2023 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 18, 2023

Andrew Alirez

BOK Center

Finals Media Conference

141 pounds

Q. Northern Colorado's first-ever wrestling champion. How does that feel?

ANDREW ALIREZ: It means the world to me. I gave my life to this game. And to be able to reap the benefit from it means everything. That's years and years of sacrifice, especially over this past year. Sacrificed everything that I could to get to this moment. And now that I'm here, I can do nothing but be grateful.

Q. You told me about a month ago everything that you sacrificed to be here. And some of those include stuff that seems really small, including Mexican food, all that sort of stuff. What's your first plan after winning?

ANDREW ALIREZ: I guess I'm good to eat something that tastes good, probably not too healthy for you, but I feel like I've earned it.

Q. Yesterday in your interview you said you were willing to die out there. Tell me more about that mentality and just what that's meant, the sacrifice, (indiscernible) that you (indiscernible) on the top of that podium, how that feels?

ANDREW ALIREZ: I just did whatever I could. That move that I hit to get those back points, that's not even something I drill. My little brother is way better at that than me.

But I just threw it out there and I got it. And in that moment that's what it takes, just the cajones to be able to do something like that.

Q. You talked about being in eighth grade and starting your training with the UNC program. Looking back now, what would you tell your eighth grade self?

ANDREW ALIREZ: Stay the course. You're going to have your ups and your downs. Adversity, it makes the weak weaker and the strong stronger. And everything I've been through throughout my career, I bounced back even stronger. I've been through the depths of it. And now I'm here.

Q. You talk about the (indiscernible) program, you're setting the standard. (Inaudible)?

ANDREW ALIREZ: It's just a testament to the work we've been doing. We've got a great coaching staff. We do everything right. I got some young bulls back there that I know throughout the course of their career they're going to accomplish more than I have. But I had to set that standard and have the people behind me live up to that.

Q. What do you do during a lengthy review like you had in this match?

ANDREW ALIREZ: Stay disciplined, keep your head together, understand what you've got to do. And just go out there and just execute. Do whatever it takes.

Q. You came down from 149 down to 141 to make this happen. What did that do for you?

ANDREW ALIREZ: Kept me disciplined in my lifestyle. The first year I was pulling a lot of weight every single time out. And that was another sacrifice I had to make. I had to shrink my body down from the summer to get to a weight where I'm just holding, I live like that. Living like a Spartan or something like that. I can't be bouncing up real heavy.

Like I said, it's been the day in and day out sacrifices. And it just kept me disciplined and now I'm at where I'm at.

Q. There are people on Twitter from back home calling you a hero. What does that mean to you?

ANDREW ALIREZ: It's what I set out to do. Like I said, feel like I've been ordained by God for this, for success, especially for the town of Greeley, Colorado and the program.

I wanted to be that building block for people growing up in the city or people coming from across the country to come wrestle for Northern Colorado and have something to look at and believe that they could go win a national title as well.

So just being that person to get us started means the world to me. It's what I've set out to do and it's what I'm going to continue to do.

Q. Freestyle season around the corner. (Indiscernible) see you at the Open.

ANDREW ALIREZ: We'll see, I'm going to go back and see what the next move is for me. And we'll go from there. I love my freestyle. I love freestyle a lot more than folkstyle.

But I had to put that to the side these past couple of years because of injury. And I believed I had to get better on my own skill set and folkstyle. I miss it and I can't wait to be back.