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NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 20, 2015Isaiah MartinezST. LOUIS, MISSOURI THE MODERATOR: We welcome Isaiah Martinez of Illinois. First off, Isaiah, start off with an opening statement from you talking about your match tonight. ISAIAH MARTINEZ: It was a really tough one. Stylistically James is definitely my toughest matchup of anyone in the bracket. That's why I had trouble scoring on him. He's the only guy all year I haven't been able to take down. So the great thing about that is it comes down to toughness and top and bottom wrestling where you know I was more solid than he was, and I was able to come away with a win in the end. Q. As you know there's been a lot of hype around you just being a freshman. Some people call you the strongest guy pound‑for‑pound, stuff like that. Do you ever get caught up in the hype? ISAIAH MARTINEZ: You know, no, not really. Just recently my coaches are always preaching to me like I could be beating guys by 15, 20 points. These are high‑level guys. Guys like James Green, Ness, and until recently I just barely started believing in how good they think I am. I started believing in myself. That way it's paid a lot in the postseason. But as far as hype, you know it's just talk. Being around wrestling all my life you hear talk, message boards, experts. It doesn't really matter. It stops getting to you, and eventually you've got to be mature enough to ignore it. Q. You like to win matches where you're scoring, and on this match you won on a riding time point. You've talked a little bit about being excellent in all positions. But which positions were the key to beating the guys as explosive as James Green? ISAIAH MARTINEZ: I think it was just staying solid on my feet. Every time I took a shot it was right up, not staying on my knees, because he is one of the best three shots in the game. So just being solid on my feet, making them work hard, which is what I did in the first period. I could have done a better job later in the match taking more shots and just being, you know, just stubborn on top and not letting them go. I got all the way to the four point and I just jumped up and tackled him because I didn't want to get up to escape. Q. What is it about the pipeline from California to Champaign, Illinois? Could you also talk about the bittersweet career that Jesse Delgado has had? ISAIAH MARTINEZ: I wouldn't say we have a pipeline. I think our coaches just look for guys who have a lot of confidence in themselves and guys who they believe could be the next superstars. You know, California is a great high school wrestling state. I loved going to the State tournament when I was younger. So I honestly don't think it's a pipeline. It's just what my coaches see and the wrestlers out there I believe. As far as Jesse, man, he's been a guy that I've looked up to, a guy that I once competed against. He's one of my best friends in Champaign. To see it, it is hard to see because he cares so much about wrestling. This guy is an unbelievable competitor. He's a mind in wrestling that I've never seen before. I really admire a guy like that. You know, it's not going to be the end of the world for him. He'll be back when he gets healthy. There are bigger and better things for Jesse Delgado in the future. Q. Do you have any history with (No Microphone), and what do you foresee in the finals against that specific opponent? ISAIAH MARTINEZ: About two years ago he beat me in the junior field Freestyle Semifinals. It was a really good match. I was a completely different guy at the time. Going into Saturday, I'm really, really excited. Just more than just being a freshman and making the national finals, I look for those dogfights. That's what I love. If a guy thinks he's my equal and he steps across from me and takes shots and goes toe to toe with me, which I think he will, I feel confident that I'm going to come out on top. It might be a high‑scoring affair, but I feel confident that I can dominate a guy that wrestles like that. Q. In a match like the one you just had that's so close, how aware are you of the riding time? How much does it change your mentality there in that final period? ISAIAH MARTINEZ: I think just being aware as a wrestler in general is a big add to my game. It makes me look like a veteran out there. Not making freshman mistakes. It did change my mentality a little bit. As I said, James has a great reshot, and maybe I let it get to me a little bit. I knew I had riding time clinched up, and all I had to do was stay solid. You know, I would love to win by ten points against the best wrestlers in the country. But sometimes it's about winning and advancing and moving on. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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