NCAA Finals press conference transcripts

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NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Anthony Cassar
Press Conference
285 pounds

THE MODERATOR: Anthony Cassar coming to the stage. National champion, how does that sound to you?

ANTHONY CASSAR: It sounds right. It sounds really right.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. When did you first think that by moving up a weight that you could be national champ?
ANTHONY CASSAR: I believed I could be national champ at any weight that I set my mind to. I didn't make it last year, but going to college I knew I was -- a heavyweight was what I was meant to be because it fits my personality perfectly. I love to lift and eat. And I'm faster and stronger than anyone if I could eat healthy and be who I'm supposed to be. So it's the best case scenario for me.

Q. All year long, you waited patiently for that first attack. And tonight you turned that into six. Talk us through why you're so patient while you're waiting for that first attack. And, B, what happened tonight, the attack to finish the back point?
ANTHONY CASSAR: I've got to be smart. These are some big boys. And I don't want to get caught under them. I learned that from my shoulder injury that I have to be smart with my finishes and my attacks. And that's kind of carried over to my style. And so if I go, I'm going hard. And nine times out of ten I'm going to get that attack. I'm a little patient but if I go you're going down.

Q. Two nights in a row you came in, looked at your name tag. Did you almost think this is a dream; this was really not happening?
ANTHONY CASSAR: Not at all. It just made sense to me, maybe to you guys, I joked, saying that you guys printed out just my name tag because that's how I feel every day. I wake up as the national champion, as an Olympic champion. And I expect these things. Maybe surprised a lot of people but not to me.

Q. You told us in Minnesota that when you're in neutral position a lot of things going up there that we can't see. What was going on tonight before you struck there?
ANTHONY CASSAR: I felt him hesitant right off the bat. It was my mat to score and do whatever I pleased to him. So I felt that in the first period and I was getting super tired. I was keeping my pace up, moving my feet and hands.

Might not mean a lot to you but it gets them real tired. I could go all day. They don't want to go to the second, third period with me if I move my hands and feet. That's what happened in the first period. Then I went for it in the second.

Q. Beat the Streets is going to invite all the national champions here to wrestle the number one in freestyle in Madison Square Garden would you go up against Gwiz? Is that something you would consider?
ANTHONY CASSAR: Yeah, my goal is to be an Olympic champion. So whoever is up at heavyweight in any division is going to be a competitor of mine.

Q. What do you think has allowed you in your career to take advantage of the short time you've had in the postseason and kind of finish each time up on top? How do you approach it that's allowed you to kind of seize that moment?
ANTHONY CASSAR: In the match itself?

Q. You've had one shot, high school and now in college.
ANTHONY CASSAR: Yeah. I don't know, I guess I perform very well under pressure. And I have a goal. And if I don't achieve that goal -- like, if I didn't achieve this goal tonight, the past five years would be a failure in my mind, which may not be the right thing, but that's just how I see it. When all the chips are out I'm going to perform because it's do or die for me.

Q. After last season, I'm sure you had some pressure from other schools to go wrestle elsewhere. What made you know that you wanted to stay and continue your career at Penn State?
ANTHONY CASSAR: A lot of people were saying that. I've never been one to look outside of myself for when adversity comes; I always look inside. If I don't get something I wanted, it's because of me. I'm in the best school, the best program, the best facilities, the best coaches, everything I have to be a champion. So if I'm not a champion, it's my fault. I'm not going to go somewhere else and achieve that. So I've looked inside. I have to make more changes and figure it out, because everything around me was doing it right. It was me.

Q. Two-part question. First part, you lost to him earlier in the year. How much did you watch that film, and how much did you learn from it? And second part is, at this point, it's thought to be a foregone conclusion that you'll get a second year or a sixth year and maybe even a seventh. Is that what you want? Do you want to come back or are you done with folkstyle wrestling?
ANTHONY CASSAR: For the first part of your question, yeah, I watched that match a couple times from the scuffle. I wasn't happy with my performance. And I was still kind of settling into that weight class and not feeling myself yet. And so I knew that I wasn't the same guy as I was back in January. And my coaches knew that. And so I wanted to go out there and prove it tonight and I think I -- I majored him right? Major?

And then the second part of your question, yeah, in terms of the years following, I assume this year was my last year going into the national championship. Now I'm going to sit down and think about it, talk to my family and my coaches and see what's best for me going forward because I have freestyle as well.

Q. For those who don't understand, why did you sit out that year? I'm not from Penn State. Why did you sit out that year?
ANTHONY CASSAR: I got a shoulder surgery. I was sidelines for months, and along with financial difficulties. So my plan was to Olympic redshirt, once I medaled in Junior Worlds. That didn't work out. I was forced to take the year off, but I was able to get healthy. That's why I made drastic changes to my life and train hard that entire year. But, yeah, took that year off for personal, financial and injury reasons.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

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NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Spencer Lee
Press Conference
125 pounds

THE MODERATOR: Spencer Lee, national champion, back-to-back years. How does this one match up to last year's?

