Ryan Lang Interview

Ohio Wrestling Site:   Ryan, so far in your career you have won four Division I state titles, junior nationals, and senior nationals, and most recently placed 4^th in the NCAA tournament.  What stands out as your career highlight(s)?
Ryan Lang: To be completely honest with you about looking back on things won or lost- I think there will come a time when I can look back and feel accomplished, but with goals as high as becoming an Olympic champion, these tournaments I’ve wrestled successfully in are mere building blocks to the final level I want to attain in wrestling.

Ohio Wrestling Site:   What do you think has been the key to the success you have had?
Ryan Lang: The key to the success I’ve had is being guided to develop "that attitude." The edge. Whatever it is that keeps me hungry to be the best, the attitude I have about learning and developing everything possible for me to be on the highest level I possibly can in the sport.  Never being satisfied.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  You started off the season hot, beating Andy Simmons at MSU Open, then were banged up in the middle of the year, missed some time, and struggled a little upon your return.  What effect do you think your injuries had on your season?
Ryan Lang:  Looking at the positive, it forced me to re-think, re-analyze, re-focus myself and aspects of my wrestling.  I really took the time to be creative in my training.  Since it was obvious I'd be off the mat i got out of the "heat of the season" and continued to find ways to improve and fine tune as my body recovered.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  This year at NCAA’s, you avenged earlier losses to Andy Simmons, Alex Tsirtsis, and Max Meltzer (from h.s.), though you had beaten both in the past as well.  What was the key for you?
Ryan Lang:  I got intense and stayed in good position better than those of my opponents. The key to that was my training habits and support to stay positive from my family and close ones through the toughest of my training and the toughest of my competition at NCAAs. 

Ohio Wrestling Site: Late in the year you avenged losses to former All-Americans  Cassio Pero, Dewitt Driscoll, and Josh Churella- along with Simmons and Tsirtsis at NCAA’s, for a total of five losses avenged late in the season. Was there something different at the end of the year?
Ryan Lang:  Of course there was something different. This is it- NCAA Championships are the heart and soul of what you will be remembered for.  The end of the year, where the wrestler finishes, is what people recognize him as permanently.  It's where all the pressure, intensity, and level of wrestling is at all of their highest points.  The end of the year is what it's all about.  That's when you're on. That's what you've trained for.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  On a less positive note, you struggled uncharacteristically with Cory Cooperman.  Was there something about his style that presented you difficulties?
Ryan Lang:  Cory's got my number.  Beat me in high school, beat me twice at the NCAA tournament- that's that really.  Hats off to him and his career and I look forward to learning everything I can about why he is able to beat him the way he has and add it to my bag of wrestling tricks.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  You will head into next year as the highest returning finisher, and thus the #1 ranked wrestler in the nation.  Does that create additional pressure for you?
Ryan Lang:  The more pressure the better it feels at the end of the season.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  Ryan, you wrestled for Lakewood St. Edward’s, one of the top two programs in the nation.   What was that like?
Ryan Lang:  It's part of me and what makes me up as a wrestler.  My experiences with St. Ed’s will always provide me with a mysterious, domination type of confidence I acquired from being as successful as I was, wrestling for the best team in the nation everyday.  Working out with the guys I went to high school with helped me learn what hard work is. 

