Name: Angel Escobedo
Weight Class: 125
School: Indiana
On his aggressiveness during the championship:
"I was looking for my primary shot. It has worked in the past with [Jayson Ness]. I knew he was going to be coming after me, trying to get the takedown also. So, I caught him at the right moment and I never I was going to be able to capitalize."
On his game plan heading into the finals match:
"It went well. It wasn't like we mapped it out because in wrestling you can't map anything. I was looking to score early, and I did. I was looking to ride him but he got away, so that created another challenge. I just went on as the match went on, just trying to adjust to what he did."
On the impact of his shoulder injury:
"It didn't affect me at all. It was hurting throughout the whole tournament, but once you're in the finals nothing hurts anymore."
On the late surge from Ness:
"Watching him throughout the year, I knew he was really offensive. I knew it was going to be a hard seven minute match. Whether he's down by two or down by five, he's still going to try getting a big blow or a big move. So, I knew I had to keep the tempo up."
On his feelings and emotions prior to the match:
"I was a little nervous sitting in my hotel room thinking about it. But as soon as I got here and the fans…I just took it like another match. I couldn't let it affect me, give my nerves up. So, I was just focused, trying to block out the whole national championship match and basically just thought of it as another match."
Coach Duane Goldman Statement:
"I think the main thing about Angel is he listens to his coaches. He is obviously a great athlete. But that's just God-given talent that he's blessed to have. On top of that, he listens to his coaches. I am basically there to give moral support. The thing is, he listens to everybody. He listens to his teammates, he listens to his coaches. He's out there and he makes great decisions. He knows what he is capable of doing. He knows what he wants to do. He is just a tremendous athlete. He is responsive to everything that is put in front of him. He is just a tremendous kid."
Name: Coleman Scott
Weight Class: 133
School: Oklahoma State
On the feeling of winning a national championship:
"I felt great tonight. I prepared and did everything right. Coach always stresses towards the end of the year when you're taking someone down, look to take them to their back and keep them there and get the pin. Those bonus points are big. So, every takedown we're working to put the opponent on his back. I just felt that tonight; it felt great. It's the best I ever felt."
On his national championship title:
"Awesome; it's what you dream about. You go to sleep at night, stuff is running through your head. That's what you're picturing; getting that pin. Everything just worked out perfectly."
On where he ranks on the list of wrestling greats at Oklahoma State:
"Every day I walk into practice and see a picture of every national champion. I couldn't tell you how many there are, but there's a lot of guys that are a lot better than me. I worked hard and achieved my goal and that's what I had to do. It's an awesome feeling."
On winning the championship in his last collegiate match:
"It's my last chance. There is no more coming back if I lost and I knew that going in. My tournament life was on the line. I didn't want to end my college career on a loss, especially at the national finals. So, I just told myself, 'Go for it. Whatever happens, happens. Do whatever you have to do to win.'"
Name: J. Jaggers
Weight Class: 141
School: Ohio State
On when he first saw himself as a champion
"With the exception of my first year of wrestling, I've been competitive at every level. There is no reason that when I got to college that I didn't think it would carry over. People always ask how some of the top recruits are going to fair in college. If they are used to wining, they are going to win at any stage. I hate losing so much that I knew if it meant two-a-days just to make that feeling never happen again, I would do that. That's what I've done."
On the injury sustained in his final match
"He had me in an odd position and I heard a crack. I screamed, which was probably dumb on my part because then he obviously knew what was going on. He pulled a little more, which no fault to him, he's trying to win a national title too. It was about a four or five second crackling. I don't know how bad it's doing to be. I've had a high ankle sprain before and this is a little worse."
On the tournament
"When I got to this tournament I realized that nothing is guaranteed. Next year isn't guaranteed for me. I could blow something out in the first week of practice. I knew that I could win it this year. I just had to go take it. Nothing is guaranteed tomorrow."
On coach Tom Ryan
"He's an unbelievable motivator. The guy will spend one hundred work hours if it means getting three more fans in the stands. That's how dedicated to wrestling he is. All of our staff is night-in-and-night-out thinking about us. There is a buzz around the state like there has never been before. I think that's important for us as a program. It shows younger kids, you can win national titles at Ohio State. We should be the one to take down Iowa."