SPENCER LEE: It was great. I went through a lot of adversity this year. But I really attribute all of my success to my coaches and my teammates who believed in me every step of the way even when maybe I didn't believe in myself.

I remember losing to Oklahoma State and freaking. I had whole team grab me and telling me they loved me, and we were a family and we're going to be in this together. And I know that moment there is when I gotta move on. I've got to be the better version of myself.

And thanks to them. I wish I could have seen them after the match. Last year I got to hug them, but don't worry; that will be the next step after this.

Q. You mentioned adversity now. We all know about the losses but was there anything more than that?
SPENCER LEE: It's not really -- it doesn't matter. I don't make excuses. I got beat. Everyone has losses. They beat me fair and square. Doesn't matter if you're hurt, injured, sick, who cares?

This is a gladiator sport. We're tough guys and we put everything on the line. And props to Jack Mueller; he put everything on the line.

Q. Spencer, what is it about this time of year or these big moments that you seem to be able to dial up your best?
SPENCER LEE: Terry Brands always tells me big time wrestlers show up at big time moments. We preach that at the University of Iowa, and everyone on my team believes that they're a big-time wrestler because that's the mindset you have to have to be in this sport.

We preach that -- big time wrestlers show up at big time matches. I believe that too. I believe we all show up the best we can, especially when you face a great opponent like Jack Mueller. He's a great exponent.

Q. Beat the Streets is going to invite the NCAA champs to wrestle the No. 1 freestyle guys at Madison Square Garden. Would you accept that opportunity?
SPENCER LEE: Me and Gilman are good friends. That's not up to me and him to decide. We wrestle a lot in our room. So I don't know.

Q. What does it mean, how does it feel the second time around after winning last year as a freshman, now to be halfway possibly to a four-time champ, but to do it in your home fans in Pittsburgh?
SPENCER LEE: Being in Pittsburgh is awesome. I don't really care about being a four-time I'm not a three-time national champ. These are my brothers; I told you they'd be here.

I'm focused on what's next. That's going to be summer wrestling and we'll see how that goes. And gotta get healthy and everything, whatever, you know how it is. Big time big national tournament, everyone is a little tweaked up, getting ready to finish the summer off strong.

That's pretty much it, just focusing on the next thing. Can't worry about four-time champ national because you can't win four if you don't win three, and I haven't won three yet.

Q. Was there any question what interim music you were going to walk out to tonight?
SPENCER LEE: Yeah, I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to be like cliche, doing it again. But I'll do what my teammates said: That's who you are. They're not wrong. I'm a big Pokemon nerd. And I love it, and I'll love it to the day I die. It's pretty cool to be able to run out to the Pokemon theme song. I thank the players for allowing me to do that.

Q. You outscored your opponents 55-7 this week. What were you seeing this week or what were you doing that was working for you?
SPENCER LEE: I just gotta believe in myself. And my teammates, they instilled a lot of power into me, mental power, because they tell me every day that I'm the best wrestler in the world. You've got to believe that.

I truly believe that you have to believe that. And they tell me that. Sometimes I may not believe it while we're in tough practices. But they keep me uplifted. And I think that was the difference for this weekend, just those guys, they just kept on me.

They knew that, Spencer, you can do this, you can do this. I can wrestle for seven minutes and more if needed and that was the goal.

Q. There were a lot of doubters coming into this tournament. They said Spencer can't go seven minutes. How did you shut them out? What did you do to prepare for that?
SPENCER LEE: I don't really care if people don't believe in me, because I'm the one who's got to do it. They can say it and say I can do it. There's people that believed in me, too. But just because they believed in me doesn't mean I'm going to win. But it helps.

Even people that doubt me, I've been pretty much off social media and everything for a while. I used to tweet a lot about Pokemon stuff. But I haven't tweeted at my Pokemon buddies. I'll tweet tonight, probably. A lot of them tweeted at me today, telling me good luck, Pokemon theme song again. And that was pretty much it.

Q. Why are you the baddest man on the planet?
SPENCER LEE: I don't know. I don't have an answer for that. I'll take your word for it, how's that? I don't know.

Q. What's your favorite Pokemon?
SPENCER LEE: Arkmon, but you don't know who that is.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Nick Suriano
Press Conference
133 pounds

THE MODERATOR: Nick, national champion, first in Rutgers history. What does that feel like to you when you hear that?

NICK SURIANO: I'm just watching my dad go nuts.

[ Laughter ] and my cousin, Kyle.

Q. What was that moment like?
NICK SURIANO: Speechless. I just didn't quit. I didn't quit through this whole journey. And it came down to not quitting this last match. I was going to quit. I was this close. I was thinking about it. He rolled me like that. And like I got out. I made sure I was going to get out.

And I looked in his eyes, and I said, I'm going to take him down. And I took him down, and he was getting away with stalling the whole match. And all due respect to John Smith and the Okie State staff, they're legends. They did what they did.

But they've been working the refs they were doing it the whole match the match at the RAC at Rutgers, and I deserved that too. And I'm blessed.

