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Photo Courtesy of Dylan Gregerson
It’s hard to say there is a better way to end a summer than winning a gold medal. UVU student Dylan Gregerson, who was competing at the 2018 Junior Pan American Championships, was able to do that not just once, but twice. The wrestler was able to come away from the tournament with titles in both the Greco-Roman and freestyle events.
It was a long road for Gregerson, who has spent over a year recovering from an injury. However, despite the setback, the high school state champion was completely confident going into the competition.
“I didn’t expect anything less than a gold medal,” said Gregerson.
Gregerson trained with Taylor LaMont, UVU’s top wrestler from last season, to help prepare for the event. This often included completing intense, twice-a-day workouts. Ultimately, the hard work paid off.
“I was really excited for Dylan,” said Greg Williams, UVU’s head wrestling coach. “With his work ethic and dedication, he can do well. I expected him to have a great shot to win the Greco gold medal because that was where he was good. He was the alternate for the world team, so for him to be able to do that at the Pan Am games it was great. It was reaching a goal. But then he ended up wrestling freestyle, and that was just icing on the cake. I am really happy for him.”
In a few short months, Gregerson will get to begin wrestling for the college team. He hopes to see similar success at UVU and has his sights set on the NCAA National Championships.
”I am going to start light, but I do want to do the best I can,” said Gregerson. “For now, my main goal is qualifying. I’ve got to get that done first, and then try to get on the podium from there on.”
He will certainly be one of the major factors for the Wolverines heading into the upcoming season.
“Even though he’s a freshman for us, we expect him to be a leader,” said Coach Williams. “He’s a guy that can be a really good example to the rest of the guys on the team. We don’t know how quickly he’ll develop the collegiate style and be super competitive, but we don’t expect it to take very long at all.”
Coach Williams also pointed out that Gregerson is very focused and a good student, adding that, “When’s it school time, he’s putting that time into school, and when it’s wrestling time, he’s putting time there.”
In the long term, Gregerson hopes to be able to represent the United States at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
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