“I’m really excited to have these two outstanding young men on our staff,” Jackson said. “They have great experience at the NCAA and world-class level, both being NCAA champions and world team members. Together they bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our program and are going to continue to push our program to be the very best.”
Paulson comes to Iowa State boasting a highly-decorated resume, having established himself as an elite competitor at both the collegiate and professional levels. Paulson spent his collegiate career wrestling for the Cyclones and compiled a career record of 116 wins, 20 losses en route to becoming a three-time All-American and two-time Big 12 Champion, also claiming the 157-pound NCAA title in 2007.
The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native is also one of 11 wrestlers in program history to become a three-time All-American, capture a national title and tally over 115 career victories.
As a professional athlete, Paulson was a four-time member of the USA National Team, also competing as a member of the 2009 World Team. Paulson was the 2009 US Open champion and picked up numerous titles in international competition throughout his career.
Paulson is ready start work with this one-of-a-kind staff.
“I’m excited to transfer into this role with the college athletes,” Paulson said. “I think between Kevin, Travis, Angel and myself, all being world team members, we can’t be matched as a staff. We’ve got youth and the experience of Coach Jackson. We’re going to attack this with a high intensity and I’m very excited.”
Escobedo comes to Iowa State as a volunteer assistant and will continue his training as a senior level athlete for the Cyclone Wrestling Club. As a collegian, Escobedo garnered All-America honors four times, taking the national title in 2008 at 125 pounds. The former Indiana Hoosier was also a three-time Big Ten champion from 2008-10. He ended his collegiate career with 137 victories.
Escobedo is eager to join the program and add to its history.
“I’m very excited to come to Iowa State,” Escobedo said. “There is a lot of tradition and a lot of winning in this program. I’m looking forward to continuing to build on that and work with the guys on the team, while also continuing my training towards becoming a world champion.”
On the professional circuit, Escobedo picked up a fifth-place finish at the 2013 World Championships as a member of the United State National Team, notching the second-highest finish among the American grapplers. In his three years on the professional tour, the Griffith, Indiana, native has picked up several top-five finishes, including two national team honors.
Adding Paulson and Escobedo to the Iowa State staff makes the Cyclones one of, if not the only program in the NCAA with four former senior-level world team members. The duo adds to the already highly decorated staff at Iowa State that now holds an Olympic gold medalist, two World gold medals, eight world team members, 17 national team spots, five US Open titles, two NCAA titles and 14 NCAA All-America accolades. All the pieces are in place to keep the program moving forward and train athletes that excel in academics and all levels of wrestling.
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