On his game plan for the finals
"My main goal was if I didn't get in on my shots, to get out from under him as fast as I could. We know a fair majority of what each others tools are. It was a very tactical match."
Name: Brent Metcalf
Weight Class: 149
School: Iowa
On his two years before he could compete at Iowa
"It was a great opportunity for me to train at the highest level and get better. Being out there on that stage is definitely a different atmosphere, but wrestling is wrestling. I couldn't ask for any better option for myself."
On the final match
"I'm happy with the win, not so much with the performance. I don't like giving up points - that's not how you want to wrestle. That's not how I want to wrestle. Those takedowns were both on the edge. The philosophy of Brent Metcalf and the philosophy of Iowa wrestling is to wrestle on that edge. I failed wrestling on that edge and that's where he scored. I've got work to do. I got the win and that's important."
On the take down
"That was definitely a big takedown. It was that point where it put the match just out of reach. I knew finishing that was going to be big. I got the back points on it which was bonus. It turned him into all or nothing mode. I knew I had to finish it. This was the takedown that needs to be finished."
On the state of the Iowa program
"The Iowa program is building and working towards dominance. Thirty points isn't enough. We want to set the record. We want 300 points if that's possible. We are enjoying our win but at the same time we still have work to do. I've got work to do."
On a personal and team champion
"You couldn't have it any better. This was a big win for myself. It was good getting this win. It was good for our team to come out and perform like we did. It was a great season from our team. We have had a dramatic change from what we had last year."
Name: Jordan Leen
Weight Class: 157
School: Cornell
On how the win feels today
"I don't know what this feels like. I'm just kind of a mess right know to be honest with you. I just feel so lucky. I know I didn't deserve it any more than any of the other guys in that bracket. It just happened to be my weekend. I feel ecstatic that I was the guy that got to put together a good weekend."
On Poeta letting go of the takedown…
"No Mike Poeta is a winner and he isn't going to be satisfied with anything less than that. I expected him to go for the win and that's what he did."
On being the state of Tennessee's second national champion and motivation…
"I'm not a historian; I don't know the history of Tennessee. My motivation is every day watching the guys in the room bust their butts. I feed off of that. I've been coming to this tournament since I was a little kid and it's been a dream of mine and it's just a dream come true at this point. So maybe that's motivation maybe it's just having a family that loves me no matter what happens. So I'm able to put it all out on the mat. Every time I go because I've got nothing to loose."
On looking back on his loss in the EIWA's…
"It was obviously crushing at the time, but it was something I learned from. Something my Dad has taught me my whole life is being able to turn negative things into a positive. I really believe that's true for everything. Being able to learn from that match really fine-tuned my focus. I felt very, very focused this week. I was never distracted about being tired or distracted about the stuff that really drags you down. I was focused on my opponent and focused on what I could do to win the match. That loss in the EIWA finals really helped me become more keen in that aspect of the game."
On the flurry in second period…
"I did think it was fleeing the mat. We started in the center and in three seconds we were already to the edge. So I did feel that was the right call. I made the bozo move of relaxing when I thought we were out of bounds. We just about tapped the lines, that's a topsy-turvy call. I'm really glad it went my way."
On a reason why he can takedown the best guys in the country….
"I would say part of it is moving up in weight and still having lightweight speed. I've moved up weight about every other year in college. So I learned how to wrestle like a lightweight, 103, back in high school and have been able to keep that style. That might be the same reason I'm struggling a little bit more with the riding, because they're bigger and stronger. Another reason might be because having that "go-to" attack and being able to get off bottom are the things I knew I needed to work on. I spent the last year working on that and probably have left my top work taking it for granted a bit."
