Indiana University Athletics
Session Two Wrestler Quotes
3/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Indiana Media Relations March 4, 2006
Illinois 125-pound senior Kyle Ott
On his win over defending NCAA Champion Joe Dubuque:
KO: "I have beaten him a couple of times, and he beat me last year in the NCAA Finals. I think that we were 2-2 before tonight. I have been working hard, and it felt good to wrestle in a good, hard match. It is a great boost to get this win. This is the Big Ten Tournament, it doesn't really matter what you did in the dual season anymore. The two most important times of the year are the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Tournament."
Michigan State 141-pound junior Andy Simmons
On his match with Iowa's Alex Tsirtsis:
AS: "[Alex] is a tough competitor, but I had the thought in the back of my mind that I was not going to lose this match. I am in search of a Big Ten title, after coming up a little short last year. I have a will not to lose, because I want to win so badly. I will be ready for tomorrow."
Minnesota 149-pound freshman Dustin Schlatter
On advancing to the championship final aganst Illinois' Troy Tirapelle: DS: "It means a lot to get this win. The big matches are always fun to wrestle in. Getting to the Big Ten final has always been a goal of mine. It is a stepping stone for the NCAA Tournament and becoming an All-American."
Illinois 157-pound senior Alex Tirapelle
On the strength of the Big Ten Conference:
AT: "We have a very strong conference in the Big Ten; I expect us to have a good showing in the NCAA Tournament like we always do. Hopefully, we can come away with five All-Americans."
On the performance of his brother, Troy Tirapelle, thus far:
AT: "[Troy] is doing very well. People worried if he would qualify for the NCAA Tournament, and I told him before the [Big Ten] Tournament started not to worry about doubters. He knows how to wrestle when it counts. He's on a roll, been able to stay within himself and outsmarted a lot of his opponents."
Michigan 165-pound senior Ryan Churellabr>
On his match with Iowa's Eric Luedke:
RC: "I started out the match very well, got a takedown and rode him out. During the second period, I went down, which kind of surprised me. I had to expend some energy that I wasn't planning on using. In the third period, I had a couple of attempts. I couldn't score on him, but I ended up pulling it off. It is good to have a match like this, especially in the Big Ten Tournament. Now that I have reached the finals, I'll look to win tomorrow, improve on some things and then go into the NCAA Tournament with some momentum."
