BIGGER & BETTER
Jake Varner is back after a year away from competition, and he feels he has made improvements since striking Olympic gold in 2012 in London, England.
By Craig Sesker
LAS VEGAS – Jake Varner competed in just one event in 2013, but he didn’t exactly take a break from the sport. “I just took a break from competition,” Varner said. “I was still training every day. I was lifting every day and wrestling every day. It was mostly a break from competition.” Varner is back competing now and looking better than ever. He capped a dominating performance at the U.S. Open by downing Wynn Michalak 4-0 in the freestyle finals at 97 kg/213.5 lbs. on April 19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. “I’m just trying to get better every day,” Varner said. “I would like to think I’m better now than when I won a gold medal. I’m working hard and just trying to get better every day.” Varner competed in the Dan Kolov International in Bulgaria early in the 2013 season. He placed second after falling to Michalak in the finals. It was Varner’s first competition since win- ning the Olympics in 2012. Varner, a two-time NCAA champion for Iowa State, then elect- ed not to compete the rest of the 2013 season. “My game plan was to win some World titles and then win the Olympics and be done,” said Varner, a bronze medalist at the 2011 World Championships. “I did get one of those, but some- times things don’t go the way you want. I did wrestle last year, but then I decided I needed a break. My mind needed to recov- er and my body needed to recover. It was a good break and I’m ready to go now.” Varner trains with and is coached by Olympic gold medalist and four-time NCAA championship coach Cael Sanderson with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club at Penn State. Varner wrestled for Sanderson at Iowa State and then fol- lowed his mentor to State College, Pa., after he completed his standout collegiate career with the Cyclones. Varner was a four- time NCAA finalist for Iowa State. Varner returned to competition earlier this season at the Yasar Dogu International in February in Turkey. Varner earned a win in his first match, but he then had to withdraw from the tournament because of an injury. Varner looked more than healthy in Las Vegas. He outscored his four opponents at the U.S. Open by a com- bined 28-2 score. “It’s always fun when you win,” he said. “I just went out there and wrestled my match. I would like to score more than I did, but overall it was a good tournament for me.”
Continued on page 15 14 USA Wrestler
Jake Varner dominated the competition in winning a U.S. Open championship in Las Vegas. Tony Rotundo photo.
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