Gable Dan Steveson captures fifth straight Folkstyle Nationals title

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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
04/01/2012


CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – It is only fitting that a wrestler with the names Dan and Gable is having wrestling success on the national level.

And in Gable’s backyard in northeast Iowa.

Gable Dan Steveson, named after the Olympic gold medalist and wrestling legend, continued his amazing run of success at the ASICS Folkstyle Nationals on Sunday at the UNI-Dome.

The 11-year-old from Portage, Ind., captured his fifth straight title in this event. Steveson won by fall in the finals on Sunday to earn the title in the 140-plus pound class in the Novice division. He won four matches in this tournament, including two by technical fall, one by fall and one by seven points.

Steveson previously won a Folkstyle Nationals title in the Bantam division, two titles in the Intermediate division and one in the Novice division before winning this year. He won a sixth title in the UNI-Dome in October, capturing a USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals title.

“This is real fun,” Steveson said. “It’s good competition with a lot of matches.”

Steveson’s brother, Bobby, placed second in the Folkstyle Nationals Cadet division on Saturday.

Gable Dan Steveson met Dan Gable at the National Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo last year.

“My mom and dad kept hearing the name Dan Gable over and over at tournaments that my older brother competed in,” Steveson said. “My dad said, ‘That’s a cool name.’ I met Dan Gable, and it was cool. He gave my mom a big hug. It was great.” 

Steveson was among the long list of wrestlers who earned Folkstyle Nationals titles on Sunday in the Bantam, Intermediate, Novice and Schoolboy divisions as the three-day event concluded.

Results of the Bantam, Intermediate, Novice and Schoolboy divisions can be found in the Results section on themat.com.