Each week, BRSN sits down for a Q & A session with the Athlete of the Week. This week, we caught up with senior Cornell wrestler, Gabe Dean, following his dominating 13-4 win last weekend against 184-pound preseason No. 2 Myles Martin of Ohio State at the NWCA All-Star Classic.
BRSN: Gabe, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. You began your senior year on Saturday night by picking up five takedowns in a dominant 13-4 victory over 2016 NCAA 174-pound champion and 184-pound preseason No. 2 wrestler Myles Martin of Ohio State in the NWCA All-Star Classic match. Can you walk us through your mindset before, during, and after competition?
GD: My mindset was pretty simple — just go out there and have fun. There aren’t many more opportunities to do stuff like this, so I wanted to make the most of it.
BRSN: How long have you wrestled? How did you start?
GD: I started wrestling when I was nine years old. My father was a successful wrestler and coach, and I kind of grew up surrounded by the sport.
BRSN: How did you choose Cornell?
GD: I got lucky with Cornell. I originally wanted to play football in college, and I was deemed too small to play at the Division I level by recruiters, so I chose to wrestle instead. Cornell is one of the few schools that recruited me, and, after making a visit, I fell in love with the people and the program.
BRSN: What are you looking forward to the most this season?
GD: I think I’m looking forward to one last ride with my teammates and coaches. I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by so many incredible people here for the last few years, and I want to enjoy one last year with all of them.
BRSN: What are some of your interests outside of wrestling?
GD: I’m a pretty simple guy. I love watching football on the weekends, I like the outdoors in regards to hiking and fishing, playing cards with my buddies, etc.
BRSN: What is one thing that most people don’t know about you?
GD: One thing people don’t know about me…that’s a good question. I did spend a few Monday nights last year watching the show “The Bachelorette.” Before you rip into me though, my close friend, mentor, and coach Damion Hahn is the one that told me it was actually entertaining. I wish he was wrong but unfortunately he was right!
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