Q. How much does that match that you had with him a few years ago -- just talk about how that factored in your head?
NICK SURIANO: He's a world-class competitor. He's legit. Daton Fix, we've had our battles. We've had our words, and they go the same way. He's so stingy on his defense and it's hard for me to open up on him. He's very tricky. He's very -- he's an advance man. He's elite.

And marathon match, I wrestled -- he beat him at (indiscernible). I beat him in the marathon match, folkstyle. He got the hands-to-the-face call at Rutgers. And I'm blessed to be here. I'm blessed.

Q. You beat DeSanto, you beat Micic, and now you beat fix. To take all those losses off the board in the regular season and finish this way, what does that mean to you?
NICK SURIANO: It just means be persistent, never quit, never give up whatever the circumstances. It's just so simple. And if you want something you just gotta fight and go get it.

And I was down for so long. They called this the toughest weight class and everything. And it really is. Micic is a world medalist, and Daton Fix is a world champ. I'm right up there.

And I got the takedown fair and square. At the end they're fighting for their guy, but I took him down fair and square.

Q. Beat the Street is going to invite the winner of this tournament to wrestle the No. 1 guy in Madison Square Garden. Is that something you want to do in freestyle in May?
NICK SURIANO: I'm not afraid to challenge any fight. It's (indiscernible) what I want to do, what my plans are. My plan is to come win the NCAA Tournament. And I won the NCAA Tournament.

And I just want to say to my parents, my family, they've seen this man. There's so much tragedy out there that people go through. And it almost put an end to my journey. It was tough for me.

And I said, nope, I'm coming out on top. And I just want to give everything to my parents, first, my parents, my mom, my dad, my brother, my family, all my mentors and supporters. Honestly, everybody who supported me and helped me, from club wrestling coaches, to people behind the scenes -- Enrique, Manteo, champion by design, my mind and so many people and all the fans cheering me on. I felt the energy, and it was a blessing.

Q. With about eight seconds left in that last ride-out period, you seemed like you had a moment where you gathered yourself, adjusted your headgear, got ready. Can you tell me what you're telling yourself, what you're thinking in that moment?
NICK SURIANO: It's a dream. It's a dream, because he had my number. He had me the whole period. I guess I could say I got a call. I was working my way out. I don't know. He got a lot of calls that match. It goes both ways. I took him down for the takedown. I took him down for 2. I got my goals.

Q. This is the first national championship for the program as well as for the university. Did you put that into perspective yet?
NICK SURIANO: Yeah, I'm just telling my family, I heard Goodale, Coach Goodale yell, and it made me so happy, man. Honestly, when I heard Coach Goodale yell and cheer me on, it was a dream.

I saw Donny, I saw my coaches. And man I am blessed. It's an honor to bring history to Rutgers where it belongs. It's an honor, a blessing. And Anthony Ashnault, right on the screen right there, is going to do it next. And this is going to be a day in history. It's a blessing.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Yianni Diakomihalis
Press Conference
141 pounds

THE MODERATOR: Yianni Diakomihalis, back-to-back national champion, talk about that moment in overtime when you got the takedown to win it.

YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: I trusted myself. I knew I could take him down if I wrestled. And it's my job to create as much wrestling as possible and win the hard way. Don't sneak it out. Win the hard way.

Q. How do you stay so poised?
YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: It's one thing that I've kind of grown up with and my coaches instill in me is that I will never allow myself to lose. And I always can and will find a way to win a match. And I genuinely believe in myself. And I think that's what does it for me.

Q. If they use freestyle rules, how many more points do you think you would have scored in that match?
YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: So many. I'm glad I won the national title, but time to get to the real wrestling, freestyle.

Q. And the follow-up is, are you going to go to the Garden and wrestle the top (indiscernible)?
YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: I would love to.

Q. Might be Stieber?
YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: Whoever. I love wrestling. Put a good guy in front of me and I'm never going to turn that opportunity down.

Q. I've watched you win 24 state titles, two NCAA titles, and I think you maintain poise and you always find ways to score. How do you keep your composure through these tightest, highest-level matches throughout your entire career?
YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: Kind of like what I was talking about earlier: I believe in myself. And I think willpower is a really strong thing. And my coaches train my will to be stronger than anyone else. And when it comes down to those overtime, gritty take downs it's a battle of willpower, I know my coaches prepared me better than anyone else.

Q. You didn't blow out your ACL or anything this year?
YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: No, healthy, believe it or not. I never thought I could get through a whole year without getting hurt. I'm glad it's over.

Q. You're a mat rat. You love wrestling. Do you take a break, give yourself some time way, or are you back in working on tilts and anything else? It's hard to stay this high in this level of preparedness that you had for this. What's next?
YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: I don't take extended periods of time off. I wrestle, and I believe I succeed because of how much I love it. That being said, you'll probably see me in the room Monday or Tuesday.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

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NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Anthony Ashnault
Press Conference
149 pounds

THE MODERATOR: Anthony Ashnault, national champion, what does that mean to you, being a national champ?

ANTHONY ASHNAULT: I don't know, it's everything that I've worked for up to this point. I try not to idolize wrestling, but a big part of my life was focused on getting a national title.

