on the bench for a year.

Ski-U-Mah

__________________
R.I.P. Adam Frey, You left us far too soon.

goferphan

How cool was it watching ESPN scroll on the bottom of the screen that Jake Deitchler from Anoka, MN was going to be the first high school wrestler since 1976 to participate in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Olympics. I was too busy watching the U.S. Open all day and then saw it scroll at about 1:00 a.m. and almost spit up my beer.

Way to go J.D.

__________________
R.I.P. Adam Frey, You left us far too soon.

therick

Wow! It actually made the ESPN crawler? I'll have to check it out when I get home from work.

therick

I thought of you when I posted my earlier thoughts on him going to train full time for greco. It does seem like a waste to spend time working on leg defense, shots, riding and stand ups when you have that kind of aptitude for greco.

goferphan

He ALWAYS has Paulson to roll around with whenever he wants, don't see his Greco training being an issue.

Yes, the news made the crawler. Pretty awesome.

__________________
R.I.P. Adam Frey, You left us far too soon.

goferphan

Anoka teen pulls off a stunner

Jonathan Ferrey, Getty Images

Jake Deitchler celebrated his victory in the Greco- Roman wrestling championship match over Faruk Sahin during the USA Olympic trials in Las Vegas.

Jake Deitchler became only the third high school wrestler to make the U.S. Olympic team with a shocking upset of Harry Lester -- considered one of the best Greco-Roman wrestlers in the world at any weight.

By RACHEL BLOUNT, Star Tribune

Last update: June 15, 2008 - 6:15 AM


LAS VEGAS — Eighteen-year-old Jake Deitchler knew no one expected him to make the U.S. Olympic team. Only two other high school wrestlers had ever done so, and a person his age hadn't been on the team since 1976.

Still, Deitchler wondered: What if?


The three-time state champion from Anoka High School finished his senior year in April so he could train full-time, sweated in the wrestling room every day and came to the U.S. Olympic Trials thinking he had a chance. On Saturday, Deitchler pulled off an enormous upset in the challenge round of the 145.5-pound Greco- Roman division, then swept his opponent in the finals to earn a spot on the Olympic team.

Deitchler beat Faruk Sahin 0-5, 7-4, 1-1 in their first match of the final round at Thomas and Mack Center.

Deitchler then overcame a deep deficit in the second match for a 2-3, 7-5, 3-0 victory and a sweep of the best-of-three finals. In the semifinals, he beat heavily favored Harry Lester -- considered one of the best Greco-Roman wrestlers in the world at any weight -- in a shocking upset that left Lester in tears.

As the clock ticked down on Deitchler's victory, he drew a standing ovation from the crowd, while coach Brandon Paulson -- a 1996 Olympic silver medalist in Greco-Roman -- jumped up and down and pounded his hands on the mat.

"People say I'm not a very realistic person," said Deitchler, smiling for the first time after a grueling, emotional day. "To tell you the truth, it doesn't really matter, if I can do things like this.

"I didn't have any pressure on me the whole tournament. In that second match, I thought, 'This is going to be a lifelong dream in about six minutes.' I just wrestled hard and came out on top."

By making the team, Deitchler formed the next link in Minnesota's grand Greco-Roman wrestling tradition. At least one man from the state has made the Olympic team in the sport every year since 1968.

Deitchler is the second Minnesotan to make the Olympic team at these trials, joining Ali Bernard of New Ulm, who earned a trip to Beijing by winning the women's 158 1/2-pound weight class Friday.

Other wrestlers who won their weight classes and Olympic berths Saturday included T.C. Dantzler (Greco-Roman, 163 pounds), Brad Vering (Greco-Roman, 185), Doug Schwab (men's freestyle, 145 1/2) and Henry Cejudo (men's freestyle, 121).

Paulson has been coaching Deitchler since 2004, when Anoka coach Todd Springer called him to say he had a young wrestler aching to work as hard as he could.

Paulson said he knew Deitchler would be a champion even then -- when Jake was 14 -- because he called Paulson every Sunday, begging him to work out.

Deitchler showed a flair for drama Saturday, losing the first period of every match he wrestled. Though he entered the trials as the runnerup at the 2008 U.S. championships, his youth kept expectations low.

Besides, Lester was favored to make the Olympic team and perhaps win a medal in Beijing.

Lester, a two-time bronze medalist at the world championships and six years Deitchler's elder, whipped him 5-0 in the first period of their semifinal. He scored early in the second before Deitchler was able to turn him for three points to win the period 5-2. In the final seconds of the third, Deitchler scored on a reverse lift and took the period 5-3 and won the match.

Lester walked out of the arena and buried his head in his hands. He came back to win the third-place match and retired immediately after.

Nearly three weeks ago, Deitchler walked in his graduation ceremony. In a little more than a month, he will take another walk, in the opening ceremonies in Beijing.

"What he's doing is historic," Paulson said. "He is a phenomenal athlete. He's got to win, because he hates to lose."

Deitchler is the second Minnesotan to make the Olympic team at these trials, joining Ali Bernard of New Ulm, who earned a trip to Beijing by winning the women's 158 1/2-pound weight class Friday.

Other wrestlers who won their weight classes and Olympic berths Saturday included T.C. Dantzler (Greco-Roman, 163 pounds), Brad Vering (Greco-Roman, 185), Doug Schwab (men's freestyle, 145 1/2) and Henry Cejudo (men's freestyle, 121).

Paulson has been coaching Deitchler since 2004, when Anoka coach Todd Springer called him to say he had a young wrestler aching to work as hard as he could.

Paulson said he knew Deitchler would be a champion even then -- when Jake was 14 -- because he called Paulson every Sunday, begging him to work out.

Deitchler showed a flair for drama Saturday, losing the first period of every match he wrestled. Though he entered the trials as the runnerup at the 2008 U.S. championships, his youth kept expectations low.

Besides, Lester was favored to make the Olympic team and perhaps win a medal in Beijing.

Lester, a two-time bronze medalist at the world championships and six years Deitchler's elder, whipped him 5-0 in the first period of their semifinal. He scored early in the second before Deitchler was able to turn him for three points to win the period 5-2. In the final seconds of the third, Deitchler scored on a reverse lift and took the period 5-3 and won the match.

Lester walked out of the arena and buried his head in his hands. He came back to win the third-place match and retired immediately after.

Nearly three weeks ago, Deitchler walked in his graduation ceremony. In a little more than a month, he will take another walk, in the opening ceremonies in Beijing.

"What he's doing is historic," Paulson said. "He is a phenomenal athlete. He's got to win, because he hates to lose."

__________________
R.I.P. Adam Frey, You left us far too soon.

ODH

Lester walked out of the arena and buried his head in his hands. He came back to win the third-place match and retired immediately after.

What does this mean?

Big

It means Lester can't make 66kg anymore and he is an average 74kg wrestler.

goferphan

It means Jake Deitchler beating him was not something he fathomed before the match and he was pretty devastated by it. In all seriousness, that had to be hard. He's looking at capping his international career with an Olympic Medal and an 18 year old wrestler from Anoka, MN stood toe to toe with him and took it away.

"Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway."

__________________
R.I.P. Adam Frey, You left us far too soon.