Name: Mark Perry
Weight Class: 165
School: Iowa
On how the match went…
"I was really excited to get back out there and give it another shot. I've always been confident in my mind. I came into the match planning on winning. I felt really good out there, the best I've ever felt in the national finals. I was about to go 6-0 with riding time, and I don't know if I'm getting too old or what, but my knee popped and it hurt worse than the first time it popped. But, it was the inside instead of the outside. I don't know if that's better or worse. I have to credit my coaches. They have been installing this kind of 'suck it up' attitude. Obviously you're not going to forfeit in the national finals but obviously I went on the defense after that big time. I did as well as I could. I could hardly squat down in my stance without caving in. I tried my best. This isn't the way I wanted to finish my wrestling career but I guess in a way I've learned a lot. I found a way to win; it wasn't the way I wanted to, but the way things went for me I had to suck it up and find a way to win."
On the first takedown…
"That was all Tom Brands right there. That's being ready off the whistle. I'm not very fundamental. Brands just loves solid stuff. That's as solid as it gets for me. I had my legs back, got a good angle and forced him to grab my leg. I got an easy go behind. Maybe not the way Metcalf or Slaton or someone else would have, but he didn't get to my leg from the start. I gave him my leg when I had a good angle so I could get my legs in. I felt like I did very well the first period. Things were going really good. I wish that my knee didn't pop because he was about to be in some deep danger when we got in that scramble. He got my knee. Maybe that's a good lesson learned, I'll never wrestle the kid again but I've wrestled him five times and three of the five times he's popped my knee. Maybe you just don't give your knee at least not to him."
On being afraid of finishing the match…
"I would have finished the match no matter what, even if my knee were totally blown out. I would never forfeit in the finals of nationals. If I didn't have this coaching staff, with two Energizer bunnies in my corner; I think they got my head pretty quick. They just said, 'there's 3:30 left. Suck it up. You're up 4-0. Just stay solid and stay in a good stance. Try to get your legs back.' At first I was panicking pretty bad but that got me straight."
On how much it means to win a team title…
"This is way more important. The team title is way more important to me than winning an individual tile this year. I'm not going to lie, this feels really good considering everything I've been through, having knee surgery a couple weeks back. Honestly I went five straight weeks, I think 40 something days, without drilling or getting on the mat once. I had three weeks to get ready for Nationals and I think I did about as good of job as I could of with the circumstance I was put in."
On how much pain he was in last three-and-a-half minutes…
"A lot. I don't really know how to explain it. I was just trying to stay down. I'm surprised he didn't really go after it. I know I couldn't do anything but get in a stance and sprawl."
Name: Keith Gavin
Weight Class: 174
School: Pittsburgh
On his emotion after winning the 174-pound National Title:
"I was so relieved. It was a big weight off of my back. I've been doing this and working toward this for so long. It just finally paid off."
On how the match went:
"I felt great. Steve Luke is probably one of the best athletes I've ever wrestled. He's so explosive. So I knew I just needed to get one takedown and stop his first move. I felt like I could ride him. I executed my game plan, so that felt good."
On riding Luke:
"He's so explosive. It's like he has springs in his legs right off the whistle on bottom. I knew if I was going to ride him I had to stop his first move, so I worked on that…bringing the guy back down when he got to his feet. Once I got them back down I just used my leverage because I'm a lot taller."
On choosing Pitt:
"They kind of just let me be myself. They let me experiment a lot and let me be myself. They weren't telling me that you have to do everything this way."
On working out with Ben Askren:
"We work out periodically. Our styles feed off of each other. He came to Pittsburgh over Christmas this year. After finals last year he approached me. I respected him a lot. He was dominating everyone."
On being undefeated:
"It's a goal of mine to win every time I step on the mat. I don't think about it too much. I'm not the kind of guy to get pumped up and excited before a match."
Name: Mike Pucillo
Weight Class: 184
School: Ohio State
On his riding time:
"I knew roughly what 10-15 seconds feels like. He actually stopped it when there were two seconds left on the riding time. I knew I just had to hold him down for his first move and after I stopped his first move I knew I was O.K. with the riding time. I felt pretty confident that he wasn't going to take me down."
On his gameplan:
"Get the first takedown. There wasn't a takedown scored in the match. I felt like I was never really in danger. There was one time I felt a little bit in danger. I beat him at his own game. He's real good on top and I feel like I'm pretty good on bottom. I guess it worked out."
