Kent State's Dustin Kilgore won his school's first NCAA title in wrestling in 2011. Tony Rotundo photo.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Dustin Kilgore’s Olympic dream was launched when he watched Cael Sanderson capture a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Now he’s on the same U.S. National Freestyle Team with Sanderson.

Kilgore has enjoyed a breakthrough year where he won a NCAA title for Kent State at 197 pounds.

After failing to place at April’s U.S. Open, Kilgore came back to place third at University Nationals before finishing third at June’s U.S. World Team Trials at 96 kg/211.5 lbs.

The 22-year-old Kilgore is taking an Olympic redshirt during the upcoming college season and is now a resident-athlete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Kilgore recently returned to the U.S. after traveling overseas to train and compete in Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Poland.

Kilgore, who will return to Kent State for his senior season during the 2012-13 school year, sat down for an interview with USA Wrestling’s Craig Sesker on Tuesday morning.

What was the reasoning behind taking an Olympic redshirt?

The main factor for me was right before the World Team Trials I was able to come out to the Olympic Training Center and work with Coach (Zeke) Jones and Coach (Brandon) Slay. They allowed me to come out to the OTC and I got about three weeks of training in before the World Team Trials. I really learned a lot and picked up a lot of things from them. I was able to take third place at the Trials. Coming out of high school, I had planned to win a national title in college and then take an Olympic redshirt. So after I won the NCAA title, I was ready to do this and focus on freestyle. I feel like I have what it takes to compete at this level internationally. Knowing how much I improved in the three weeks before the Trials, imagine how much being out here for a whole summer and winter could do for me. I can learn a lot of freestyle, and it will help me when I go back to college because of the caliber of guys I will be working out with.

You have come a long way in freestyle in a short period of time. What was the adjustment like for you?

It was a lot different. My style of wrestling is attack, attack, and I like to keep getting after it. I’ve changed my stance and changed my attacks in freestyle. There are a lot of little things you have to adjust to. I’ve slowed my pace a little bit and look for better set-ups and openings. At this level, you have to wrestle a different style because there are great opponents who are really good defensively.

How much did you benefit and what did you learn during your time overseas?

I was overseas for 28 days. I had the longest tour of anyone. I liked it. I really enjoyed it. I really liked being overseas. It was a great experience. I had never been overseas before. The foreigners wrestle a lot different style. They aren’t real aggressive and they hate hand-fighting. If you snap their head down, they don’t like that. They aren’t all that aggressive, but their technique is on a whole different level from what I’ve seen in the U.S. They don’t take a whole lot of shots, which I get frustrated with when somebody is stalling. But it is freestyle and not folkstyle, and you are going to get that. They are really good with their defense.  

How did you feel you fared competitively during your trip?

I ended up wrestling seven matches. I was 3-4 overall. I got some great matches in, and gained some great experience. It was very important. Now I have a feel for what it’s like to compete internationally. I didn’t do as well as I would’ve liked to, but it was definitely a great learning experience for me. I’ve brought some of that knowledge back with me. I’ve been working a lot with Coach Jones and Coach Slay. It was definitely an experience I needed at this time. The coaches have really fine-tuned everything I do from gut-wrenches to leg laces to body locks to front headlocks. I felt like I was doing every freestyle move wrong when I first came out here. I can go from a takedown right to a leg lace now. Those guys are very knowledgeable. They are great coaches and they are doing a great job.

The Olympics are less than a year away. How exciting is that to think about?

That’s very exciting. All I’m focusing on right now is wrestling. To have the opportunity to take an Olympic redshirt, it’s a great opportunity for me. I have so much to learn and I’m looking forward to spending the next year out here in Colorado Springs.

What was it like walking up on the stage to compete in the NCAA finals against Oklahoma State’s Clayton Foster this past March in Philadelphia?

I fell behind 5-1 in that match. It was my first time being in the national finals and I had never wrestled Foster before. He was a totally new opponent. I figured out right away his ankle pick is pretty good. He was very strong and his technique was very good. I really wanted that title. I knew I was going to get a takedown eventually if I kept wrestling hard and I thought I could wear him down in the third period. I shot a high crotch and was able to put him on his back and it worked out.

