When new Iowa State head coach Kevin Dresser was hired in February one of the main points he stressed in his inaugural press conference was the development of a Cyclone Regional Training Center (C-RTC) and pursing the top talent on the freestyle ladder in the U.S.. A part of that goal was finding a way to keep alum Kyven Gadson in the room and from seeking other opportunities. Earlier this week the two sides announced that Gadson would indeed be staying in Ames.
Excited to announce that I will be staying and training in Ames with @CycloneWR as part of the Cyclone Regional Training Center! pic.twitter.com/Z5MtVqc7WF
— Kyven Gadson (@GadsonStrong) June 27, 2017
This is of course a big score for the Iowa State program to land a wrestler of Gadson’s caliber to train alongside the Cyclones with an added bonus that the last NCAA champion to come out of Ames will be a continued presence for the new regime.
“I grew up an Iowa State fan based off the legacy that my Uncle Charlie and my late father Willie Gadson helped create in the 1970s,” Gadson said. “Family and legacy are huge to me. I want to thank coaches Kevin Dresser, Mike Zadick, Derek St. John and Brent Metcalf for inviting me to be a part of the new vision and continue the legacy.”
Since graduating from Iowa State Gadson has quickly jumped up the USA Men’s Freestyle rankings at 97 kg and is coming off a runner-up performance at the 2017 World Team Trials. He has also earned medals at Cerro Pelado in Cuba and the Dave Schultz Memorial International in Colorado earlier this year. Last summer dominated the field on the way to a University Nationals title in Akron, Ohio.
Gadson chose to stay at home after talking with Minnesota, Arizona State, Penn State, Northern Iowa, and Northwestern.
The last bit of Cyclone Wrestling Club/C-RTC news is another former athlete, Dom Bradley has also announced his future plans yesterday that he will continue training in Nebraska at the Nebraska Wrestling Training Center. Bradley was the runner-up at 125 kg at the 2017 U.S. World Team Trials.
[…] and Durbin are the next two building blocks of the C-RTC that already includes World Team Trials runner-up, Kyven Gadson. For more information on the Cyclone Regional Training Center, visit […]