Alex Meyer Post-Illinois

Q: Were you going for the fall, or were you just trying to secure the takedown to go into OT?

Meyer: I knew I needed to keep my head up and stay above the ankle that’s going to be a lot faster finish, and a lot less of a scramble. I knew he was draped over, but I didn’t know how much time was left I was getting my head up to get the takedown, but that came first.

Q: Did you know what happened – whether time ran out or you got the pin.

Meyer: I heard cheering and I hear a buzzer, but I heard a slap first. I was pretty sure I won.

Q:When did you find out you would be starting?

Meyer: Yesterday.

Q: Can you walk us through what’s going through your mind with 20 seconds to go?

Meyer: I knew I needed to get to the legs, and hit a good setup. In the room we do executions all the time. (Hitting) five or six of them in 20 seconds, so there is a lot of time left to set up a shot and put him down quick.

Q: Did you feel like you had a good setup?

Meyer: The setup there was re-attacks, multiple attacks. I know I am pretty strong at pulling in legs wrestling Brooks, Burak, Klapprodt and Evans. All those big, strong guys. I know I am real good getting two hands to a leg and I can finish on anybody.

Q:The win was big, but getting the six team points was pretty big.

Meyer: Yeah, big swing match and getting bonus points is going to win dual meets and national titles.

Q: What is your mindset lineup wise?

Meyer: Just keeping my weight under control and going through my routine the same as it would be if I was starting at 174 every week. If I need to go up Tom will tell me, and I am obviously not going to go down (to 165). I just follow my routine to make 174 every week.

Q: How many times as a young wrestler do you dream of being in that position?

Meyer: I think most guys dream about being up 10-12 points and then sticking them, but getting a fall is huge. Getting the crowd on their feet is awesome no matter how it’s done. People come to watch exciting wrestling.

Q: Have you personally experienced anything like that before?

Meyer: I had the come from behind win with Michigan State earlier this year. Last year I had a pretty against Michigan State. I can’t really tell the difference, you hear a lot of people cheering. You can feel it, you embrace it.

Q: How do you build off your belly when you are that deep in a match and you know it’s short time?

Meyer: Keep your head off the mat and keep two hands on the leg is what I do. There are some guys that split their hands and other techniques, but I am strongest with two hands on the leg. Spend a lot of time in the weight room sucking weights. The legs are no different, you start on your belly, then you get to your knees, and keep bringing that knee to your chest.

Q: Seems like a good example of wrestling all the way to the whistle.

Meyer: Yeah, I think as a team we wrestled pretty well, seven minutes. A lot of teams don’t want wrestle seven minutes. So I think coming to the end of the match were favored. We’re even more favored if we score in that first period. Because then they don’t have a lot of hope. If it’s tied they have hope, but if it’s 8-0 or 8-2 and they are fading then that hope is gone, and that favors us even more.