Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Postmatch Quotes
2/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Central Michigan Postmatch Quotes
CMU vs. Kent State - February 20, 2011
Head Coach Tom Borrelli
Opening statement:
The crowd was really into the event, which made it fun for everyone. We have a pretty knowledgeable fan base so they get into things and know what is going on. I thought both teams wrestled hard.
On the crowd's involvement in the heavyweight bout:
Any time you're in that environment, if you're an athlete and a competitor, that's going to motivate you. We've tried to put our guys in those types of situations all year long. Six of our eight losses this year have been to top-10 caliber teams. You try to do those types of things with your athletes so they're ready for it when they get to the big stage at the national tournament.
On CMU's three straight wins after Kent State opened with a win at 125 pounds:
I thought the big match in the meet was Scott Mattingly's match. He got taken down right away and fought his way back and found a way to win the match. He rode his guy out the whole third period. That was probably the biggest momentum swing. I think whichever team won that match was going to have the momentum. Donnie Corby wrestled really well too. He used that win by Scott to get him going. I felt like 141, 149 and 184 were the really big swing matches, and we won two of the three.
On the team sharing the MAC title:
I'm proud of our team. We started seven new guys most of the year, and we wrestled an unbelievable schedule. We probably asked too much of our young team. We got beat down a little bit, but I'm proud that they hung in there and kept fighting. When it's all said and done, I think our kids are proud to be Chippewas. They're going to fight to keep the things that our alumni and former teams have earned over the years.
On the confidence Sunday's win gives the team heading into the conference tournament:
We have to use this the right way. We have to make it a positive and be able to handle success. This can't be the end-all. We have to be focused on having a good MAC tournament and getting guys to the national tournament so we can score points at the national tournament. We have to be able to handle the success of this, too.
On senior Mike Miller:
There's a lot of pride there in that young man. Nobody expected him to be an All-American as a redshirt freshman. The following year he took an Olympic redshirt because of some injury situations. The next year he was in the NCAA finals. Nobody expected him to be in the NCAA finals. Last year he dislocated his shoulder three different times, and the kid still wanted to wrestle. He wrestled at 184 for us when he's a natural 174, and he went to the national tournament for us and beat a returning NCAA champion with basically one arm. That's incredible. Then this year he dislocated his other shoulder in practice, then sprained his knee really badly in Las Vegas. For a kid to go through the things that he's gone through and still mentally be able to get himself ready to compete the way he does, he's a really special kid.
Senior 165-pounder Mike Miller
On his last match at home:
It felt good. I went out there wanting to get the major decision and went for it really hard, so it was a little disappointing that I wasn't able to get those bonus points. But other than that, I think I wrestled tough, I think I wrestled hard, and I was excited to be able to leave this place with a bang.
On how he feels physically entering the MAC Championships:
I feel great. I have two weeks to train hard. It's nothing new to tweak something at my age.
On his attitude entering his match:
Every time I step on the mat I believe in myself. I believe that I've out-worked my opponent, that I'm going to out there and do my gameplan and I'm going to succeed. I try to wrestle every match like it's the national finals. I go out there and wrestle with all my heart and walk off the mat with no regrets. That's all that goes through my mind.
Junior heavyweight Jarod Trice
On his victory:
I just had a gameplan. I know for a fact that I'm in better condition than anyone else in the country at heavyweight, and I know when I'm wrestling out there that I can push the pace.
On his mentality entering the final period trailing 1-0:
I know that I can get off bottom, and I know that once I get to my feet I can push the pace. When I push the pace that fast, heavyweights can't keep up. I know I can do that all the time, because that's what we practice here at Central Michigan. We do down workouts every day, and they make us sprint for those last 30 seconds, those last 15 seconds where we can get those last-second takedowns to win the match.
On his match deciding the meet:
I love going last. I know it's all eyes on me and I know I've got to work harder than the other guy. I like going out there to win for my team. I depend on them to win, and they depend on me.
