Despite his largely successful run at the 2013 NCAA Wrestling Championships, Kevin Tao still has a bad taste in his mouth from the experience. In his first loss of the event, he felt robbed by a call that, in his mind, cost him the match.
“It was tough because it was right there and I was so convinced I’d get [All-America honors], but I was sitting there and it wasn’t there anymore,” Tao said. “It was just a lot of disbelief.”
Tao’s desire for closure has motivated him to continue his wrestling career after graduation. The senior plans to wrestle in open tournaments and attempt an Olympic run, even though the sport may not be in the Olympics in 2020.
In mulling such a commitment, Tao must overcome such challenges as finding an organization to sponsor him, deciding where to live and train, maintaining relationships with friends and family and choosing whether or not to put off his professional life until after wrestling.
“It’s tough because I feel like most people, when they graduate college, that’s when they really start something in terms of their career, and I guess to continue wrestling is to prolong that jumpstart in your career,” he said.
However, Tao is able to rely on a friend and former teammate as he explores his options: 2012 graduate and heavyweight wrestler Ryan Flores. The former Eagle is planning on making an Olympic run himself and has been a confidant of Tao’s in recent weeks.
Flores has advised Tao on some of the issues he’ll face. But one of toughest choices Tao will make is whether he’ll apply to physical therapy post-graduate programs this summer or after his wrestling career ends. Tao would like to return to California for a graduate program and said Flores has been invaluable throughout this process.
“There’s a lot of good advice that I’ve gotten from [Flores],” Tao said. “As childlike as it is, [the most important thing] he said to me was something along the lines of that
Moving in more ways than one
Tao transferred from Columbia University to AU three years ago for various reasons, but two of the most significant motives for the change were disagreement with the coach and a lack of support that he felt he received.
He didn’t see eye-to-eye with the coach on which weight class he wrestled in, a problem that was solved after he transferred to AU.
“I had always wanted to wrestler at a higher weight, so when the opening came at 149 [at AU], it was something that I knew I had wanted to do,” Tao said.
However, by moving up two weight classes and 16 pounds, he confronted a plethora of challenges from bigger opponents to more technically sound adversaries. One of the benefits though, was the simple fact that Tao had to cut less weight before weigh-ins and concentrate on the sport itself.
“I was a solid wrestler, but I wasn’t really making any big gains that I needed to. So once I was able to focus all of my energy on wrestling after moving up, wrestling got a lot easier,” he said. “I focused less on weight and it was more fun because I got to just focus on wrestling.”
Before he made the switch, his weight fluctuated 15 pounds every week when he wrestled at 133. Instead of practicing a new move or preparing for his next match, Tao had to worry about constantly losing weight from his natural weight of 155-160 pounds.
“I was a lot weaker and my focus wasn’t really on wrestling and it wasn’t fun,” he said. “Sometimes I’d just walk out on the mat and my body just didn’t do what I needed it to.”
Tao was able to succeed at his new weight class because of his work ethic. After Moore made the suggestion that Tao should move up, Tao never looked back and sported a great attitude towards the adjustment.
“Kevin not only made the change, but he made the change with 100 percent commitment,” Moore said. “Some guys will half-heartedly do it when you ask them to make a change like that, but Kevin never questioned it. He not only didn’t question it, but he believed he should win at that weight class.”
Tao’s legacy
Although he has only spent a few years at AU, Tao has endured a lot and grown both on and off the mat. He has an increased self-confidence and said he owes it to the pressure cooker that is the sport of wrestling.
“I used to have a strong tendency to kind of hold back — just in case — because no one wants your 100 percent to fall short, because that sucks,” he said. “These experiences have really taught me to put everything on the line and to take big risks and put it all out there.”
However, the impact that Tao has had on those around him may outweigh the rewards he attained for being a part of the AU wrestling program. Although those around him say he isn’t a vocal leader, everyone involved said he leads by example.
“When we go into a workout, he’s the type of leader that gives you 100 percent and his teammates can always look at Kevin and see him give everything he has,” Moore said. “He’s never going to slide through a workout or give less than 100 percent, and I think that’s really where Kevin helped the team this year.”
Although he has clearly helped his teammates in practice and during workouts, Tao also assisted other Eagles during the most important parts of the season: matches. Take for instance his interaction with freshman David Terao at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas in November.
“In between the first and second days of competition, he helped me prepare mentally and strategically for my next opponent even though he wasn’t wrestling on the second day,” Terao, a 125 lbs. wrestler, said. “The support he provided resulted in a very successful tournament for me, and I doubt I would have had the same result without his help.”
Throughout his career at AU, Tao has played that role time and time again. And because of that, his legacy will remain even after he graduates and his contributions won’t be forgotten.
“He’s added a goal for all future wrestlers because you want to be like Kevin Tao,” junior heavyweight Blake Herrin said. “What he has done off the mat has been important, too, because he’s a great person to look up to. You can say Kevin Tao did this and that, and it raises the bar for you.”
