Kyle Dake ’13, the Cornell wrestling legend who became the only wrestler in NCAA history to win four national championships at four different weight classes, is now a world champion.
Dake, 27, dominated at the United World Wrestling championships in Budapest, Hungary this week en route to becoming the first Cornell wrestler to win gold. Throughout the course of the tournament, Dake kept each opponent from scoring even a single point, as he outscored his opponents a combined 37-0. After mowing down the preliminary competition at the 79 kilogram weight class, Dake defeated Jabrayi Hasanov of Azerbaijan in the finals, 2-0, to claim the title.
At Cornell, Dake amassed an overpowering 137-4 overall record with 83 bonus point wins including 44 by fall. He remains the only Cornell wrestler to win the Hodge Trophy, given annually to the most outstanding collegiate wrestler.
Dake was one of three members of team USA to win a gold medal in Budapest, joining fellow four-time All-Americans J’den Cox of Missouri and David Taylor of Penn State.