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NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 22, 2019Yianni DiakomihalisPittsburgh, Pennsylvania 141 Pounds THE MODERATOR: Yianni Diakomihalis from Cornell, congratulations on the victory. Heading to the national championship match against. Talk a little bit about your match. YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: You know, I knew it was going to be a tactical match. Jaydin Eierman is very awkward, very funky, so I had to be prepared for weird positions and work on finishing clean, finishing fast, so be ready for that. Q. Yianni, I think last tournament you showed you were one of the most clutch wrestlers in the country. This year, same deal, you really can go and get that takedown when you need it. How do you stay that cool, and how do you always get that takedown when you need it? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: I genuinely believe that when I'm out there, I can't be beaten. I think within that, it means that I need to do whatever I need to do to win that match. I think that between putting myself in that position in practice and believing in myself, knowing my coaches believe in me, I think that's what gets it for me. Q. Last year you were a bit of a surprise winner, maybe not to you, but for other people. Do you feel like other people now are scouting you differently? They were just talking about how great your leg defense is. Obviously he's prepared for something like that. Talk about this year compared to last year. YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: I know guys are going to wrestle me differently, you know. As you get to higher levels, not as much, but guys are going to game plan for me. They're going to try and keep the score low, slow me down, and try and sneak one out. On the opposite side, it's up to me to create wrestling, create action, move into the guy, give him pressure and score as many points as I can and don't give that guy any break to try and stop my offense. Q. Yianni, you've got Kyle Dake in your corner a lot of times. You're obviously going after a lot of stuff he did. Is it helpful having him in your corner? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: Yeah, it's great to have someone that went through it, someone that went through all the oohs and aahs and the lights and pressure. Kyle is a really special athlete and I'm trying to do something really special, and it's good to have someone that's been through it and is familiar with the situation. Q. Other coach, Mike Grey, can you talk a little bit about the influence he's had on you? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: He's the man. I owe him a lot, and he does a lot for me. He's more than a coach, he's a friend, you know. I hang out with his -- they just had a baby, him and his wife. I hang out with his little kid all the time. I'm around their family a lot, and I'm really thankful to have him in my life. He's a great mentor. He's a great friend, and he's always been there for me and always will be there for me. I just want to repay him whatever I can. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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