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NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 20, 2015Gabe DeanST. LOUIS, MISSOURI THE MODERATOR: We welcome 184 pound finalist, Gabe Dean of Cornell. First off, Gabe, please start us off with an opening statement talking about your match tonight. GABE DEAN: Real tough kid. Great competitor. He's in the semifinals for a reason. So staying focused and just keeping calm and mentally just plugging away. My coaches got me ready for it, and we won, so it's awesome. Q. Gabe, you said you wrestled him in New York. I think I saw the match and it was really close, and this time it was really close. How hard is it to get in those really close matches that go down to tiebreakers and things like that when normally you're the guy that goes out and scores? GABE DEAN: It's tough. Again, it goes back to your mental focus and preparation. Not letting everything get in your head, and just keep wrestling and keep moving forward. That's pretty much it. You try not to get distracted by all the things going on around you. Q. That was quite an emotional hug you had there from your mother. Could you tell us what was said? GABE DEAN: I think it just defined how important my family is to me. You know, my little brother has been battling adversity all year with a broken wrist and not being able to compete. He gave me the best advice that I could ever take with me on and off the mat: Gabe, never take competing for granted. I lost a year of high school competing to a broken wrist from football. And, you know, that's really carried through with me this whole time. My mom has always been there no matter what, win or lose. And, you know, I'm just super close with my family, so it pretty much shows how close I am with them. Q. So you weren't surprised the way she reacted there? GABE DEAN: No, I knew she'd be emotional. We all were. But we've got one more tomorrow night and then we can laugh and cry and do all that kind of stuff. Q. You've got a well‑known opponent tomorrow night in the name of. Now you've had some real close ones and you've kind of stretched it a little bit at the EIWA finals. What are you expecting him to bring since you've competed with him a lot? GABE DEAN: He's a great competitor. He comes ready to wrestle every single time. I'm going to have to bring my A‑game. He's tough. Good kid. Really good in all positions. It's going to be fun. It's going to be a fun match tomorrow night. I seriously feel like I'm in a dream right now by the way. I still‑‑ it hasn't hit me yet. Q. You don't want to wake up? GABE DEAN: I do want to wake up for tomorrow. Tomorrow if an NCAA title comes for tomorrow, then we can go to sleep and do whatever the heck we want. But you dream about this moment and competing on Saturday night your whole life, and now it's really here. It just feels like it hasn't set in yet. Q. Cornell stuck in there. You guys are in the top three right now I believe. Just talk about your team, the character it has, and what it would take to get Cornell to win this thing, because you guys are always in it. GABE DEAN: You know, you look at the kids on the team and you see just fighters, man. That is the definition of what I see in our team. Just kids that don't quit, and even if they win or lose they'll give you everything they've got, starting from top to bottom. Nahshon Garrett, battling his way back. Mark Grey, tough as nails, one of my best friends. Chris Villalonga, a senior, never an All‑American before, gets to the semifinals and competes so hard. I guarantee he'll wrestle as hard as he can tomorrow to place third. Brian Realbuto, obviously you know how good he is. Dylan Palacio wrestling through a ton of adversity with injuries and playing soccer after the year and just a tough as nails kid. Duke Pickett gives you everything he's got every time he steps on the mat. Jace Bennett, senior going out and doing everything he can for the team. Even our heavyweight just qualifying for here and picking up a match is huge. You don't expect anything out of those guys. I say our team is just made up of fighters. Q. They may have asked you this already, and if they did I don't need an answer because I'll get it on the transcript. But you beat Nate in the IWA final, and how that match is relevant to what's going to happen tomorrow night? GABE DEAN: It's not really relevant. It's a new match. It's a new time and a new place and a new atmosphere. I'm not going to think about any past matches or things that have gone down with him. Like I said, he's a really tough kid and he'll come ready to wrestle tomorrow night. It's going to be fun, I guarantee you that. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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