Q&A: Junior World Champion Gable Steveson Talks Gophers and Wrestling Dominance

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Q&A: Junior World Champion Wrestler Gable Steveson Talks Gophers and Wrestling Dominance
By Chris Monter

http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/825322?referrer_id=

It would be hard to characterize Apple Valley wrestler Gable Steveson as a poor loser. In fact, the Gopher commit really has no experience coming up on the short end on the mat.

Steveson has not lost a match since he finished as runner-up in 2014 as an eighth grader.

Steveson is ranked as the top heavyweight high school wrestler in the country by InterMat Wrestling and was named the American Family Insurance All-USA Wrestler of The Year.

Steveson defeated Iran's Naeiim Hassanzadeh 5-1 for the Junior World Championship gold medal in Tampere, Finland earlier this month to win his third World title and first as a junior. The win was the difference as the U.S. team defeated Russia 68-67 to capture its first world juniors team title since 1984.

Steveson, who is named after standout Iowa wrestler Dan Gable, helped lead Apple Valley to its twelfth straight title as he pinned his opponent to pace the Eagles to a 30-24 win over #2 seed Anoka.

Steveson won his three straight individual state titles this spring by pinning Brandon Frankfurth of Anoka in just eleven seconds for the heavyweight title. He pinned 41 of his 42 opponents as a junior.

He defeated Evan Foster of St. Michael-Albertville as sophomore with a technical fall to finish 47-0.

He bested Jake Briggs of St. Michael-Albertville in the 220-pound title match as a freshman to finish 47-0.

Steveson had previously won the gold medal at the United World Wrestling (UWW) Cadet World Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Steveson won the freestyle 100kg (220-pound) division, beating Khasanboy Rakhimov of Uzbekistan 9-0 in the finals, completing the tournament with a 5-0 record.

He committed to the Gophers, where he’ll join brother Bobby Steveson, who is a redshirt sophomore.

Gopher Hole: You were in Finland for an international championship and won the gold medal. What was that experience like?

Gable Steveson: It was really nice. I really enjoyed it. I picked up my third world title and it really meant a lot to me to win for my country.

Gopher Hole: You had wrestled a competitor form Iran for the title. Had you ever faced him before?

Gable Steveson: I had never faced him before, but he was at a world championship that I was at and that was the year that I won. I kind of knew who he was and saw who he was before we wrestled.

Gopher Hole: In international competition, do people know who you are in your weight class? Have they gotten to know your strengths?

Gable Steveson: Yes. A lot of them know how I am. A lot of them had seen me on You Tube, so when I go overseas they practically know what I am doing, so every time I go overseas, I have got to step up my game a lot.

Gopher Hole: Is that kind of a big thing with You Tube. Obviously, you can see a lot of opponents who maybe five, ten years ago you would have had no idea who they are or what their strengths are. Does that make a difference?

Gable Steveson: It makes a big difference because you can see what your opponent does. You can watch their every match and just scout them out and just be ready for what they do.

Gopher Hole: How does competiting in an international competition representing your country compare to wrestling in a state meet for Apple Valley?

Gable Steveson: Just representing your country is way bigger than a state meet with Apple Valley because representing your country means everybody looks at you. Other countries look at you. If you do state, no other countries are looking at you, so it means a lot to put USA on my chest and go win the gold medal.

Gopher Hole: You are committed to Minnesota. Your brother, who will be sophomore, is there. What will wrestling for the Gophers mean to you when you get there?

Gable Steveson: It will mean a lot because I have been around the team for a long time and I enjoy being there. I know that we are going to win a couple of national titles. That is the goal and I am trying to go there and win four national titles myself.

Gopher Hole: There has been a coaching change at Minnesota recently. What is your brother saying about where the program is headed now with a little more stability around the program knowing who the coach is going to be?

Gable Steveson: The program is going up. It is going up real quick the next couple of years. We should be contending for a national title, I think. Just working on getting high schoolers to come with me in my class and the class below me.

Gopher Hole: What other international competitions do you have that you are looking forward to in the next couple of years?

Gable Steveson: Just like more world championships. The RE (in Siberia) is one of the toughest wrestling tournaments. I want to go there and win. Just mainly all of them and go wherever I can.

Gopher Hole: Have you ever thought about the Olympics? Is that something that you think about?

Gable Steveson: Yes. I am thinking about 2020 and maybe 2024. We’ll see how I do.

Gopher Hole: Have you thought about weight classes?

Gable Steveson: I’m going to stay at heavyweight.

Gopher Hole: Apple Valley has a great reputation in wrestling. What would it mean to win another state title and individual title as a senior?

Gable Steveson: It would mean a lot because I just want to bring back another title from my team and win a fourth one for myself. It would mean a lot for me.

Gopher Hole: Do you ever feel pressure though being so dominant throughout your career? Everybody wants to be the kid that knocks you off.

Gable Steveson: There is no pressure. I know that I have a target on my back, but I am here to win and I am here to stay on top.

Gopher Hole: Have you thought much about what you are going to major in college?

Gable Steveson: Business and Real Estate or my mom wants me to be a doctor, so we’ll see what I do.

Gopher Hole: I know that you are good student, but that is a big time commitment as is wrestling.