Extremely blessed to get a sixth year. Man, I can't put it into words right now, but I'm just excited. And I just want to go hug my family and be with them and just bask in it for a little bit.

Q. How close were you to not coming back for your sixth year?
ANTHONY ASHNAULT: I had two surgeries, I was out for about six months, not wrestling at all. And at a time when I was going through it I didn't know if this was in my cards. Did a lot of soul searching. And at the end of the day I know I loved wrestling.

And it was just a chance to get out there and compete again. It wasn't about winning the title at the time. It was just like being a little kid again, and enjoying the sport and falling back in love with it.

Q. Anthony, you were the first four-time, undefeated New Jersey champion. You were the first Rutgers four-time All-American, and I'll give you tied for first even though Nick technically --
ANTHONY ASHNAULT: Nah, he's first. I had three chances. I didn't get it done.

Q. You've been a trailblazer in your career. Is that a role that you like? And can you say "mobbin" for us?
ANTHONY ASHNAULT: Schnaulty B Mobbin (phonetic). And I came to Rutgers to do that kind of thing, to get more recruits, like I said after the semis. To be honest, I was a little nervous. Once Nick won I could be free out there and let it fly.

So I'm grateful for him; he pushed me a lot. He could be one of the reasons why I finally jumped to get in here. He transferred, another workout partner. He's an awesome kid. I'm so freakin' happy. Rutgers got a chance, and we broke through that wall. And it's going to be uphill from now.

Q. What's it mean to break through that wall? No one can say you can't do it at Rutgers?
ANTHONY ASHNAULT: It means, I'm going to be coaching next year and going to kids, saying, hey, we got it done. I know what I did and I know what Nick did, the steps along the way. The proof's in the pudding.

It's a lot easier to set the table for a high school kid looking to come to school for Rutgers. We're not just producing All-Americans and national finalists and Big Ten champs now. We're taking top 10 in the country as a team and now we're national champs.

Q. I know you enjoy freestyle and have goals in that. Do you take a little time off or do you just start working on your gut wrenches? And secondly, will you wrestle in the Garden when they invite you to wrestle the No. 1 guy in freestyle in May?
ANTHONY ASHNAULT: Heck, yeah, man I'm going to Pan Am Games with the senior level guys about April 20th. I think, I compete in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I'll be with a lot of the starting guys. That's where I want to be. My goal as a little kid was to be Olympic champ, national champ, and now I got that part done.

I thought it would be a little more satisfying, but I just realized that my potential still has a little bit more to go. And, you know, this was a stressful time. College is stressful. You've got goals for yourself. I had six years, but usually you only get four years to do it. And when you don't accomplish it so many times in a row, you start getting down on yourself. And it took a lot of soul searching to prove to myself that I am worth it, and the grind is worth it, and it's going to happen one day. And it happened.

Q. I remember seeing you warm up and getting ready for your matches with that SpongeBob shirt. What does it mean on this day, wearing that Rutgers singlet? And what does this mean to you and your family and the program that you're wrestling for?
ANTHONY ASHNAULT: This goes beyond just Rutgers. Grew up in a small community, South Plainsville, New Jersey, and I deleted my Twitter and Instagram this year, but the older people on Facebook, they're popping off. And they're putting me in their stories and just showing me all their love.

And that motivated me a lot for tonight. And I knew I had an army behind me. One of my old coaches, Steve Veres, Sebastian Veres' dad, 125 pounder, he always said it takes an army for us to go compete out there.

Man, if you look up at the Rutgers crowd, they're an army. They're chanting, they're nervous, they're into it. And that's what this tournament is about. And I'm just excited and blessed. I don't mean to cut anyone off, I just want to go see my family a little bit.

Q. Speaking of your family, you obviously haven't seen the tape of the match, but your mother did not watch most of it.
ANTHONY ASHNAULT: Most of my matches.

Q. Is that a superstition?
ANTHONY ASHNAULT: I told her -- they asked if my family wanted to sit next to the mat side. My first reaction was, like, my mom is super superstitious. If she sits in one seat the first session of the tournament and I win and I look good, it's the same seat, the same shirt, the same scarf, the same position she watches it. Everything is the same.

Back to the SpongeBob shirt. I'm just happy that senior on my team ripped it when he did because my superstitions aren't like that at all.

And the most superstitious thing I have is just my thoughts and controlling them. So I look at her, though, when she is doing that and to me it means she loves me and she cares so much about me that she doesn't want to see me hurt or she wants to see me accomplish my goals. Honestly, I love it. I don't mind seeing her like that, because that's been my whole life and that's how I know she really cares about me.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

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NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Jason Nolf
Press Conference
157 pounds

THE MODERATOR: Jason Nolf, three-time national champion, how does that sound to you?

JASON NOLF: Not as good as four-time national champ, but I'll take it. Look, coming into college, I think everybody wants to be a four-time national champ. I was definitely willing to work for it and sacrifice.

But after the first year, my goal was to be a three-time national champ, and that's what I am.

