Jacob's Ladder: Chronicling Kasper's Climb

By Kyle Corwin - GoDuke the Magazine - Issue 8.7

If there's one thing you need to know about Jacob Kasper, it's that he isn't a statistic — he only improves upon the ones he records on the mat.

The Lexington, Ohio native is widely known in the collegiate wrestling world as one of the best in his heavyweight class, but it was anything but an easy road to achieving such dominance in the sport. Kasper has spent 18 years stepping toe-to-toe with his challengers; it was early on in his wrestling career when the foundation would be built to prepare him for what was ahead.

Seriously committing to wrestling took place during the middle school years, but like any true competitor can, Kasper listed off the early disappointments that ultimately fueled the success that those around him see today. “I fell short of making the junior high state tournament, went 10-13 as a freshman on JV, had an 0-63 summer after that, had 20 losses as a sophomore, and was not supposed to make it to state my junior year,” Kasper recalled. “But I set off alarms sneaking into the weight room, drilled in the middle of the night, and lost numerous friends as I stayed true to the dream and vision I had.”

While one might think the vast improvements that followed were as a result of his own determination and work ethic, Kasper will tell you that it was, without a doubt, a concerted effort. “My family, coaches and teammates all really left a mark on me,” he said. “They all supported me during winless summers, ran me through three-a-day workouts and made immeasurable sacrifices for me.”

The support he received from his family, friends and coaches that ultimately pushed him to pursue a future in wrestling seemingly provided him the strength to deal with some unfortunate news that would come roughly halfway through his freshman season at Duke.

“I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease,” Kasper recollected. “It started as anxiety attacks, and then progressed to night sweats, poor sleeping and gastrointestinal problems.”

The chronic inflammatory bowel disease created numerous problems for the then-freshman, as the transition from high school was still taking place. “I refused to tell anybody about the problems I was having with anxiety and my body, as well as those I was having with adjusting to college,” he said. “This only snowballed into more complications, because the transition to college life is harder than people tell you. And no matter how tough or strong-willed you are, sometimes you need to reach out for help before more problems arise.”

Kasper did just that, utilizing the support of those around him, including those who helped get him there. As he put it, “(asking for help) does not make you any less tough; in fact, sometimes it takes even more courage to do so.”

Although no one would have batted an eye had Kasper chosen to remove himself from competition or the sport altogether, he emphatically credits his upbringing as his reason not to. “I was raised to man up, saddle up, and buckle down,” he said. “It was definitely a setback, but it's not something that is going to hold me back from what I am going to achieve. I just use it as a platform to show that nothing can stop you if you are determined.”

That mindset propelled Kasper into a sea of success at Duke, as he finished his freshman year — the diagnosis year — with a victory at the Hokie Open, a top-25 upset and a contribution to a come-from-behind victory against an in-state rival. With no plans of stopping, he would go on to earn All-ACC honors, defeat a No. 3 seed in the conference tournament, and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships in his sophomore campaign.

It was not until his junior year that Kasper decided to redshirt in order to pursue a spot on the 2016 Olympic team. To accomplish that, he traveled to Colorado to train at the Olympic Training Center while simultaneously battling Crohn's. As one would expect, it was difficult.

“I had numerous doctor appointments, and the possibility of not wrestling any more was discussed,” he said. “I was rarely, if at all, in my comfort zone, but I learned to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Despite not making the cut in Colorado, Kasper values what he did gain: another glimpse of reality. “I know there will be very few times in wrestling or in life where I will be able to work or compete in my comfort zone,” he said. “I was just preparing myself.”

Now in his third year of competition for Duke, Kasper has climbed the national rankings and landed among the top five heavyweights in the country. More focused than ever, the redshirt junior has his sights set on not one, but two NCAA titles before his collegiate career is up, in addition to winning a Hodge Trophy — the Heisman of wrestling.

However, his ultimate aim is even higher than that.

“I want some kid that has a losing record to read my story and believe he can because I was in the same situation. I want a kid to hear about how I wasn't the best student, or didn't make varsity my first year of high school, but found a way to achieve what I set out to do. And most importantly, I want those same kids to know that I did it the right way.”

When asked to describe his experience at Duke thus far, Kasper's initial response was like that of a quarterback's upon meeting with the media following a well-fought battle: short and sweet. But give someone who is fighting the war of disease time to reflect, and you will undoubtedly receive something powerful—something that moves you. And Jacob Kasper's concluding statement, did just that.

“I have a few more hills to climb, but regardless how it turns out, it's been an amazing ride and I would get back in line to do it all over again.”

Jacob's Ladder: Chronicling Kasper's Climb

Players Mentioned

Jacob Kasper

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Jacob's Ladder: Chronicling Kasper's Climb

Players Mentioned

Jacob Kasper

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