Countryside High grad Jared Frayer tries to fulfill his lifelong goal at the U.S. trials this weekend.
By BOB PUTNAM
Published May 21, 2004
As an 8-year-old, Jared Frayer plopped down in the living room of his parents' Palm Harbor home and watched the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He was fixated on the U.S. wrestlers as they twisted and turned their way to the top.
At that moment, Jared turned to his father, Dave, the longtime wrestling coach at Countryside High, and told him that was where he wanted to be someday, on the mat competing for a gold medal.
This weekend, Frayer will take the last step toward making his dream a reality.
The former Countryside and University of Oklahoma standout will be competing at the U.S. Olympic trials in Indianapolis. At stake is a spot on the freestyle team at 1451/2 pounds.
"This is it," Frayer said. "I'm so excited because I've waited for this for so long. But I'm also calm. I think I'm as confident as I've ever been."
For Frayer to seize this lifelong moment, he'll have to get through one of the toughest weight classes in freestyle. Among those competing are Jamill Kelly, a former Oklahoma State wrestler who is ranked No. 1 by mat.com, and Chris Bono, a former standout at Jacksonville Bolles and two-time world team member.
Still, Frayer said he likes his chances.
Distinct from its collegiate cousin, Olympic freestyle wrestling emphasizes technique over strength. That suits Frayer, who works obsessively to hone his already superb skills.
Since completing his collegiate career with a runnerup finish at the NCAA Tournament two years ago, Frayer has focused on freestyle.
Training twice a day and competing in tournaments around the world, Frayer has taken the necessary steps on his Olympic ladder.
He is ranked third and has beaten every competitor in his class except Kelly.
"I think I'm the best in the world," Frayer said. "I know I can beat all of these guys on any given day. Maybe that's why I'm not nervous. I don't think there's anybody that's heads and tails above me."
Frayer wasn't always this sure of himself. Last year, his confidence cracked when he twice met 2000 Olympic silver medalist Lincoln McIlravy. Frayer not only lost both bouts, he was shut out both times. After that, the prospect of defeat was more terrifying.
Frayer finished eighth at the U.S. nationals and went 1-2 at the world team trials.
"I think I was in awe of (Lincoln)," Frayer said. "I let that get into my head."
Finances were the biggest handicap in his Olympic quest. The Sunkist Kids wrestling club had paid for some of his traveling expenses for tournaments. Oklahoma gave him a stipend as an assistant coach. But that didn't pay all the bills. The rest of his backing came from private donations.
That meant Frayer had to be resourceful. He conducted clinics nearly every week, sold T-shirts bearing his nickname, Air Frayer, and created a Web site, www.jaredfrayer.com to solicit donations.
That changed in September, when he left Norman, Okla., for a job as an assistant coach at Harvard.
The move was profitable. Frayer finally had a highly paid position, giving him the money needed to pursue his dream. With a steady job, he finally was able to devote his time strictly to wrestling. He also moved from the Sunkist Kids wrestling club to the Dave Schultz wrestling club.
"That was a good move for Jared to go to Harvard," Dave Frayer said. "His focus is streamlined. There are no distractions, and he doesn't have that financial burden.
"He was gone almost every week last year at a camp. That takes its toll."
For the past nine months, Jared has worked with Jesse Jantzen, a senior at Harvard who won an NCAA title two months ago.
"I had become stagnant, and going to Harvard was a breath of fresh air," Jared said. "Jesse has a great mind for the sport and has helped me become a better competitor."
Jantzen will be by Frayer's side this weekend. So will Frayer's parents.
For Dave Frayer, watching his son in Indianapolis will make the journey complete. It was the city where Dave went to high school, where he met his wife, Vicky, where Jared won his first national tournament as an 8-year-old.
"The whole situation is surreal," Dave said. "You constantly wonder if this can really be happening. Is this the year he'll actually do it?"