On Ohio wrestling:
"I think the thing is a lot of the biggest recruits from Ohio weren't staying in the state of Ohio. Now we're going to try to keep everyone in Ohio. If we could put a fence up around Ohio, I think we're going to be competing with Iowa here real soon."
"It's not just about getting the talent to Ohio State. It's about developing it."
On Jake Varner:
"He's been a big name in college and it was nice to get a chance to wrestle him here. I would have liked to wrestle him earlier in the year, just to kind of see where he was at, but it doesn't matter. Here or there, I still would have came out with a W."
Name: Phil Davis
Weight Class: 197
School: Penn State
On what winning the championship means…
"It means a lot. I don't know how much just yet. I bet it'll mean more to me the further I get removed from this moment."
On the third period…
"Most times I know the score in my head, but this time I actually couldn't figure out the score. I knew I had riding time locked up, and I knew he couldn't hold me down. I just kept looking for a takedown. It all happened so fast and came around perfect."
On the emotion of winning…
"It felt like there should be another period or something. It was so intense; it didn't feel like it was over yet. It was just amazing."
On how he felt prior to the match compared to the last time he competed in the NCAAs…
"Last time in the finals I watched Coleman Scott's match. After that ended, I went and warmed up until it was my turn. I was on edge for like seven matches. This time I was much calmer and I felt better. I didn't really starting getting on edge until [the 184-pound] match."
On what he'll miss most about college wrestling…
"The great rivalries between teams. I think that's great. I have friends on many teams, and its good fun to say, "We kicked your team's butt. It's great."
On what the idea of the possibility of recognizing past minority NCAA champions means…
"It's a big deal. In a sport that has less frequent minority champions, it means a lot. I was talking to some other guys that would be involved, and it means a lot to them too."
On if his focus differed from other matches…
"I don't think my focus was necessarily different from any other match. I'm always a very anxious person and I think it helped me out tonight."
On what's next…
"Graduation. I don't think wrestling is something I'm ready to give up yet. I'm a very competitive person. I don't know what I'll be doing, whether it be coaching, or competing for a USA spot, or whatever, I'm not sure yet."
Name: Dustin Fox
Weight Class: HWT
School: Northwestern
On winning…
"It's a dream come true. I'm sure everyone says that, but still. My nose is probably broken, my face is all beat up, but I did it. I achieved all my goals."
On how he felt about the match…
"I think I could've been more dominant, but he's a tough opponent. We both had some scoring opportunities, but I just happened to capitalize on mine. I wanted to ride him out the whole time like at the Big Ten's, but the flow was a little off. It was the longest match of my life."
On his opponent …
"I have a lot of respect for him. He wrestles tough. He had a game plan and he stuck with it. What happened was I rode him for 15-20 seconds in the first overtime period, and I got out in like two or three (seconds). At that point I knew I had a great chance of winning because he'd be going for a takedown."
On why he felt he was able to wear down his opponent…
"I had my weight on him a lot more than he did on me. I was frustrated with the amount of breaks there were because I wanted to wear him down so he'd be easier to ride. Because of all the timeouts though I couldn't get him as tired as I wanted. I think that's why I could finish on him."
On keeping his focus and composure…
"I almost lost it a lot of times, to be honest. My coaches kept me centered and told me to focus. They told me to not be upset about the amount of breaks because I was winning. I owe a lot of this national title to my coaches."
On the fans/opposing coaches wanting stalling all match…
"It's the national finals; you've got to score a takedown. I think I was just as aggressive as he was. I didn't feel like they were going to call me for stalling because I was adequately aggressive from my feet. I feel the refs didn't want to change the match and wanted to make the mat decided. I also feel it's hard for them to call for stalling when there are constant breaks in the match like there were tonight."
On his balance as a wrestler…
"I've always been good on my feet. When I came to college I had a problem on top. My coaches taught me about the huge advantage it is to get and seal riding time. There are tons of matches that get decided because of riding time. I feel that I won because I was the best balanced wrestler."