Gable Steveson: Yes. It will be time consuming, but I’ll make time for my wrestling, like I always do.It would be hard to characterize Apple Valley wrestler Gable Steveson as a poor loser. In fact, the Gopher commit really has no experience coming up on the short end on the mat.

Steveson has not lost a match since he finished as runner-up in 2014 as an eighth grader.

Steveson is ranked as the top heavyweight high school wrestler in the country by InterMat Wrestling and was named the American Family Insurance All-USA Wrestler of The Year.

Steveson defeated Iran's Naeiim Hassanzadeh 5-1 for the Junior World Championship gold medal in Tampere, Finland earlier this month to win his third World title and first as a junior. The win was the difference as the U.S. team defeated Russia 68-67 to capture its first world juniors team title since 1984.

Steveson, who is named after standout Iowa wrestler Dan Gable, helped lead Apple Valley to its twelfth straight title as he pinned his opponent to pace the Eagles to a 30-24 win over #2 seed Anoka.

Steveson won his three straight individual state titles this spring by pinning Brandon Frankfurth of Anoka in just eleven seconds for the heavyweight title. He pinned 41 of his 42 opponents as a junior.

He defeated Evan Foster of St. Michael-Albertville as sophomore with a technical fall to finish 47-0.

He bested Jake Briggs of St. Michael-Albertville in the 220-pound title match as a freshman to finish 47-0.

Steveson had previously won the gold medal at the United World Wrestling (UWW) Cadet World Championships in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Steveson won the freestyle 100kg (220-pound) division, beating Khasanboy Rakhimov of Uzbekistan 9-0 in the finals, completing the tournament with a 5-0 record.

He committed to the Gophers, where he’ll join brother Bobby Steveson, who is a redshirt sophomore.

Gopher Hole: You were in Finland for an international championship and won the gold medal. What was that experience like?

Gable Steveson: It was really nice. I really enjoyed it. I picked up my third world title and it really meant a lot to me to win for my country.

Gopher Hole: You had wrestled a competitor form Iran for the title. Had you ever faced him before?

Gable Steveson: I had never faced him before, but he was at a world championship that I was at and that was the year that I won. I kind of knew who he was and saw who he was before we wrestled.

Gopher Hole: In international competition, do people know who you are in your weight class? Have they gotten to know your strengths?

Gable Steveson: Yes. A lot of them know how I am. A lot of them had seen me on You Tube, so when I go overseas they practically know what I am doing, so every time I go overseas, I have got to step up my game a lot.

Gopher Hole: Is that kind of a big thing with You Tube. Obviously, you can see a lot of opponents who maybe five, ten years ago you would have had no idea who they are or what their strengths are. Does that make a difference?

Gable Steveson: It makes a big difference because you can see what your opponent does. You can watch their every match and just scout them out and just be ready for what they do.

Gopher Hole: How does competiting in an international competition representing your country compare to wrestling in a state meet for Apple Valley?

Gable Steveson: Just representing your country is way bigger than a state meet with Apple Valley because representing your country means everybody looks at you. Other countries look at you. If you do state, no other countries are looking at you, so it means a lot to put USA on my chest and go win the gold medal.

Gopher Hole: You are committed to Minnesota. Your brother, who will be sophomore, is there. What will wrestling for the Gophers mean to you when you get there?

Gable Steveson: It will mean a lot because I have been around the team for a long time and I enjoy being there. I know that we are going to win a couple of national titles. That is the goal and I am trying to go there and win four national titles myself.

Gopher Hole: There has been a coaching change at Minnesota recently. What is your brother saying about where the program is headed now with a little more stability around the program knowing who the coach is going to be?

Gable Steveson: The program is going up. It is going up real quick the next couple of years. We should be contending for a national title, I think. Just working on getting high schoolers to come with me in my class and the class below me.

Gopher Hole: What other international competitions do you have that you are looking forward to in the next couple of years?

Gable Steveson: Just like more world championships. The RE (in Siberia) is one of the toughest wrestling tournaments. I want to go there and win. Just mainly all of them and go wherever I can.

Gopher Hole: Have you ever thought about the Olympics? Is that something that you think about?

Gable Steveson: Yes. I am thinking about 2020 and maybe 2024. We’ll see how I do.

Gopher Hole: Have you thought about weight classes?

Gable Steveson: I’m going to stay at heavyweight.

Gopher Hole: Apple Valley has a great reputation in wrestling. What would it mean to win another state title and individual title as a senior?

Gable Steveson: It would mean a lot because I just want to bring back another title from my team and win a fourth one for myself. It would mean a lot for me.

Gopher Hole: Do you ever feel pressure though being so dominant throughout your career? Everybody wants to be the kid that knocks you off.

Gable Steveson: There is no pressure. I know that I have a target on my back, but I am here to win and I am here to stay on top.

Gopher Hole: Have you thought much about what you are going to major in college?

Gable Steveson: Business and Real Estate or my mom wants me to be a doctor, so we’ll see what I do.

Gopher Hole: I know that you are good student, but that is a big time commitment as is wrestling.

Gable Steveson: Yes. It will be time consuming, but I’ll make time for my wrestling, like I always do.
 

can't wait to watch this guy wrestle for the Gophers. It would be nice if this article could spell his last name correctly every time
 

This guy is strong, smart, has goals as to what he wants to do and he going to do big things with the Gophers. He is going to be great all around for us.
 




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