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NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPMarch 23, 2019Yianni DiakomihalisPittsburgh, Pennsylvania 141 pounds THE MODERATOR: Yianni Diakomihalis, back-to-back national champion, talk about that moment in overtime when you got the takedown to win it. YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: I trusted myself. I knew I could take him down if I wrestled. And it's my job to create as much wrestling as possible and win the hard way. Don't sneak it out. Win the hard way. Q. How do you stay so poised? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: It's one thing that I've kind of grown up with and my coaches instill in me is that I will never allow myself to lose. And I always can and will find a way to win a match. And I genuinely believe in myself. And I think that's what does it for me. Q. If they use freestyle rules, how many more points do you think you would have scored in that match? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: So many. I'm glad I won the national title, but time to get to the real wrestling, freestyle. Q. And the follow-up is, are you going to go to the Garden and wrestle the top (indiscernible)? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: I would love to. Q. Might be Stieber? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: Whoever. I love wrestling. Put a good guy in front of me and I'm never going to turn that opportunity down. Q. I've watched you win 24 state titles, two NCAA titles, and I think you maintain poise and you always find ways to score. How do you keep your composure through these tightest, highest-level matches throughout your entire career? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: Kind of like what I was talking about earlier: I believe in myself. And I think willpower is a really strong thing. And my coaches train my will to be stronger than anyone else. And when it comes down to those overtime, gritty take downs it's a battle of willpower, I know my coaches prepared me better than anyone else. Q. You didn't blow out your ACL or anything this year? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: No, healthy, believe it or not. I never thought I could get through a whole year without getting hurt. I'm glad it's over. Q. You're a mat rat. You love wrestling. Do you take a break, give yourself some time way, or are you back in working on tilts and anything else? It's hard to stay this high in this level of preparedness that you had for this. What's next? YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS: I don't take extended periods of time off. I wrestle, and I believe I succeed because of how much I love it. That being said, you'll probably see me in the room Monday or Tuesday. THE MODERATOR: Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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