Weight Class: 125
School: Indiana
On his aggressiveness during the championship:
"I was looking for my primary shot. It has worked in the past with [Jayson Ness]. I knew he was going to be coming after me, trying to get the takedown also. So, I caught him at the right moment and I never I was going to be able to capitalize."
On his game plan heading into the finals match:
"It went well. It wasn't like we mapped it out because in wrestling you can't map anything. I was looking to score early, and I did. I was looking to ride him but he got away, so that created another challenge. I just went on as the match went on, just trying to adjust to what he did."
On the impact of his shoulder injury:
"It didn't affect me at all. It was hurting throughout the whole tournament, but once you're in the finals nothing hurts anymore."
On the late surge from Ness:
"Watching him throughout the year, I knew he was really offensive. I knew it was going to be a hard seven minute match. Whether he's down by two or down by five, he's still going to try getting a big blow or a big move. So, I knew I had to keep the tempo up."
On his feelings and emotions prior to the match:
"I was a little nervous sitting in my hotel room thinking about it. But as soon as I got here and the fans…I just took it like another match. I couldn't let it affect me, give my nerves up. So, I was just focused, trying to block out the whole national championship match and basically just thought of it as another match."
Coach Duane Goldman Statement:
"I think the main thing about Angel is he listens to his coaches. He is obviously a great athlete. But that's just God-given talent that he's blessed to have. On top of that, he listens to his coaches. I am basically there to give moral support. The thing is, he listens to everybody. He listens to his teammates, he listens to his coaches. He's out there and he makes great decisions. He knows what he is capable of doing. He knows what he wants to do. He is just a tremendous athlete. He is responsive to everything that is put in front of him. He is just a tremendous kid."
Name: Coleman Scott
Weight Class: 133
School: Oklahoma State
On the feeling of winning a national championship:
"I felt great tonight. I prepared and did everything right. Coach always stresses towards the end of the year when you're taking someone down, look to take them to their back and keep them there and get the pin. Those bonus points are big. So, every takedown we're working to put the opponent on his back. I just felt that tonight; it felt great. It's the best I ever felt."
On his national championship title:
"Awesome; it's what you dream about. You go to sleep at night, stuff is running through your head. That's what you're picturing; getting that pin. Everything just worked out perfectly."
On where he ranks on the list of wrestling greats at Oklahoma State:
"Every day I walk into practice and see a picture of every national champion. I couldn't tell you how many there are, but there's a lot of guys that are a lot better than me. I worked hard and achieved my goal and that's what I had to do. It's an awesome feeling."
On winning the championship in his last collegiate match:
"It's my last chance. There is no more coming back if I lost and I knew that going in. My tournament life was on the line. I didn't want to end my college career on a loss, especially at the national finals. So, I just told myself, 'Go for it. Whatever happens, happens. Do whatever you have to do to win.'"
Name: J. Jaggers
Weight Class: 141
School: Ohio State
On when he first saw himself as a champion
"With the exception of my first year of wrestling, I've been competitive at every level. There is no reason that when I got to college that I didn't think it would carry over. People always ask how some of the top recruits are going to fair in college. If they are used to wining, they are going to win at any stage. I hate losing so much that I knew if it meant two-a-days just to make that feeling never happen again, I would do that. That's what I've done."
On the injury sustained in his final match
"He had me in an odd position and I heard a crack. I screamed, which was probably dumb on my part because then he obviously knew what was going on. He pulled a little more, which no fault to him, he's trying to win a national title too. It was about a four or five second crackling. I don't know how bad it's doing to be. I've had a high ankle sprain before and this is a little worse."
On the tournament
"When I got to this tournament I realized that nothing is guaranteed. Next year isn't guaranteed for me. I could blow something out in the first week of practice. I knew that I could win it this year. I just had to go take it. Nothing is guaranteed tomorrow."
On coach Tom Ryan
"He's an unbelievable motivator. The guy will spend one hundred work hours if it means getting three more fans in the stands. That's how dedicated to wrestling he is. All of our staff is night-in-and-night-out thinking about us. There is a buzz around the state like there has never been before. I think that's important for us as a program. It shows younger kids, you can win national titles at Ohio State. We should be the one to take down Iowa."
