Champions quotes from Day 2 of U.S. Senior Nationals
John Fuller/USA Wrestling
Women’s Freestyle: Sara Fulp-Allen, El Granada, Calif. (Menlo College), 48 kg/105.5 lbs.
On a pin in the finals:
“I dreamed it, because the last three times I’ve wrestled her, I’ve pinned her and then once teched her. I knew she’s gotten a lot better than last year. I could imagine a fall, but I knew it was going to be a tough match.”
On her dad and coach, Lee Allen, being honored as a past World Team member before her match:
“It means a lot, especially since I was about to wrestle right after him. This is the fourth time I’ve been here and the fourth time I’ve seen him do this. But it was really neat to have him go up there right when I was warming up, right when I was ready to go out there and wrestle my national championship match.”
Greco-Roman: Sam Hazewinkel, Pensacola, Fla. (Gator WC), 55 kg/121 lbs.
On having to prove himself coming in to this tournament:
“I don’t know if I necessarily needed to win it or not. But I would hope there’s no question about it now.”
On taking Durlacher to his back with the final takedown:
“I just wanted to make sure that they knew I brought him down with control.”
On winning a clinch situation:
“That’s the first clinch I ever did in a match. I just went. It was God. It wasn’t me.”
Men’s Freestyle: Sammie Henson, St. Louis, Mo. (Sunkist Kids), 55 kg/121 lbs.
On why he is still competing:
“I lost to Abas last year and he’s a great wrestler. It was fun to do last year. But now, I want to win one more World title and then I’ll go from there. I don’t know why I’m still here. I’ve retired a couple of times. My heart wasn’t in it. But it’s here now.”
On being the best at his weight:
“There always somebody who can come out of the woodwork. Abas might come back down, Teague Moore might decide to come back out. You never know. Here, my motivation was to not get overconfident.”
Women’s Freestyle: Tina George, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 55 kg/121 lbs.
On her motivation since losing in the Olympic Trials:
“Indianapolis last year was a really bad memory for me. I’ve used it to help me every morning when I get up at 7 and I drill extra and I come in and do the weightlifting. It makes a difference to me to help shape me and mold me as a wrestler. As disappointing as it was and as much as it still hurts, I think it’s definitely made a real serious impact on my wrestling and how I take my training.”
Greco-Roman: Harry Lester, Akron, Ohio (USOEC/Gator WC), 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
On the clinch:
“I like the new clinch. What I do is just try to be ready. If you’re ready, then you can defend it. If you’re not ready, you’re not going to be able to defend it. The same thing with offense.”
On not using his explosiveness:
“Not with the new type of wrestling because it’s a lot of blocking out. Once in a while, I’ll get a guy tired and I can use my moves then. Now, a lot of guys have enough energy just to block out for two straight minutes and then they get the break and another two straight minutes.”
On the new style:
“I like it, but it’s not as exciting as the old style. It works perfectly, it’s just not as exciting. I would rather wrestle exciting and have to work harder than just sit back and stall and wait for a clinch.”
Men’s Freestyle: Chris Bono, Gilbert, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 66 kg/145.5 lbs.
On the last clinch:
“I just knew I had to win it then and there. I should have been more aggressive in that last period, but I didn’t really see my opening, so that’s what it had to come down to.”
On the new clinch in freestyle:
“It’s better than the other one for me. I don’t think I won too many in the other one. It’s pretty ridiculous to tell you the truth. To me, it should be wrestle till there’s a point scored. I think that would be a little more exciting for everyone else.”
Women’s Freestyle: Alaine Berube, Escanaba, Mich. (New York AC), 63 kg/138.75 lbs.
On her pin:
“She shot in, I stopped her and put her to her back. There really was nothing more to it.”
On how to keep improving:
“I just need to get more experience. I am getting better, but I need to get more experience.”
Greco-Roman: Brad Vering, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC), 84 kg/185 lbs.
On the new rules:
“You don’t see the par terre like you used to see, you know the big moves and everything. Now you’ve got to wait two periods. Both the guys are fighting real hard to get that one point in the first period and not doing anything until the second period, because they don’t have to score. It does take a little of the excitement out of it. But it doesn’t matter what the rules are, you’ve got to roll with what they give you.”
Men’s Freestyle: Mo Lawal, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC), 84 kg/185 lbs.
On getting over the top this year:
“I’ve put in the time and the effort. Last year, I thought I was going to beat Cael. I had some flaws in my game and Cael was on top of his game. Cael was a great wrestler. I had to do what Cael did. Cael went to the training center and refocused himself and rededicated himself, so I was like ‘I’m going to become the black Cael.'”
On the changes he has made:
Counter-offense, leg lace. Cael changed the game. If you watch Cael from college to now, there’s a big difference. I watched my old college tape and thought I was the same. I had to change some things – offensively, defensively and in par terre, so that’s what I did.
On his flare:
“I’m the bad guy. I like it. Boo me. I don’t care.”
Women’s Freestyle: Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 84 kg/185 lbs.
On if this is her best win:
“I don’t care how many victories you have, because the way you just one is always the best.”
On Toccara Montgomery’s possible return:
“I would love to see her come back. I’m just looking forward to her coming back, cause I love to wrestle her.”
Greco-Roman: Dremiel Byers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army), 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
On Davie losing on a penalty point:
“He’s a tough competitor. He’s young and he’s got talent. I hope it never happens to him again.”
On the new rules for Greco-Roman:
“Somebody told me a long time ago that all the good guys have one move and they can’t get to it from anywhere in a match. I believe that. I try to have three good moves and I try to find one of them in every match. You won’t see all the throws that you see in par terre, but you’ll find a way to win.”
Men’s Freestyle: Tolly Thompson, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids), 120 kg/264.5 lbs.
On his aggression in the end:
“He was ahead 1-0. They didn’t give me that three. I just got discouraged a little bit. There were about 40 seconds left, and I figured that if I didn’t score a point, I’ve got to make him earn that period.”
On the pinning move:
“I just attacked at the end and jumped for the head trying to get three to put it away. I don’t think I probably pinned him. The time probably ran out.”
On his age:
“I train like I’m 18. I feel like I’m 18. I wrestled like I was 18.”
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