University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Meet The Freshman: Gabe Nagel
10/14/2021 4:21:00 PM | Wrestling
Freshman introductions continue as we highlight our first Minnesota native from the recent class
Our Meet the Freshman series rolls on as we introduce another member of the 2021 incoming class. Next up is state champion, three-time state finalist, and Little Falls, Minn., native Gabe Nagel.
GopherSports: First question, just talk about why you chose the University of Minnesota?
Nagel: Yeah, I mean some of my earliest memories of watching the Gophers was in 2012 with guys like Dylan Ness, Scott Schiller, the Dardanes brothers, you know, so growing up the Gophers have always been at the top for me. I had always considered Minnesota as the best out there, so when it came time to pick a school, it would've been pretty tough for any other school to convince me to go somewhere else. I've always felt that the Gophers are the best.
GS: With that childhood dream in mind about representing Minnesota, what does it mean to you now that you're room in the Gopher practice room and now you represent the Maroon & Gold.
Nagel: Yeah, it's crazy. I know coming from a small town, it's a rare opportunity for kids to wrestle in college and have the opportunity to go Division-I, so it's cool to show people that I could make it. It was tough at times, but I was willing to drive the extra hour to find partners, and I was willing to push through those glass ceilings. Four years ago, this might have seemed impossible, but now that I'm here it's unreal so see how it all worked out.
GS: Now that you're in the room and have access to those practice partners that you alluded to, who are some of the guys in the room that you've been working with that have helped you get better?
Nagel: Yeah, I've been working with Bailee O'Reilly and Isaiah Salazar, Bennett Tabor is another one I've been working with. It's awesome to have those guys around because if you make a mistake, they'll let you know it. They'll take you down, turn you, and whatever else so you have to elevate yourself just to compete with the guys in our room. It's been awesome to be able to improve with those guys in the short time I've been here.
GS: What has your interaction been like with teammates and coaches been like since you've been on campus?
Nagel: All around the team has been great. All of us freshmen pretty much live together in the same apartment building, so I feel like I get along with them pretty well. All around I think even the veteran guys have been more than welcoming and have helped that transition into college.
GS: Just talk about the team as a whole and the outlook that you have on our program moving into the future?
Nagel: Yeah, I mean if you look at our recruits and the guys we already have in the room, our future is extremely bright. It's exciting because if you watch us wrestle, you can see that everybody is wrestling hard and is hungry for a national championship. You think about guys like Brayton and Pat, they're already leaders and they will continue to lead for the next couple years. So, not only will we have good recruits now and down the road, but we have the established leaders that will continue to push us.
GS: You talked a little bit about having this opportunity to be able to wrestle Division-I, and of course Minnesota is in the Big Ten. Just talk about how much that excites you to be able to wrestle on collegiate wrestling's biggest stage.
Nagel: Yeah I mean there were some opportunities to go outside the Big Ten and even some successful Division-II schools that had reached out, but at the end of the day I knew that the Big Ten was the best, so when it came down to it and the opportunity to wrestle here came about, it was pretty much a no-brainer.
GS: For those that maybe haven't had a chance to watch you compete yet, just describe your wrestling style and what we could expect from you in a Gopher singlet.
Nagel: Yeah, I think that my wrestling style isn't anything too crazy. I think one of my best components of my wrestling is my top wrestling. There could be matches where I'd be losing but I would turn a guy or pin him. That strength always helped me in high school but now that I'm here I'm looking to compete in the room and get better on my feet, because that's where a majority of matches are decided in college wrestling.
GS: Finally, what's your outlook on your college career? What are some goals and expectations that you might have for yourself as you approach your time in Minnesota?
Nagel: Yeah coming into college I've always felt that maybe I wasn't the highest-ranked guy, but I knew that I'll be able to work hard and I've always stood by that. Every day I'm trying to work harder than everyone in the room. So although I might not be the top-ranked guy, I believe that before my time is done here, I'll be competing for a national championship. That's something that the coaches have talked about turning unknown guys into NCAA Champs and I believe I can be that next guy.