2023 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 17, 2023

Keegan O'Toole

BOK Center

University of Missouri

Semifinals Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Keegan O'Toole, Missouri, finalist at 165. Keegan, your initial thoughts and emotions on becoming a finalist this year.

KEEGAN O'TOOLE: Very happy. I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity to be here. I'm only going to get to do this five times in my life, so might as well take advantage and wrestle as hard as I can and be happy about it.

Q. Last year at this time in the semifinals, you were pretty beat up. How are you feeling now?

KEEGAN O'TOOLE: A lot better. No ankle injuries right now. Very happy with my condition. I'm sore, dinged up, stuff hurts, but that's how the tournament goes.

Q. I don't need to remind you of who you are wrestling next. What did you learn from those matches?

KEEGAN O'TOOLE: It was a blessing to have someone like David move up because he's an elite wrestler and learning how to make those adjustments on elite-level guys, in the past I might have been able to get away with stuff because of my sheer technique and knowledge of the sport, but wrestling someone like him, I got to be on all the time. I hate losing, but those losses are much more important and valuable to my character and how I bounced back than any win.

Q. So bouncing back, you will get to bounceback in the same exact place, same environment, just a few more people tomorrow night?

KEEGAN O'TOOLE: Yep.

Q. What's on your mind? How are you going to plan to prepare for tomorrow?

KEEGAN O'TOOLE: Just be fearless, you know, my two matches, even that last semifinals, I was timid on the shot, which can't happen. I can't be afraid to do that. I always try to tell myself if I truly fear God, then I won't have any fears on this earth and having a fear to take shots is a fear on this earth. So I've got to be better than that. It's a constant struggle and constant battle with those internal thoughts, but those battles are more important than any physical battle you can endure.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. Thank you very much. Good luck tomorrow.