On his game plan for the finals
"My main goal was if I didn't get in on my shots, to get out from under him as fast as I could. We know a fair majority of what each others tools are. It was a very tactical match."
Name: Brent Metcalf
Weight Class: 149
School: Iowa
On his two years before he could compete at Iowa
"It was a great opportunity for me to train at the highest level and get better. Being out there on that stage is definitely a different atmosphere, but wrestling is wrestling. I couldn't ask for any better option for myself."
On the final match
"I'm happy with the win, not so much with the performance. I don't like giving up points - that's not how you want to wrestle. That's not how I want to wrestle. Those takedowns were both on the edge. The philosophy of Brent Metcalf and the philosophy of Iowa wrestling is to wrestle on that edge. I failed wrestling on that edge and that's where he scored. I've got work to do. I got the win and that's important."
On the take down
"That was definitely a big takedown. It was that point where it put the match just out of reach. I knew finishing that was going to be big. I got the back points on it which was bonus. It turned him into all or nothing mode. I knew I had to finish it. This was the takedown that needs to be finished."
On the state of the Iowa program
"The Iowa program is building and working towards dominance. Thirty points isn't enough. We want to set the record. We want 300 points if that's possible. We are enjoying our win but at the same time we still have work to do. I've got work to do."
On a personal and team champion
"You couldn't have it any better. This was a big win for myself. It was good getting this win. It was good for our team to come out and perform like we did. It was a great season from our team. We have had a dramatic change from what we had last year."
Name: Jordan Leen
Weight Class: 157
School: Cornell
On how the win feels today
"I don't know what this feels like. I'm just kind of a mess right know to be honest with you. I just feel so lucky. I know I didn't deserve it any more than any of the other guys in that bracket. It just happened to be my weekend. I feel ecstatic that I was the guy that got to put together a good weekend."
On Poeta letting go of the takedown…
"No Mike Poeta is a winner and he isn't going to be satisfied with anything less than that. I expected him to go for the win and that's what he did."
On being the state of Tennessee's second national champion and motivation…
"I'm not a historian; I don't know the history of Tennessee. My motivation is every day watching the guys in the room bust their butts. I feed off of that. I've been coming to this tournament since I was a little kid and it's been a dream of mine and it's just a dream come true at this point. So maybe that's motivation maybe it's just having a family that loves me no matter what happens. So I'm able to put it all out on the mat. Every time I go because I've got nothing to loose."
On looking back on his loss in the EIWA's…
"It was obviously crushing at the time, but it was something I learned from. Something my Dad has taught me my whole life is being able to turn negative things into a positive. I really believe that's true for everything. Being able to learn from that match really fine-tuned my focus. I felt very, very focused this week. I was never distracted about being tired or distracted about the stuff that really drags you down. I was focused on my opponent and focused on what I could do to win the match. That loss in the EIWA finals really helped me become more keen in that aspect of the game."
On the flurry in second period…
"I did think it was fleeing the mat. We started in the center and in three seconds we were already to the edge. So I did feel that was the right call. I made the bozo move of relaxing when I thought we were out of bounds. We just about tapped the lines, that's a topsy-turvy call. I'm really glad it went my way."
On a reason why he can takedown the best guys in the country….
"I would say part of it is moving up in weight and still having lightweight speed. I've moved up weight about every other year in college. So I learned how to wrestle like a lightweight, 103, back in high school and have been able to keep that style. That might be the same reason I'm struggling a little bit more with the riding, because they're bigger and stronger. Another reason might be because having that "go-to" attack and being able to get off bottom are the things I knew I needed to work on. I spent the last year working on that and probably have left my top work taking it for granted a bit."