Q. You've had somewhat of a storybook years at college. You met your wife. You've had so much success in the wrestling room. What lessons are you going to take away from Penn State beyond, obviously, meeting your wife and three national champions and all the accolades?
JASON NOLF: I think I just found a lot of wisdom through my coaches that I can't even begin to make a list of all the things I've learned. But I'm definitely blessed and I'm looking forward to having an impact on others' lives as well and to share my faith with others.

Q. With Tokyo only months away, do you quickly get into freestyle? And a follow-up question, would you wrestle up in the Garden at the Beat the Streets thing against the No. 1 guy?
JASON NOLF: I'll wrestle whoever whenever, as long as my coaches think it's the best idea for me, I'm always game. I'm going to transition in the freestyle pretty quickly here. We have a lot of awesome training partners at (indiscernible) Wrestling Club. I've kind of already been training it throughout the year. But, yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

Q. You talked about when you first came in here, I'm going to take you back to the '14-'15 season, your true freshman season; that's the year that Cael redshirted, not just you guys as true freshman, but Megaludis and Retherford. Could you talk about that year, had he not done all those redshirts would you have had that career you had?
JASON NOLF: Obviously our coaches know what they're doing. We compete well. We compete at our best this tournament every year. I would have been ready to go whenever. But it just happened to be this way and that's what it is.

Q. You also have four team titles being part of that. Just give me your thoughts on that, too?
JASON NOLF: That's definitely a blessing to be part of such a great team. Sometimes you can take it for granted and kind of expect that it's going to happen. But at the beginning, at the end of the day, you've got to go work hard for it, and everybody individually has to do their part.

I'm definitely blessed to be around people that have such a clear mind and know exactly what they want. And they're willing to sacrifice maybe some other things that other people are doing in order to get it. Our team is just full of a bunch of great guys and definitely blessed.

Q. You talked about giving back and how important that is to you. Is that something growing up with Rob Waller, Isaac Greeley and Jody Strittmatter, is that something that they kind of instilled in you throughout?
JASON NOLF: Yeah, those and my high school coach and my dad and my mom and I think everybody that I've touched has definitely had an impact on my life. And it's hard to say if I didn't have this person would we still do this. I think I'd still be me. But all of my coaches have had an impact in such different ways.

It's just unbelievable, the surroundings I've been surrounded with. And all my coaches have always told me to surround myself with great people. That's what I've done at Penn State.

So I'm looking forward to one day maybe having a chance to do that, kind of like what David's doing with them, too. It's a great club.

Q. You heard the crowd erupt and then you got a little smirk on your face. You don't show a lot of emotions after your matches ever. What goes into controlling all that and how do you do that, I guess?
JASON NOLF: I treat every match -- I think that everybody should wrestle every match the same. And I don't know if it's adrenaline, but when I get on the big stage I think I do a lot better and I just compete at a higher level. I give the same effort and attitude; I just compete better.

But just knowing that the crowd was behind me gave me joy in knowing that I put my heart into this sport and into the things I love, and you can kind of start to see things pay off. So kind of puts a smile on your face.

Q. You've always been kind of a forward-thinking wrestler, but do you think you'll take a lot of time to reflect on what you've accomplished in your Penn State career, or is it just on to the next step for you?
JASON NOLF: Yeah, what's next? What is it, the U.S. Open or Beat the Streets, whatever. I'm looking forward to that. And it's good sometimes to reflect and learn from the things you've done. And I don't think you have to lose to learn things.

I can take a loss in this tournament and learn from it but I'm not going to be dwelling on this. I'm going to keep moving forward and keep looking to get better. And that's what I'm looking forward to do.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

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NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Mekhi Lewis
Press Conference
165 pounds

THE MODERATOR: Mekhi Lewis, you're a national champion. What does that mean to you to be a national champion?

MEKHI LEWIS: It means a lot. I always wanted to be a national champ. So to have this opportunity and go out there and wrestle and try to become one, I'm just so grateful for it.

Q. Just talk about -- I believe the first national champion in Virginia Tech history. What does that mean to you to put the program on the national stage like that?
MEKHI LEWIS: It means a lot, because Virginia Tech wrestling has been really good. It's just that we never really had good Finals, good end results. So to be the first one is really special. It means a lot to me. Just so happy that I'm a part of the program.

Q. Last summer you won the Junior Worlds in freestyle. Will you jump right into freestyle this spring? And would you take the challenge of wrestling the No. 1 guy up in Madison Square Garden at the Beat the Streets event?
MEKHI LEWIS: That is a good question. I do not know the answer to that. Maybe. I don't know.

Q. [Inaudible]?
MEKHI LEWIS: Not yet. Almost. Almost there.

Q. When you did wrestle the Junior Worlds, you had not a lot of freestyle-level competition at that level, is that correct? And how were you introduced to it? Did the coaches talk you into doing that? I mean, are you just taking on things without even worrying about them?
MEKHI LEWIS: So when I redshirted last year, I just remember I think it was Robie, our head coach, told me I was going to do freestyle. I was like, I don't know about it. He said just try it out.

