2023 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 17, 2023

Parker Keckeisen

BOK Center

University of Northern Iowa

Semifinals Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Parker Keckeisen, University of Northern Iowa, finalist at 184. Parker, congratulations and give us your thoughts and emotions on becoming a finalist.

PARKER KECKEISEN: God has blessed me with an incredible moment. It's going to be fun. I'm going to go out there and enjoy it. I know in another interview, I said just be proud of the present moment. That's ultimately the goal. Is NCAA champ really the goal? You win it, and then you will forget about it the next day, but can you be proud of that and enjoy that moment, and that's the goal. That's the goal, honestly, every day of my life. Control what you can and go out there and wrestle hard. It's going to be fun.

Q. Parker, how do you live in the moment and not focus on the result?

PARKER KECKEISEN: Live in the moment? Just gotta control what you can. Doug tells us all the time, all our coaches tell us go out there and control what you can. That's honestly the only thing I can control is my effort, right? Hindsight to the match, right? In the match, I can only control my output, can't control the score on the board. You're going to get scored on and you're going to get takedowns, too. Just go out there and give 100% the whole time and that's being in the moment, like this interview, giving 100% to you.

Q. I'm looking at the culture of UNI, the family, the brotherhood that's there. Can you tell me how that's helped you, that support to get behind you to get you to where you are today?

PARKER KECKEISEN: Yeah. We're all really tight, right? When you go out there, we're not wearing the panther on our chest right now singlets, but that panther on your chest means something. 46 strong, I think that was how many people are on the team plus coaches and stuff. All 46 of those guys go out there when I compete and go out there when any of us compete.

We're all representing. And in hindsight, you're representing the people that come before you. I know I've had great mentors. Whether they're my coaches or it's Drew Foster who won it two years ago, Taylor Lujan the one seed in 2020. It's a culture thing. And you know what? They care about the weight class. And 184 doing well. And you know what, we're trying to get to that point where we have 125 through heavyweight having that same expectation and continuing to grow the Panther train.

Q. Parker, this is a night that Northern Colorado has a finalist for the first time in a long time. In a night when Penn State is getting so much notice, is it tough? Do you ever feel like you have to keep fighting to get attention within your own state? Talk about dealing with the Iowa, Iowa States and making UNI the top team.

PARKER KECKEISEN: Yeah. We make UNI the top team by doing what our coaches -- controlling what we can, right? It's like, yeah, we're not going to -- we don't have the budget like Iowa State and Iowa do, but you know what? If we're wrestling in a garage on a 6 by 6 mat, you can get -- it's like Hoosiers, right? The rim is the same. I don't watch Hoosiers, but I know it is a thing they talk about it. It doesn't matter.

We will wrestle in a garbage or we will wrestle in West Gym. I like West Gym. If you want to crap on it, you can leave. But it doesn't matter. We don't have the money or resources, but if you have two guys and dedicated coaches, you can do pretty much anything. And honestly, I got asked this too, you can do anything in this world if you are consistent. And it doesn't matter, like I said, if you want to play the trumpet or be good at wrestling, you take a consistent approach and control whatever you can, you do what you want.

Q. It's going to be Aaron Brooks again, long history with him. A lot of the history in his favor. What's it going to take for Parker Keckeisen to change that history tomorrow night?

PARKER KECKEISEN: Said it a lot, control what I can, be in the moment, at the end of 7 minutes or longer, be proud. Be proud and control what I can and control your effort and let the man above control the outcome of that.

I'm going to go out there and try to get to my tacks and ride hard, wrestle hard and control what I can. And that's the game plan and Aaron is a great wrestler, remember wrestling in Fargo, and wrestling him earlier this year. And it didn't go so hot, but there is always tomorrow. Hopefully there is tomorrow, it's not guaranteed, but there is always next time.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Parker.