2025 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 22, 2025

Vince Robinson

Wells Fargo Center

Finals Media Conference

125 pounds

Vince Robinson (NC State) d. Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State), 2-1

VINCE ROBINSON: I want to say all glory to God, first of all. Without him none of this is possible. I want to thank all my support staff and my coaches and my teammates and my family just for being there and believing in me always. I told them, this is my year. They just supported me behind it through the whole way.

I went through a lot of adversity in the season, too. Like in December I wrestled Cliff Keen and popped my knee, tore my meniscus in my right knee and I had to get surgery the next week. I was just bummed out.

Then after North Carolina State match, I mean the UNC match, I sprained my LCL. That was an adversity part right there. I was just battling through injuries the whole season. Coach Espo just told me to stay confident, even when I was hurting.

He was, like, bro, you can do it. You could do it. He was, like, your match is going to come down to either a rider or you getting off bottom. It's not going to be on your feet. You know how good you are. I just believed in him. I spoke it the whole year, and it shall be so.

Q. When you were here yesterday, after your semifinal win, you said it felt like a dream. What does it feel like to win it?

VINCE ROBINSON: A dream. Literally a dream. Doesn't even feel real right now. Like I said, it's all God planned. He put me in this position. He just gave me all the strength and the power just to show my skills to the world. I got that done tonight.

Q. Second round, you're 1 second away from losing. Wondering if you thought about that the last few days and just how thin the margins are in this tournament from winning the title to maybe not even being on the podium?

VINCE ROBINSON: That was my favorite moment of the tournament. I won't lie. That was my favorite moment of the tournament. It was little things like that happen in the tournament. Seeing the highest ranked guys fall, and I just didn't want to be that one.

My teammates just told me that I've got a lot of will power. I've got a lot of will to win. Like, before I step on the mat, know nobody wants this more than me. Nobody wants it more than me. It's like somebody's trying to take everything I want. And that's how I approach every match.

Q. You talk about believing in yourself and it's something that you think is one of your strengths. But you have to have a skill set and some support behind that. Could you talk about some of the people, first, when you were growing up in high school and once you went to college who have really helped support you to the point where your belief can turn into victory?

VINCE ROBINSON: So I grew up around Gable Steveson, who is going to wrestle soon up here, too. And also my big brother Travis Ford Melton and Jason Renteria and KeVon Powell, who is a NCAA qualifier as well. They just guided me through this.

And Coach Tommy Gantt, Pat, Kevin, Jack and Coach Espo, and just the trainers in general, even Cody Armstrong. He made sure my help was good all year.

That's the people -- in high school, I grew up around just them four, like my dad. My dad was mainly my coach but it was really like my big brother and Jason Renteria and KeVon Powell. And those are the ones who made me today who I am.

Q. Are you celebrating tonight?

VINCE ROBINSON: With the boys. With the boys.