2022 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 18, 2022

Ryan Deakin

Media Conference

Q. Ryan, I don't need to remind you about what happened last year, but when he got ahead of you 2-0, was anything in your mind thinking, oops, there it goes again, or how do you block that and change your mindset?

RYAN DEAKIN: No. I'm just going for the next point. Something is going to go wrong at some point in the match, so staying positive and getting back to my stuff.

Q. How did it feel getting back to that point, and then really pulling away and having a dominating win?

RYAN DEAKIN: It felt great. Had a slow start. Not the start I wanted, but got my feet under me and finished the job, and now I have one more.

Q. Now, how does it feel to reach the NCAA finals? You wanted this position. How does it feel to be in it?

RYAN DEAKIN: It's awesome. I think the job is not done yet, so excited for it, and I'm ready for tomorrow.

Q. Ryan, tell me a little bit about Northwestern, how you made your decision to go there and what it's been like since you've been there?

RYAN DEAKIN: I think Big Ten wrestling, awesome teammates, awesome coaches, awesome academics, close flight home. There's a lot of reasons, and it far exceeded anything going there than I -- I thought it was going to be awesome, and it was way better than I could have ever imaged.

Q. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow night, but Northwestern brought ten guys here. Is that part of your legacy that you helped create that Northwestern has ten guys in the NCAAs?

RYAN DEAKIN: That's not my legacy. That's the team's legacy. Awesome group of guys working every day. Awesome leadership. Awesome coaches. It's an awesome environment to be around, so I think just a product of the culture that the coaches brought in and instilled in the team.