The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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44 ■ THE WOLFPACKER DUSTIN KAWA W H E R E AR E T H E Y N O W ? BY MATT CARTER he state of Georgia is far from being known as a wrestling hotbed. But one of the pioneers of the sport in that state is mak- ing a difference in improving its reputation, and part of his success can be traced to four years at NC State. Dustin Kawa's accomplishments as a youth grappler were eye opening. He started on the mat as a 7-year old at the encouragement of his father, himself a former high school wrestler, and won seven consecutive state youth champi- onships. "In life, if you figure out you're good at something, whether you like it or not, you wind up doing that," Kawa said. By middle school, he was receiving recognition as a top wrestler nationally. Kawa won three straight state titles at Shiloh High in Snellville, which is near Atlanta. His high school wrestling record was 154-3. Because Georgia was not a producer of high-level wrestling talent, colleges were probably not taking as much notice as they should have, but then came the National Wrestling Coaches Association nationals in Pittsburgh in 1999. "I knew I was backed in a corner with very little or no options to wrestle in col- lege," Kawa noted. "If I didn't win it, I wasn't going to get that opportunity. If I won it, then I was going to set myself up for success. "Sure enough, I did it, and I was the first Georgia kid to ever do that." Kawa went from talking to a handful of schools to dozens, but time was of the essence. He had a matter of months to decide, and NC State would be his choice due to proximity, familiar weather and the city of Raleigh. Collegiate Success Kawa was a local star, to say the least, in wrestling. That changed quickly when he reached NC State in the fall of 1999. "I was a nobody," Kawa joked, despite being the first prep national champion to ever sign with NC State wrestling. "That took a little while to get used to. "I only had been taken down in prac- tice in four years in high school, maybe three or four times. I got taken down 10 times the first week at NC State." When it comes to an individual sport as demanding as wrestling, there is a certain mindset required to survive. Sacrifice is imperative. Proper dieting is a must, and social opportunities outside of wrestling will be limited. Kawa called it "a full commitment." "I remember in high school taking six months off of my entire life and dedicating it just to the sport," he said. "Wrestling is one of the hardest things you could ever do in any aspect of life." In addition to the necessary discipline required to be a successful wrestler, self-confidence is also paramount. For Kawa, having both traits proved cru- cial for his successes, even as he had his early challenges in college practices. "My mindset was that I'm still the best," Kawa noted. At the ACC level, Kawa certainly T WINNING ON AND OFF THE MAT Former ACC Champion Wrestler Dustin Kawa Has Built A Successful Apparel Business Kawa was a two-time ACC individual champion at 165 and 174 pounds, and helped the Wolfpack win three ACC team titles (2001- 02 and 2004). PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS