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NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS


March 22, 2013


Chris Perry


DES MOINSE, IOWA

THE MODERATOR:  To my left is Chris Perry of Oklahoma State.  The first question we have for you, Chris, is did you notice when the lights went out?
CHRIS PERRY:  Yeah, it was kind of weird.  It reminded me of the Super Bowl a little bit, you know.  It was kind of like everything was kinda going good and you had to regroup a little bit.  But it is what it is.
It was awkward, but you just kind of‑‑ when you're in the zone, you're in the zone.  So it's something you can talk about a little bit, I guess.

Q.  Chris, when you got to takedown, you showed a lot of emotion.  What is that?
CHRIS PERRY:  It wasn't necessarily because it's who I beat.  It's just been a dream of mine since I was a little kid to walk on that stage.  I've had it on the background of my phone since I was in the 9th grade, the NCAA Finals stage.
I came close.  I've put time in, and it's just the‑‑ I have a lot of people that count on me, you know.  I think it was just kind of like a relief to finally get there and tomorrow to let it all hang out.
I know this whole tournament has been pretty ugly for me.  If I was a fan, I wouldn't probably be a fan of me and the way I'm wrestling right now.  But I feel like I got a lot to prove tomorrow.
This is where I wanted to be forever and now I can let it fly.  Maybe I was wrestling with a little pressure.  I didn't feel pressure, but the scores looked like it, obviously, because pretty boring matches.  Win is a win, move o get ready for tomorrow.  I'm excited about it, waiting on this match‑up for a while.  He's a tough opponent.  I'm excited.  He's going to come after me and I'm going to go after him.

Q.  Is the pace of the match something you want to change tomorrow?  Is that a factor at all in your mind?
CHRIS PERRY:  Yeah, critical, because I've‑‑ you know, it's no discredit to my opponents.  But I just know how much more I have.  It's been about a month now I've been wrestling this way.  So there is time, you know.  I'm where I want to be.  Now it's one match away, 7 minutes away from accomplishing everything that means the world to me.  I will be ready, excited.

Q.  Chris, people feel like this is the toughest weight class.  Can you talk about what it was like wrestling in this weight class?  And how did your life change after that pin when you lost to Storley up in Minneapolis?
CHRIS PERRY:  I think, you know, after last year going undefeated all the way to this tournament, losing one match last year I expected myself to dominate this year, not even have any close matches.  I think I underestimated it a little bit.  Something that's made a huge difference with me this year is getting beat and having to jump back.  I wasn't ready for that.
When I got beat at Missouri it's probably the best thing that happened to me in my whole life.  I got major in Missouri and I didn't wrestle that well, but I changed a lot of things in my life.  I was checking every detail from there on out.  I sat down with Coach and he talked to me about Scott Smith and what changed his life when he was a freshman going to Minnesota and getting beat up in his first match and how it made the biggest difference.  That's what pushed me to a new limit.

Q.  Any thoughts about your Finals opponent, what kind of match we might expect?
CHRIS PERRY:  There is going to be some points tomorrow.  We both wrestle‑‑ well, I haven't been, but he's going to come and that's what I want.  That guy came tonight, obviously, and I can counterattack off everybody.
I felt like I was setting it up, setting it up, and I haven't had a guy come after me in a while from the start and that's what I want.  I feel like it's going to be fun, man.  This is something I've been looking forward to.  You it from the beginning of the year he was one of the guys and I'm excited about it.  Let's do it, No. 1, No. 2, and I think it's what the fans want to see as well.

Q.  What do you think is going to hold you back, between now and tomorrow, 24 hours to put points on the board against Brown who has had a good tournament?
CHRIS PERRY:  Momentum, here now, nothing to lose, 7 minutes of my life left of this year, just letting it.  I feel like I have the offense, so I feel like I can put up more points.  I'll be ready tomorrow, first match, how can you not be excited?
That's when the crowd is the loudest.  ESPN comes on and everybody is hyped up in the finals.  In the past two years I've been in the stands when the 25‑pounders come out and now I'm the 25‑pounder tomorrow, and it's going to be awesome.
THE MODERATOR:  Chris, congratulations.  Good luck in the final. 

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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