So I was just in practice trying it out. He was teaching me a lot. Didn't do so good my first tournament. So I was pretty upset. But something motivated me, so I continued to do it for some reason even though I didn't really like it.

And after I won trials, that's when it was, like, more of, like, it's not that I don't -- I hate freestyle, it's just that some days I really don't want to do it. Other days I like it. I could wrestle it. So just that.

Q. The cradle at the start of the second period, did you see something on film and plan that, or did you just feel it and go for it?
MEKHI LEWIS: I just felt -- this tournament that's what I was looking for against all my opponents. The first opponent, I felt it was Marinelli, and I know Joseph did the same kind of stand-up as him. And as soon as I felt that I was getting it locked up and he was trying to fight out of it sort of, I just went with it. It was, like, a natural feeling, just natural.

Q. At one point there was a sequence where you had your leg in it and it looked like he was about to get a takedown, but you guys went out of bounds, it looked like you shook your head at him in a way. Just wanted to ask about that. And were you ever worried about giving up the takedown, or were you always confidence in that defense?
MEKHI LEWIS: I just shook my head because, like, that's what was happening this whole tournament, people was getting on my legs deep. And I just said, no. I just remembered in my mind I was, like, I'm just going to keep fighting, fight, work every position, fight it off.

So basically that's where the shake-my-head came from. It wasn't to insult him or anything, nothing like that.

Q. You came in as an 8 seed. You beat the 1, 2 and 4 seeds. Did you feel like an underdog or did you think those were all your matches to win?
MEKHI LEWIS: Well, everybody, other than my teammate's, family and coaches and fans, thought I was the underdog. I didn't think I was the underdog. I just thought people didn't get the chance to see me wrestle at a big stage, like, folkstyle, because they only saw freestyle. And I just felt like I was like I was prepared and ready to win a national title. So I felt equal to everybody I wrestled.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

[tikk10]

NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Zahid Valencia
Press Conference
174 pounds

THE MODERATOR: Zahid Valencia, two back-the-back national champions, what does that mean to you and to the program?

ZAHID VALENCIA: It wasn't a fluke, my continued hard work and dedication to wrestling just because so passionate about it, love it. And especially coming back from two losses this season. So I'm just excited that I get to avenge not one but both my losses this weekend.

Q. Can you just explain that celebration a little bit there?
ZAHID VALENCIA: I think a lot of people know what he did after he beat me during the year. He did the air guitar. So I thought I'd do it right back and just smash it, smash it in front of his face. Just a little fun.

Q. Talk about that match in the regular season. He dominated you. I think he (indiscernible) you out the whole third period. Was that ever a concern when you got to this third?
ZAHID VALENCIA: No, I think I felt a little bit what he's feeling right now. Being No. 1 is tough. You have a huge target on your back, even though sometimes I like to say that I don't. He doesn't, he just relaxes. But it does eventually wear on you.

And I could see it before I even stepped on the mat that he was worried, he was scared, because he's wrestling, he's been wrestling all week to not lose; I've been wrestling to win. So being offensive in the sport of wrestling over defensive is going to win pretty much every time.

Q. You've had some battles with him, obviously. And just when you see a guy like that over and over in big situations, just do you think it's an advantage for you? It seemed to be tonight?
ZAHID VALENCIA: We started to learn each other's techniques, our habits that we do. But that's what's so great about this rivalry just because we get to learn off of each other. I beat him with one thing and then he'll beat me with the next, then I've just got to learn a new way to win.

So we're just constantly learning new moves, new areas to work on, to be successful.

Q. With Tokyo only a few months from here, are you going to jump quickly into freestyle? And the follow-up on that, would you take a chance to go up to the Garden and maybe wrestle Dake again, a Final X rematch?
ZAHID VALENCIA: Absolutely, I love wrestling and competing, and I love freestyle even more. So I'm excited to get right back to it. Started going hard on freestyle over the summer and looking to win some big things.

Q. As someone who has followed you all year, you have become one of the greatest Sun Devils in ASU history, a two-time national champion. Now, last night when I spoke to your coach, Zeke Jones, he said you're one of the all-time greats. What does that mean to you, knowing that you have another year to get another title?
ZAHID VALENCIA: It's awesome to hear that, and it's awesome to be able to give back to the school that I love so much. But it's not just me doing it; it's kind of the way they're doing it for themselves; they're helping me so I can help them grow the sport and ASU as a wrestling family as a school. So I'm just happy for everyone that's been along for the ride on my journey and supporting me throughout the way.

Q. I'd like to ask you about your relationship with Mark Hall. You guys have been Junior World teammates, you've done a lot together, but you have these celebrations at the end. Is it a unique relationship or a rivalry? What is it?
ZAHID VALENCIA: I think it's just both of us just know how to have fun without getting too angry with it. He did his celebration, yeah, at the moment it sucks. But it's part of wrestling, growing the sport. The fans love it. I'm all for it. I'm just excited to see what he tries doing next.