Name: Mark Perry
Weight Class: 165
School: Iowa
On how the match went…
"I was really excited to get back out there and give it another shot. I've always been confident in my mind. I came into the match planning on winning. I felt really good out there, the best I've ever felt in the national finals. I was about to go 6-0 with riding time, and I don't know if I'm getting too old or what, but my knee popped and it hurt worse than the first time it popped. But, it was the inside instead of the outside. I don't know if that's better or worse. I have to credit my coaches. They have been installing this kind of 'suck it up' attitude. Obviously you're not going to forfeit in the national finals but obviously I went on the defense after that big time. I did as well as I could. I could hardly squat down in my stance without caving in. I tried my best. This isn't the way I wanted to finish my wrestling career but I guess in a way I've learned a lot. I found a way to win; it wasn't the way I wanted to, but the way things went for me I had to suck it up and find a way to win."
On the first takedown…
"That was all Tom Brands right there. That's being ready off the whistle. I'm not very fundamental. Brands just loves solid stuff. That's as solid as it gets for me. I had my legs back, got a good angle and forced him to grab my leg. I got an easy go behind. Maybe not the way Metcalf or Slaton or someone else would have, but he didn't get to my leg from the start. I gave him my leg when I had a good angle so I could get my legs in. I felt like I did very well the first period. Things were going really good. I wish that my knee didn't pop because he was about to be in some deep danger when we got in that scramble. He got my knee. Maybe that's a good lesson learned, I'll never wrestle the kid again but I've wrestled him five times and three of the five times he's popped my knee. Maybe you just don't give your knee at least not to him."
On being afraid of finishing the match…
"I would have finished the match no matter what, even if my knee were totally blown out. I would never forfeit in the finals of nationals. If I didn't have this coaching staff, with two Energizer bunnies in my corner; I think they got my head pretty quick. They just said, 'there's 3:30 left. Suck it up. You're up 4-0. Just stay solid and stay in a good stance. Try to get your legs back.' At first I was panicking pretty bad but that got me straight."
On how much it means to win a team title…
"This is way more important. The team title is way more important to me than winning an individual tile this year. I'm not going to lie, this feels really good considering everything I've been through, having knee surgery a couple weeks back. Honestly I went five straight weeks, I think 40 something days, without drilling or getting on the mat once. I had three weeks to get ready for Nationals and I think I did about as good of job as I could of with the circumstance I was put in."
On how much pain he was in last three-and-a-half minutes…
"A lot. I don't really know how to explain it. I was just trying to stay down. I'm surprised he didn't really go after it. I know I couldn't do anything but get in a stance and sprawl."
Name: Keith Gavin
Weight Class: 174
School: Pittsburgh
On his emotion after winning the 174-pound National Title:
"I was so relieved. It was a big weight off of my back. I've been doing this and working toward this for so long. It just finally paid off."
On how the match went:
"I felt great. Steve Luke is probably one of the best athletes I've ever wrestled. He's so explosive. So I knew I just needed to get one takedown and stop his first move. I felt like I could ride him. I executed my game plan, so that felt good."
On riding Luke:
"He's so explosive. It's like he has springs in his legs right off the whistle on bottom. I knew if I was going to ride him I had to stop his first move, so I worked on that…bringing the guy back down when he got to his feet. Once I got them back down I just used my leverage because I'm a lot taller."
On choosing Pitt:
"They kind of just let me be myself. They let me experiment a lot and let me be myself. They weren't telling me that you have to do everything this way."
On working out with Ben Askren:
"We work out periodically. Our styles feed off of each other. He came to Pittsburgh over Christmas this year. After finals last year he approached me. I respected him a lot. He was dominating everyone."
On being undefeated:
"It's a goal of mine to win every time I step on the mat. I don't think about it too much. I'm not the kind of guy to get pumped up and excited before a match."
Name: Mike Pucillo
Weight Class: 184
School: Ohio State
On his riding time:
"I knew roughly what 10-15 seconds feels like. He actually stopped it when there were two seconds left on the riding time. I knew I just had to hold him down for his first move and after I stopped his first move I knew I was O.K. with the riding time. I felt pretty confident that he wasn't going to take me down."
On his gameplan:
"Get the first takedown. There wasn't a takedown scored in the match. I felt like I was never really in danger. There was one time I felt a little bit in danger. I beat him at his own game. He's real good on top and I feel like I'm pretty good on bottom. I guess it worked out."