What was the emotion like when you came back to pin Foster in the finals to win Kent State’s first national title in wrestling?

It was very emotional. I remember my senior year of high school I went up to Detroit for the NCAA finals (in 2007). I remember watching Jake Herbert win it. It was pretty amazing to watch. It was something I really wanted and really worked hard for. All the hard work and dedication and sacrifices you put in, to have it pay off was a great moment for sure.

What did that mean for the Kent State program to win that NCAA title?

It obviously means a lot. It’s going to take our program to a whole new level. I think a lot of top wrestlers are going to look at Kent State now and see what our coaches have done. As long as you have a great attitude toward wrestling and take care of your schoolwork, you are going to do really well at Kent State. We have the training partners and we need to keep recruiting better guys. Every year, our team gets better and better. We have some good recruits coming in.

Did you get a lot of recruiting attention coming out of high school?

I had mostly Division I schools looking at me. It came down to Michigan State and Kent State. I loved the campus at Kent State. It’s beautiful. The coaches, I really like those guys and I really connected with them. It’s worked out really well for me.

You started your college career at 184 and then moved up to 197. How big of an adjustment has it been wrestling freestyle at 211.5 pounds?

I’m trying to get bigger. After practice, I’m at about 204 or 205. I get up to about 210. It’s a little bit harder out here because of the elevation. My weight drops a little bit when I’m out here. I’m lifting and eating a lot, and doing the things I need to do to get bigger. Some of the foreigners I wrestled were huge. But some guys were my size or smaller. They were strong and their technique was very good.

What do you try to accomplish during this National Team Camp that just started here?

I will definitely take in as much as I can. How often do you get to wrestle with and train with the best guys in the country? I’m trying to develop myself into a better wrestler and learn technique from the guys here. If you wrestle with somebody better, it’s going to make you better. I’m hoping to wrestle with as many as these guys as I can so I can better myself all-around as a wrestler.

How realistic of a goal is it for you to make the 2012 Olympic Team even though you are still in college?

I’m young and I’m still in college, but I’ve improved so much. I haven’t wrestled with (2011 World Team member Jake) Varner yet, so I’m not sure how I would do against him. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. The Olympics are a dream of mine and they are always going to be my goal until I’m done wrestling. I am going to keep working really hard toward that goal. I see it being possible. If it doesn’t happen in 2012, I have 2016 to go after. I’m going to do everything I can and work as hard as I can to make the Olympic Team next year.

What do you remember about watching past Olympic Games on television?

I remember in 2004 I was at my grandparents house. I was sitting down in the living room. I remember watching Cael Sanderson on TV. I remember telling my grandparents that I wanted to be just like him someday.

What has it done for the freestyle program having someone of Sanderson’s caliber back competing?

Cael has a great shot of doing really well. I think it can help get people in this country really excited about wrestling. I would love to see Henry Cejudo make it back and see us win some gold medals.

What is it like walking in a room with a guy like Cejudo training alongside you?

It’s great. He knows what it takes. Seeing high-caliber athletes like that training, you watch what they do and how they approach it. It’s exciting to be a part of it.

How do you like being in Colorado?

I love it out here. I’m loving it. I love going up in the mountains. We go fishing and go hiking. It’s a lot of fun. I love the outdoors. This is perfect for me.

What was the experience like to travel overseas?

It was great, getting to experience the different cultures and meet some of the people. It’s a lot different. There are some pretty nice people. Some of the training situations weren’t the best and the food is a lot different. It makes you understand how good we have it in the United States. We have great facilities and a great training atmosphere here.

What would it mean to win a second NCAA title?

It would complete my college goals, for sure. Coming into my freshman year, I wanted to win two national titles. I am going to work just as hard and have that vision to do it again.

Jordan Burroughs won an NCAA title alongside you this year and has made a huge impact by making the U.S. World Team. Do you feel like you can have a similar impact?

It’s great to see what he’s done. I feel like I can be successful at the Olympic level. I just need to keep bettering myself and we will see what happens. I’m excited to have the opportunity to train out here.