2022 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 18, 2022

Gable Steveson

Minnesota

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Gable Steveson, winner of the 285 pound match congratulations.

Q. First of all I would like to thank you for coming back for another year. It been a treat to watch you wrestle through your high school and college career. One of the best wrestlers I've ever seen perform in the college or high school level so I wanted to say that.

GABLE STEVESON: I appreciate that.

Q. Your decision to come back was huge for the sport of wrestling not just for the University of Minnesota, and you said you didn't do it for Minnesota, you said you did it for the fans. Can you explain that?

GABLE STEVESON: I knew we were going to get to this point where there were going to be 22,000 fans, and I wanted to go out there and let the fans see me one last time, and that's tomorrow. Time goes fast, and I feel like I stepped on a mat in November for my first dual, and now I'm last match ever, for real, so it's cool.

Q. You said you wanted to put on a good show and you've been doing that. How do you stay focused on wrestling and things you need to do to win with all the distractions going on?

GABLE STEVESON: Stay level headed. There's a lot of people rooting for their respective teams. Go out there and score points and you score points you can win any match you want.

Q. How emotional will tomorrow night be for you?

GABLE STEVESON: I will let you know after the match.

Q. How have you balanced school, flying wherever you need to go for WWE, going to dual meets, everything you have done? You are 21 years old. How do you balance all that? What would you say to someone in your position to balance such a crazy schedule?

GABLE STEVESON: Take it one day at a time. There are so many big events that come up. I leave Minnesota a lot so just staying focused on the main goal, and the main goal is to win tomorrow and the good things are going to follow through if you win.

Q. You said you really wanted to come out here and put on a show for the fans. Is there a way winning tomorrow -- do you want to win and be dominant before you take your shoes off one last time, or does it not make a difference as long as you get your win?

GABLE STEVESON: Everybody wants to be dominant tomorrow, so however it happens. I've got a tough opponent. I'm going to go out there and showcase my best skills, and I know he's going to do the same, too, so like at the end of the day you score points you're going to win.

Q. Can you take us through the journey of Wrestling Kerkvliet, because you guys had a super match in high school and Minnesota, up until this point, beat him last year as well. Take us through what it's like to wrestle someone from your home state.

GABLE STEVESON: Greg is a great opponent. He's going to be on top of the podium, probably one of the next years, if not next year, maybe the year after, but I'm planning on it for next year. Greg, growing up wrestling him, he's always been lengthy, fast on his feet. A tough opponent, so hats off to him for staying focused for so long.

Q. After the match tomorrow what is the biggest thing you are going to miss about college wrestling?

GABLE STEVESON: I don't know. The feelings you get when you go out on the mat. There is nothing like it. It's one on one, it's do or die. You get your hand raised or you don't. That feeling of competitiveness and going out there and dominating matches and having tough opponents, too.

Q. Last night you literally leaped over somebody to score a takedown. How does that happen? Do you develop that?

GABLE STEVESON: No, it's just -- I'm taking risks, you know, the jump this morning, the inside chip, and I'm landing on my back, I'm taking risks. I'm going out there, and guys are shooting, I'm scrambling, I'm rolling around and doing my thing and it's just -- just trying to put on the best show I can, you know, letting opponents get after me and making sure they know that I can wrestle them in any position possible.

Q. Your teammates have said how important you are to their program. How important are your teammates to you? That's something I would imagine you're going to miss a lot, having that group of people every day that you see.

GABLE STEVESON: It's going to be crazy, finally, like, leaving my teammates. They've been there being for a long time. I knew Patrick Keys since I was, like, 12. So we grew up together. And a lot of the guys I previously graduated with we grew up together in Minnesota, so to finally go is going to be a weird feeling, but every book has to close, and every next book has to start.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Gable. See you tomorrow.