2023 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 17, 2023

Tanner Sloan

BOK Center

South Dakota State

Semifinals Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Tanner Sloan, finalist of South Dakota State. He is a finalist at 197. Tanner, congratulations. Give us your thoughts, emotions, feelings on becoming a finalist tonight.

TANNER SLOAN: Pretty emotional. When the final whistle blew, looking over at the coaches, the pure excitement that I see in their face of all the hard work we've done training, methodical, whatever you want to call it. Just to finally be in the position to reach my ultimate goal is pretty amazing.

Q. Tanner, it sounds like if you win tomorrow night, you take even more pride in what the program has done as opposed to what you have done; is that accurate?

TANNER SLOAN: Yeah. We're trying to build a program in Brookings, and I couldn't ask for a better coaching staff to do that with. I'm just really excited for the future of South Dakota State with my final year next year and the years to come.

Q. You are from Alburnett, Iowa, not many leave the state, why did you?

TANNER SLOAN: An opportunity. I'm from a small town in Iowa, and Brookings fit with it.

Q. Tanner, from that recruiting process, when you were considering staying at home and going to Coe, from that point until now, what has allowed you to make the gains and strides to go from then to world medalist and national finalist?

TANNER SLOAN: Just the support staff convincing me to believe in myself when they've had belief in me from day one when I stepped on campus. Just all in all, teammates and coaches just being a family to me.

Q. Tanner, what word or phrase would you use to describe what happened in your 197 weight class this year? Was there a point where you saw yourself more as a finalist?

TANNER SLOAN: For myself, it was just consistency. Knowing that I can step toe-to-toe with anyone in that bracket and I've proved it and I got one more to prove tomorrow. Just me being consistent and believing in myself.

Q. How about the bracket as a whole?

TANNER SLOAN: Wild. It's definitely wild. There are multiple, talented guys that I could be facing tomorrow. Nino is the one, so we will square off tomorrow.

Q. What kind of a coach is Damion Hahn?

TANNER SLOAN: He has helped mold me into the athlete along with Cody, just believing in myself, and doing the right things from on the mat to off the mat, sleep, nutrition. So Damion just being an amazing role model, he's been in this situation before. So I just have confidence in him telling me how it's going to go, and it's going to go.

Q. You've got a large contingent of South Dakota State fans in the stands today. How does it feel to have that support and all the alumni and fans in the stands for you?

TANNER SLOAN: It's just a big family that circles around, follows the Jacks, loves wrestling. So having them here, getting to celebrate with them is going to be an amazing experience.

Q. This time it seemed like you opened up more compared to the Big 12 finals. What worked in your favor?

TANNER SLOAN: I got a chance on top. I know I can turn anyone. I just have to get a chance. I can take anyone down. I just have to get a chance, get to a leg. I had an opportunity tonight, and it didn't quite come out in the first period, but I knew when I got a couple of mat returns and took something away that a turn was going to open the match-up tremendously. That's what happened.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Tanner. Good luck tomorrow.