On Ohio wrestling:
"I think the thing is a lot of the biggest recruits from Ohio weren't staying in the state of Ohio. Now we're going to try to keep everyone in Ohio. If we could put a fence up around Ohio, I think we're going to be competing with Iowa here real soon."
"It's not just about getting the talent to Ohio State. It's about developing it."
On Jake Varner:
"He's been a big name in college and it was nice to get a chance to wrestle him here. I would have liked to wrestle him earlier in the year, just to kind of see where he was at, but it doesn't matter. Here or there, I still would have came out with a W."
Name: Phil Davis
Weight Class: 197
School: Penn State
On what winning the championship means…
"It means a lot. I don't know how much just yet. I bet it'll mean more to me the further I get removed from this moment."
On the third period…
"Most times I know the score in my head, but this time I actually couldn't figure out the score. I knew I had riding time locked up, and I knew he couldn't hold me down. I just kept looking for a takedown. It all happened so fast and came around perfect."
On the emotion of winning…
"It felt like there should be another period or something. It was so intense; it didn't feel like it was over yet. It was just amazing."
On how he felt prior to the match compared to the last time he competed in the NCAAs…
"Last time in the finals I watched Coleman Scott's match. After that ended, I went and warmed up until it was my turn. I was on edge for like seven matches. This time I was much calmer and I felt better. I didn't really starting getting on edge until [the 184-pound] match."
On what he'll miss most about college wrestling…
"The great rivalries between teams. I think that's great. I have friends on many teams, and its good fun to say, "We kicked your team's butt. It's great."
On what the idea of the possibility of recognizing past minority NCAA champions means…
"It's a big deal. In a sport that has less frequent minority champions, it means a lot. I was talking to some other guys that would be involved, and it means a lot to them too."
On if his focus differed from other matches…
"I don't think my focus was necessarily different from any other match. I'm always a very anxious person and I think it helped me out tonight."
On what's next…
"Graduation. I don't think wrestling is something I'm ready to give up yet. I'm a very competitive person. I don't know what I'll be doing, whether it be coaching, or competing for a USA spot, or whatever, I'm not sure yet."
Name: Dustin Fox
Weight Class: HWT
School: Northwestern
On winning…
"It's a dream come true. I'm sure everyone says that, but still. My nose is probably broken, my face is all beat up, but I did it. I achieved all my goals."
On how he felt about the match…
"I think I could've been more dominant, but he's a tough opponent. We both had some scoring opportunities, but I just happened to capitalize on mine. I wanted to ride him out the whole time like at the Big Ten's, but the flow was a little off. It was the longest match of my life."
On his opponent …
"I have a lot of respect for him. He wrestles tough. He had a game plan and he stuck with it. What happened was I rode him for 15-20 seconds in the first overtime period, and I got out in like two or three (seconds). At that point I knew I had a great chance of winning because he'd be going for a takedown."
On why he felt he was able to wear down his opponent…
"I had my weight on him a lot more than he did on me. I was frustrated with the amount of breaks there were because I wanted to wear him down so he'd be easier to ride. Because of all the timeouts though I couldn't get him as tired as I wanted. I think that's why I could finish on him."
On keeping his focus and composure…
"I almost lost it a lot of times, to be honest. My coaches kept me centered and told me to focus. They told me to not be upset about the amount of breaks because I was winning. I owe a lot of this national title to my coaches."
On the fans/opposing coaches wanting stalling all match…
"It's the national finals; you've got to score a takedown. I think I was just as aggressive as he was. I didn't feel like they were going to call me for stalling because I was adequately aggressive from my feet. I feel the refs didn't want to change the match and wanted to make the mat decided. I also feel it's hard for them to call for stalling when there are constant breaks in the match like there were tonight."
On his balance as a wrestler…
"I've always been good on my feet. When I came to college I had a problem on top. My coaches taught me about the huge advantage it is to get and seal riding time. There are tons of matches that get decided because of riding time. I feel that I won because I was the best balanced wrestler."
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