CMU vs. Kent State - February 20, 2011
Head Coach Tom Borrelli
Opening statement:
The crowd was really into the event, which made it fun for everyone. We have a pretty knowledgeable fan base so they get into things and know what is going on. I thought both teams wrestled hard.
On the crowd's involvement in the heavyweight bout:
Any time you're in that environment, if you're an athlete and a competitor, that's going to motivate you. We've tried to put our guys in those types of situations all year long. Six of our eight losses this year have been to top-10 caliber teams. You try to do those types of things with your athletes so they're ready for it when they get to the big stage at the national tournament.
On CMU's three straight wins after Kent State opened with a win at 125 pounds:
I thought the big match in the meet was Scott Mattingly's match. He got taken down right away and fought his way back and found a way to win the match. He rode his guy out the whole third period. That was probably the biggest momentum swing. I think whichever team won that match was going to have the momentum. Donnie Corby wrestled really well too. He used that win by Scott to get him going. I felt like 141, 149 and 184 were the really big swing matches, and we won two of the three.
On the team sharing the MAC title:
I'm proud of our team. We started seven new guys most of the year, and we wrestled an unbelievable schedule. We probably asked too much of our young team. We got beat down a little bit, but I'm proud that they hung in there and kept fighting. When it's all said and done, I think our kids are proud to be Chippewas. They're going to fight to keep the things that our alumni and former teams have earned over the years.
On the confidence Sunday's win gives the team heading into the conference tournament:
We have to use this the right way. We have to make it a positive and be able to handle success. This can't be the end-all. We have to be focused on having a good MAC tournament and getting guys to the national tournament so we can score points at the national tournament. We have to be able to handle the success of this, too.
On senior Mike Miller:
There's a lot of pride there in that young man. Nobody expected him to be an All-American as a redshirt freshman. The following year he took an Olympic redshirt because of some injury situations. The next year he was in the NCAA finals. Nobody expected him to be in the NCAA finals. Last year he dislocated his shoulder three different times, and the kid still wanted to wrestle. He wrestled at 184 for us when he's a natural 174, and he went to the national tournament for us and beat a returning NCAA champion with basically one arm. That's incredible. Then this year he dislocated his other shoulder in practice, then sprained his knee really badly in Las Vegas. For a kid to go through the things that he's gone through and still mentally be able to get himself ready to compete the way he does, he's a really special kid.
Senior 165-pounder Mike Miller
On his last match at home:
It felt good. I went out there wanting to get the major decision and went for it really hard, so it was a little disappointing that I wasn't able to get those bonus points. But other than that, I think I wrestled tough, I think I wrestled hard, and I was excited to be able to leave this place with a bang.
On how he feels physically entering the MAC Championships:
I feel great. I have two weeks to train hard. It's nothing new to tweak something at my age.
On his attitude entering his match:
Every time I step on the mat I believe in myself. I believe that I've out-worked my opponent, that I'm going to out there and do my gameplan and I'm going to succeed. I try to wrestle every match like it's the national finals. I go out there and wrestle with all my heart and walk off the mat with no regrets. That's all that goes through my mind.
Junior heavyweight Jarod Trice
On his victory:
I just had a gameplan. I know for a fact that I'm in better condition than anyone else in the country at heavyweight, and I know when I'm wrestling out there that I can push the pace.
On his mentality entering the final period trailing 1-0:
I know that I can get off bottom, and I know that once I get to my feet I can push the pace. When I push the pace that fast, heavyweights can't keep up. I know I can do that all the time, because that's what we practice here at Central Michigan. We do down workouts every day, and they make us sprint for those last 30 seconds, those last 15 seconds where we can get those last-second takedowns to win the match.
On his match deciding the meet:
I love going last. I know it's all eyes on me and I know I've got to work harder than the other guy. I like going out there to win for my team. I depend on them to win, and they depend on me.
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