2022 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 18, 2022

Shane Griffith

Stanford

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Shane Griffith of Stanford, just advanced to the NCAA Finals 165.

Q. Shane when you left here a year ago you were at an all-time high. Wick did a lot to take away that shine. Did it ever tarnish you at all, left you in doubt coming here at all?

SHANE GRIFFITH: No, it definitely didn't play such a role as that. Those are the matches that you look for during the season. It's a learning curve that a lot of people should take in and you see time and time again, NCAAs everybody comes in 00 and upsets over the weekend. You have guys like Chris Lovett tend to be in the finals and Chad always does a terrific job at the NCAAs no matter what happens during the season so I think they're good staples of why you shouldn't get too bent about what happens during the season, rather just come into NCAAs 00 all the time.

Q. You made four state finals, now the NCAA championship team, (Away from mic.) What is it about coming to the end of the year where you seem to peak at the right time?

SHANE GRIFFITH: I think a lot of it is composure and you see time and time again people get worked up whether they've gotten taken down or got turned. Like I said before ever match is 0-0 and truly believing in your work throughout the year and when it comes down to whether or not you put in that work or not, if you deserve to be at the next level. I meet tons of guys here that probably do as well and it just so happens if you piece it together and get the right moves and figure it out, I'm sure the jersey wrestling helped me out, too, like Burroughs always come in, clutch and I think it stems from a young age and the competition growing up.

Q. I interviewed you and Coach Bell last year together and talking about how you are in Stanford wrestling and a bunch of other sports. I thought about that later, could that be more pressure? You're the face of Stanford sort of nonrevenue sports, the extra burden. Did you feel more free this year once that started, now I can go back to being a wrestler and not being the face of the whole movement?

SHANE GRIFFITH: I don't think about pressure too much and I think that's the beauty of wrestling, also shout out to Coach Bell, but I don't think about that and Stanford has an environment where we win national titles every season and women's basketball is on the road now, our gymnasts team is doing terrific and I think surrounding yourself with people like that, I think that's why Stanford is such a great environment because they produce winners and they push you to be the best version of yourself.

Q. (Away from mic.)

SHANE GRIFFITH: Shout out my intramural football team.

Q. Shane, were you comfortable with the montage you're the man who saved Stanford wrestling and with the new coaching change how much did Rob help you?

SHANE GRIFFITH: I never put my face on such a status like that. There's a lot of people that played a certain role at the end of the day. I did what I was set out to do since a little kid, so for me it was kinda killin' two birds with one stone. It never changed my mind, because I don't like to put my face on saving the program like that because there are, like I said, hundreds of people behind the scenes that did the tough work to get to where we are today and Rob Koll.

Q. The impact of Rob Koll.

SHANE GRIFFITH: Koll is just a great guy. I mean, he's brought in tremendous recruits, knows what he's doing. He built Cornell from nothing to Top-5 team every year. Great recruiter, and for me personally he's a fun guy to be around and he keeps it light hearted, and that's the kind of energy I like to have when I practice or compete.

Q. You have a match tomorrow night with Keegan O'Toole. Have you ever wrestled Keegan?

SHANE GRIFFITH: No, it's funny; it's one of those matches that has been talked about forever. I tore my meniscus and I wasn't able to scuffle at all, so I knew that was one time frame that people were looking forward to us wrestling.

I'm looking forward to it. He's a great guy, and there is a lot of hype behind it, and at the end of the day it's just a wrestling match, and I know he's probably as excited as I am, and that's why you wrestle the best guys and at the end of the day it's all fun and I will go shake his hand and talk to him, have a good time. Nothing is personal. I know I'm going to go out there to win, and he's probably doing the same.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, best of luck tomorrow.