2022 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 18, 2022

Cohlton Schultz

Arizona State

Media Conference

THE MODERATOR: Guys wrapping up with Cohlton Schultz, heavyweight division, advancing to the national championship match. Congratulations.

Q. Congratulations, you're in the finals of the national tournament. I know it's something you have been thinking about for a long time. I want to go back to the overtime match that you just had. When you got picked up off your feet in a double lay and landed on your back and somehow you did not give up a takedown, do you want to explain how that's possible?

COHLTON SCHULTZ: Yeah, getting picked up off the ground, I'm not accustomed to that, definitely not a fan of it but I had that head lock tilt, I hit the mat and I immediately rolled through and ended up on top, and I was lucky that's what happened. It worked out pretty good in my favor.

Q. Everybody is talking about the Gable Steveson show. I'm sure you would like to spoil it. Thinking about that, have you face Gable before?

COHLTON SCHULTZ: I haven't wrestled Gable since my freshman year of high school or something like that. He's a tremendous competitor, an excellent wrestler, but, you know, I see the stuff on social media all the time. I know everybody thinks he's unbeatable, but that's why I'm here. That's what my plan is. Things go my way, I'm going to get my hand raised. I think I have a good chance to do that, and that's what I'm looking for.

Q. The fact that you have a Greco-Roman style background, will that style affect Gable maybe a bit differently than others?

COHLTON SCHULTZ: I think he probably knows not to go for body with me. We will see if I can get lucky, beat him into it. He's a great wrestler; he's going to wrestling his match, and I've got to make sure I'm wrestling to the best of my ability.

Q. What's the coaching staff like for you at Arizona State and how have they made you into the person you are right now wrestling, because you've improved tremendously since you got there to this point.

COHLTON SCHULTZ: We have one of the best coaching staffs in the world. Bringing in Coach Thompson this year has been huge, having a big guy like that in the room, coaching me up a little bit. He's has a great personality. When I got Thompson in my corner he gets my head in the right place for these matches and Coach Jones puts the best practices together for the whole year, he's got everything planned out. If you want to be a national champion, and win national championships, you got to come to Arizona. That's where it's at. You get to do all that, and you get to live in Arizona. It's been great.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Cohlton. See you tomorrow.