Ohio Wrestling Site: I think a lot of people were surprised when your younger brother Kyle, and outstanding young talent in his own right, did not follow you to St. Ed’s.  Do you have any insight into his surprising decision?
Ryan Lang:  I think a big reason why Kyle went to Brecksville, I’m sure would be because Kyle is Kyle.  He makes his own decisions. He can figure out what he wants and what best suits his path. Whether he is at St. Ed’s or Brecksville, I think Kyle will become the best, because of his attitude, not what school he's at.  He's a champion everywhere as far as I'm concerned.  Just like I don’t need an Oklahoma State, Kyle doesn't need a St. Ed’s, to become the best among his opposition. Todd Haverdill has a great relationship with Kyle and I know he would have been fine at St. Ed's as well, but his support is strong either way.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  I’d like to talk about your other coaching influences.  Growing up, who would you say has had the biggest impact on your success?
Ryan Lang:  My father has guided me to become all that I am. Growing up my mom and dad, took me to it felt like, all parts of the country- practicing, competing, learning, working out with all kinds of kids that were better than me with coaches that were very knowledgeable and willing to help me get better..  I remember being woken up at 5 am as a kid and being asked by my dad if we wanted to go snow skiing or to a wrestling tournament in PA, and it seemed like every time I found myself in the middle of Pennsylvania entered into multiple brackets wrestling bantam and midget 70 and 75 pounds wrestling round after round, weekend after weekend, through the winters.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  What impact has the Northwestern Coaching staff had on your development from a high school star into an NCAA 4^th place finisher?
Ryan Lang: The Northwestern Coaching staff currently is one of the best in the country in my opinion. Between Eiter, Cysewski, Pariano, Dowd and Ryan Bertin, there's something unique about the way I can incorporate wrestling from each of their styles as I expand to higher levels.  They're all positive, supportive, and honest in how they've treated me and entrusted me with my career- and I'm really glad I have the respect I hold for our staff.

Ohio Wrestling Site:   In High School you had about as wide open a style as anyone I have seen compete.  Would you say that you have had to change your style for collegiate wrestling?
Ryan Lang:  Going with the "wide open" style describing my wrestling, I can comment that i am always finding better ways to execute technique, better approaches to how to compete, more ways to score points, and that will tend to keep my style appear “open.”  I just want to win. And whatever I feel necessary to learn in order to beat that opponent, I will acquire, develop, and perfect.  One day it was brought to my attention that was the mindset of wrestling great Dave Shultz, that shows how inevitable improvement is with that mindset.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  Speaking of Ohio State, their new 141 will likely be your former teammate Lance Palmer, though he may redshirt next year.  Will it be weird for you to wrestle him- since he was a 103 when the two of you were teammates?
Ryan Lang:  No, it won't be weird wrestling Lance. It's funny, but it's nearly inevitable for high level guys to end up wrestling each other at some point. Wrestling guys that you have known for your entire life is a fun experience.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  How tough of a cut is it to 141 for you?  Any chance we may eventually see you at 149?
Ryan Lang:  I will be at 141 until I see fit to move. It's my weight class. 149 is just in the back of my mind for now.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  How difficult is it to combine collegiate wrestling with Northwestern’s academics?
Ryan Lang: I don't know any other lifestyle other than trying to balance my academics with my athletics, and because Northwestern is such a premier diploma to carry around, I'd say that though it's not easy, whatever difficulty involved is well worth it once you graduate. 

Ohio Wrestling Site:  What has been the biggest motivator for you to succeed?
Ryan Lang:  Success is the only option in my mind.  Our coaches put it in a good light when they told us "winning solves everything." And in a way it does.  Motivation to succeed for me comes partly from wanting to achieve results for all that hard work that is nearly blindly put in for hours and days and weeks and months and years.  The raw motivator is just pure love for the sport and the desire to continue to get better- that is the attitude I have developed.

Ohio Wrestling Site: With the season being over now, what changes/improvements will you be looking to make to become an NCAA Champion next season?
Ryan Lang:  If I told you I might have to kill you!!! Seriously, there will be no changes, all improvements, in all areas of wrestling, in order to make it inevitable for me to become an NCAA Champion.

Ohio Wrestling Site:  One last question- what advice do you have for young wrestlers hoping to achieve what you have?
Ryan Lang:  Create detailed dreams, develop a system of training and a great attitude, and never stop!  Everyone has their own way of doing things, and their own learning curve.  Once you just let go of being afraid to win, you will begin your trek to whatever level you strive for.

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OhioWrestlingSite.com 2005