Q. Are you going to stay down at 174? Go up to 184 maybe?
ZAHID VALENCIA: Something to talk with my coaches. But I feel good at this weight. I'm not too big. I'm not cutting a lot of weight. So, we'll see during the freestyle season where I'm at, and it's just something I'm just going to figure out when the time gets there.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

[tikk10]

NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Drew Foster
Press Conference
184 pounds

THE MODERATOR: Drew Foster, you're a national champion. What does that mean to you and to your program?

DREW FOSTER: It means a bunch. But I can't take all the credit at all. I got teammates I work out with. I have coaches that believe in me, that help coach me.

Just a shoutout to Randy Pugh. The guy's believed in me since day one, been by my side. Been in my ear -- he was in my ear the whole match. I owe that guy a lot. I owe my teammates a lot, my family, and all the support from the Panther Train. This is definitely bigger than me. It's a Panther Train, that's what this is.

Q. Second in state to national championship. How does that happen?
DREW FOSTER: A lot of belief, not only self-belief, coach believing, university believing, teammates, my family members. The whole community believing. When you've got that kind of backing, it's hard not -- it's hard to get beat when you've got that.

Even if you do get beat and you're not losing, you always have people to fall into that will pick you right back up. And we've got that right here.

Q. Do you think about if you're going to continue wrestling or not? You've reached the top of this level of the sport. Obviously your coach was an Olympian and you're in the part of the country where there's a lot of people that do the freestyle. Is that something you've thought about now that you've reached this goal?
DREW FOSTER: Yes. I've already had it planned out to where I want to be sticking around. I have to do my student teaching this fall to I complete graduation. So I'm going to be sticking around and helping out with the program and being part of PWC.

I definitely want to give back to the guys that have contributed so much to me. And that's just my big goal in life is to impact people. And there's many ways to do it through teaching is one and hopefully through my coaching, if I go down that route.

Q. Talk about that last sequence there, what a tremendous re-attack. The score, the clincher, can you walk us through that sequence?
DREW FOSTER: That's practice. That's practice from habits. That's coaches putting us in situations where it's a tie match and you've got to go get a score with 30 seconds, with a minute or whatever it is. Me and Randy have been working on just circling left, a quick little snap, jab, shoot.

That's what I think it was, so I thought that was a takedown the other day, and he told me that wasn't what I did. I think that one was. I'm not for sure, though. I have to go back and watch.

Q. You lost to Dean at West Gym and won it here of course. What did you learn from that match that you applied here?
DREW FOSTER: Just fighting through everything, especially on bottom. That was the biggest difference. He rode me out in West Gym. He was driving me hard. That was a game-changer in that match.

And I didn't ride him that well there. I rode him tough tonight. And I got moving on bottom. And that proved to be the difference.

Q. I've got a story Randy shared with me earlier when he was calling to ask guys when he was recruiting you what kind of guy he was, and every story he got was, great kid but he's not a Division I wrestler. What do you have to say about that?
DREW FOSTER: What's up?

[ Laughter.]

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

[tikk10]

NCAA Wrestling Championship
Saturday, March 23, 2019
Bo Nickal
Cael Sanderson
Press Conference
197 pounds

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by head coach Cael Sanderson and senior Bo Nickal. Coach, an opening statement. Three individual national champions tonight, talk about those guys and what they did well tonight to secure the national championship for you guys.

COACH SANDERSON: I'll just say we're very happy and proud of this team. Some great competition individually and team-wise. And so being able to win a national championship is very special and something that we're excited about.

We're also excited about the future, happy that our seniors got to go out on top. And that's something that's important to us. And we know we've had some really special guys, guys like Bo and Jason, both three-time national champs, really, really just special, special people, special kids and super happy and proud of them.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. Cael, talking about of all the national champions you've had since you've been there, what makes Bo and Jason so special though?
COACH SANDERSON: I think they're both just all in. They do everything right. I think that pays off in big moments like this. They can relax and just know that they're ready and know that they've done everything to prepare for the moment. And there's a certain calmness that comes with being prepared.

Obviously just incredible competitors, two of the best to ever step on a college mat. I believe that 100 percent. And that says it all right there.

Yeah, we're going to miss them, but more than that I'm excited for them and their future and them just grateful for the four years we had with them, or five, I guess. Took you five years to graduate, right?

BO NICKAL: We'll see.

COACH SANDERSON: Just kidding.

Q. Cael, this was sort of like New York City, a lot of ups but a little bittersweet with Vincenzo and Mark. And how you console those guys?
COACH SANDERSON: Your heart is always with the guys that don't reach their goals. We had other guys on our team that didn't reach their goals, and it's painful. But again this is just sport. And it's the intent and the purpose is to prepare you for life.

And sometimes as painful as it is, it can be a great blessing to you moving forward in your life. But you want to see all your guys be happy, just like everybody else. Losing really -- I can't think of a better word than sucks -- but losing sucks. I feel bad for our opponent and other people, too, when they lose because I hate it so much.

I hate to see anybody lose. But that's part of the fun of competing is seeing who can be the best on this weekend. It doesn't really matter until you show up here. And that's why it's special to win a third national title because the best wrestlers don't always win. We see that; that the best teams don't always win. That's why I think this one was special.

Q. You were saying that winning the championship before the Finals, the team championship allowed your wrestlers to relax a little bit. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
COACH SANDERSON: I don't know. I don't know. I like when they have the edge a little bit and there's a little extra pressure. I think with the right mindset, that just heightens the nerves a little bit and increases focus a little bit.

Again, we all have the choice and the opportunity to go out there and take advantage of every second we have on the mat regardless of the circumstances. So you can't blame anything other than ourselves. And I think our guys wrestled well.

I think Mark Hall just wrestled a really good kid. They've gone back and forth, two of the best wrestlers in the country at any weight, no doubt about it.

Vincenzo, I thought he wrestled a great tournament and just got beat. No doubt about it. And Anthony Cassar, incredible story, I didn't list him as a senior yet because we're working on him still.

Q. Bo, on what platform will you have your hand raised on next? Will it be wrestling, MMA, boxing? You have a mean right hook? What do you think?
BO NICKAL: Actually this entire time I've been watching boxing on the TV. We'll see. I might transition.

[ Laughter.]

No, I'm wrestling for a while now. I'm planning on competing here this summer in the World Championships in 2019 and then Tokyo in 2020.

Q. Bo, they put you last match of the night, kind of the spotlight match. And just your thoughts on that, getting a chance to be the capper. You won with a strong closing performance there.
BO NICKAL: I think that's exciting for me. The bad part is I don't get to relax and watch my teammates. That's something, I do enjoy watching them. I have to just sit there and relax a little bit more and not get so into the matches.

But I like being the last match. It's something that's exciting for me and it's just fun. Get to feel a little more pressure and a little more hype around it. That's something I enjoy.

Q. You and Jason came into Penn State together. You're leaving Penn State together. You both etched your name into history, becoming three time national champions. Can you talk about the journey you and Jason have taken in the last five years?
BO NICKAL: It's really been blessing after blessing. Since the first time I stepped foot on campus it's been incredible. And there's so many people that have just put so much time and effort and energy into me -- and my coaches my trainers and countless others. And I'm incredibly grateful for it.

And being able to go through it with a guy like Jason Nolf is something that's amazing and a true blessing. And that's a guy I know I can count on, and I know we're going to be friends for a long time to come.

Q. I'd like to take you back to the 2014-'15 season. That was the year you redshirted these guys plus Megaludis and Zane. Did you need that year for this year to happen because people say, why did you need those guys to end a streak?
COACH SANDERSON: I don't know. That was the thought. And it worked out. You look back and you think, if we would have done this or that, maybe we could have won that year. So who knows. I don't know.

I mean, what happened is we're comfortable and happy with the way things have turned out. And I was able to create a wave to roll through. And now the exciting part is creating another wave. That's what it's all about.

Q. Remember that year [inaudible]?
BO NICKAL: Yeah, I remember that year. I got beat up a lot by some of the older guys, Matt Brown in particular. I think my neck hasn't been the same since then because he pulled on it a lot. But that made me a lot better. I think that it was something that really helped me grow. And I've learned a lot about wrestling, about life.

And that's the year that I'm very grateful for. It was a tough year because I took some lumps. But I really feel like it made me a lot tougher and grittier, not only in competition but in practice, learning, like, not to give up positions and to just be able to wrestle through everything. And I think that, moving forward, that's something that I'm very grateful for and I feel like it's kind of a part of my personality now.

Q. Bo, how quickly do you jump into freestyle? Tokyo is real soon. Would you consider wrestling in Madison Square Garden in May in that match against the freestyle guys? And have you determined your international weight class for the Olympic run?
BO NICKAL: Well, tonight's Saturday. So I'll probably take Sunday off and get back on it Monday. And the other questions, I don't even know. I have no idea.

Q. Cael, back in 2011, when you won your first title did you ever envision going on a run like this? I know 10 years ago you said you were brought here to contend for titles. Obviously you've done more than that. Did you think this was in the cards?
COACH SANDERSON: I think you just have to believe in what you're doing. I think we believe that we're going to be successful and win. And I think we're not satisfied right now. And you lay in bed at night, each one of these tournaments thinking these are things we can do better, and things we need to maybe reinforce or -- that's a great thing about a national tournament and facing great competition like we did is that it really reinforces things that we can improve on.

And we just want to keep improving and getting better. And if we can keep winning that would be fine with me. It's not about winning; it's about getting the best team we can get and doing the best we can and just enjoying the experience. Our job as coaches is just to support these guys and help them reach their goals.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

somebody better go back and ask Foster if he is interested in Beat the Streets....they skipped him somehow

 

[Dogwelder]

Zahid on Hall:

“And I could see it before I even stepped on the mat that he was worried, he was scared, because he's wrestling, he's been wrestling all week to not lose; I've been wrestling to win. So being offensive in the sport of wrestling over defensive is going to win pretty much every time.”

OUCH!

 

[sneedram55]

Thanks for posting these, tikk.

 

[NoVaLion2]

Thanks Tikk, I've only read AC's so far, but this has to be one of, if not the best quote: "I'm a little patient but if I go you're going down."