Keith Sulzer’s interview with Ohio Wrestling Site

Ohio Wrestling Site: Keith, after a history of being the master of winning the close bout, you were much more dominant down the stretch this season….advancing to the state finals with wins by fall, tech fall, and 11-0.  Was there a specific change that led you to be more dominant?
Sulzer: Definitely, I’ve always known I could rely on defense to win matches, but early in the year, they were getting a little too close, especially at Beast where I lost a couple of close matches….and then the Walsh match where I lost to Keyes by a point, that kind of woke me up and just got the point across that if I don’t start scoring points I am going to risk losing the big match down at state.  So I just made a conscious decision that I was going to be more aggressive and start scoring points.

Ohio Wrestling Site: You’re coming off a solid 7-3 weekend at the tough Jr. Duals.  How does that experience affect your preparation going into Fargo?
 
Sulzer:  Junior Duals, in my opinion, is the best competition you can get in the summer, even tougher than Fargo.  You’re wrestling the best kids from each state down there (in Oklahoma), you get a look at the kids you’re going to see in Fargo and it exposes your weaknesses.  In Fargo, I’m probably going to go down a weight class and now I know what to work on.  Last year, I went 7-3 but I really didn’t feel like I was wrestling at my best.  I’m ready to peak right now and I’m going to go out there and try to win it at 130!

OWS: I’d like to talk about your big win over Max Shanaman. Shanaman is a returning Junior National All-American and 2x National Prep champ.  Beating him was a key win in the pivotal OH-NJ dual.  What can you tell us about that match?
Sulzer:  You know, it was a big St. Ed’s versus Blair match, I was confident going into the match because I’d wrestled him twice before and beaten him both times….my head was screwed on right for that match.  Unlike some of the other matches, I went into that match really confident, I felt like if we were going to win the dual meet that was going to be one of the big matches.  Fortunately I went out there and got the job done.

OWS: Who did you feel the toughest opponent you faced this weekend was?
Sulzer:  Let’s see…..probably Jamal Parks of Oklahoma, either him or (Jimmy) Kennedy from Illinois.  Kennedy was a real close match for me, I ended up losing in two clinches. I got to lock first in the clinch both times….I actually got the takedown in the first clinch, but the referee said I started too high……both times we ended up in a crackdown position….I was trying to expose his back, and ended up exposing my back both times.  I’ve wrestled him a lot in the past and never beaten him.

OWS: There’s a lot of controversy regarding the new freestyle rules.  You have a long history of success in freestyle including placing 2nd at the Cadet Freestyle in 2004.  What are your thoughts on the rules?  Having been on team Ohio how do you feel most of Ohio’s top freestyle wrestlers feel about the rules?  
Sulzer: I actually like the new rules…..they benefit the guy who is best on his feet.  Before, even if you couldn’t get a takedown, you could apply pressure, get a passivity and make your opponent go par terre, but now with these new rules you’ve really got to work on your feet.  For me, I look at like these rules are making me get better on my feet.

But it seems like the consensus is….the majority don’t like the rules.  In particular, I hear people complain about the pushout rule.

OWS: What about the best 2 of 3 periods system? 
Sulzer: You saw it in Collin Palmer versus Zach Sanders, Palmer actually outscored him but lost, of course, some guys benefited from it.

OWS:  In 2005, you reached the state finals only to come up just short against Dan Mitcheff.  What effect did that loss have on your senior season?
Sulzer: I wanted to be a state champ since I came to St. Ed’s, after that loss, I knew I had one chance left…and that loss kind of motivated me to do what I had to do to get the job last year, and it exposed my weaknesses.  I wasn’t that good on my feet last year, I worked hard this year to get takedowns.

OWS: Keith, you’ve wrestled at Cadet and Junior Nationals, FILA Cadet Nationals, the Ironman and Beast of the East, as well as the Ohio state tournament.  Who do you feel the toughest opponent you have faced is?
Sulzer: Well, the worst beating I ever took was my sophomore year when I wrestled Ricky Deubel in a dual meet, so I would say he was the best.  He was so tough with that bar tilt.

OWS: Keith, you have wrestled the past four years for one of the nation’s premier programs.  What effect do you think that had on your success? 
Sulzer: I owe a lot to St. Ed’s.  The coaches and the program have given me so opportunities, as far as exposure to competition and colleges. Coach Urbas, he knows about every college coach in the country, he’s always trying to get scholarships for his wrestlers.  The workout partners, you can’t beat that. I had the best people in the state and even the country to workout with every day.

OWS: If there was a single person that has had the biggest impact on your career thus far, who would it be?
Sulzer:  Definitely dad.  He’s always pushed me to succeed.  The way he brought me up was to just never accept losing….he always pushed me to work hard.  Really, I owe him everything. 

OWS: Your first three years you had to wrestle-off with 4x state champion Lance Palmer.  What impact has that had on your career?
Sulzer: I wrestled him off as a freshman and sophomore, last year was more of an exhibition, he  started at 119 and I started at 125, and then after I had my knee surgery, he wanted to go up, so I made the choice to go to 119.  Being around someone like Lance for four years, being around someone so dominant, it showed me what I have to do.  Having someone like that right around your weight, it makes you think about how you have to push yourself as hard as you can, because if he wants the weight he’s going to go for it, it motivates you. 

OWS: Your first match with 2x state champion Ben Jordan of St. Paris Graham was a 2-1 nailbiter in the Ironman finals, yet the second time you wrestled you won 8-1, what was the difference?
Sulzer: That was right after the Keyes match, as I mentioned that match woke me up a little bit.  Before that, I had been wrestling too cautious and defensive, in that match in particular I wasn’t thinking about what’s he going to do, how am I going to counter, but instead what am I going to do, how am I going to score points.

OWS: Keith, you selected Northwestern as your collegiate choice.  What factors caused to pick that University?
Sulzer: Well first of all, I’m real big on academics, and Northwestern is one of the best colleges in the nation in terms of academics.  You get the best of both worlds, you get a great education and you get to wrestle in the Big Ten, the best wrestling conference in the country.  Plus, I like the coaches really well.

OWS: What weight do you anticipate competing at? 
Sulzer: The plan is I’m going to start at 133, maybe move up to 141 when Ryan (Lang) graduates. 

OWS: Are you planning  to redshirt or compete your first year?
Sulzer: Right now, it’s up in the air.  I’ll do what’s best for the team.  If I’m the best guy at my weight, I probably will wrestle and redshirt later down the line, if not I’ll probably redshirt.  Maybe I’ll wrestle next year, then redshirt the following year, then move up to 141 with Lang graduating.

OWS: We’re coming down to the wire as far as Fargo goes……what does a week of training look like for you right now?
Sulzer: I lift heavy 3-4 times per week, I’ll wrestle probably 5-6 days per week.  On the days I don’t lift I’ll run.

OWS:  So basically you’re looking at wrestling almost every day, and either running or lifting every day…..essentially two hard workouts per day?
Sulzer:  Yep, pretty much.

OWS: Who are your main training partners right now?
Sulzer:  Even though he’s kind of small I work out with Timmy Peskar….Sean Nemec, and then really, all the guys from the St. Ed’s team who are going to Fargo.

OWS: Keith, you carried a 4.2 grade point average in high school.  What was the key to balancing an outstanding wrestling career with academic success?
Sulzer:  The way I was brought up I guess.  I take a lot of pride in my school work, and I never settle for less than an “A”.  I approach school just as I do wrestling- I try to be perfect in both.

OWS: What advice do you have for young wrestlers who would like to accomplish what you have?   
Sulzer:  I would say, don’t take for granted the time you have now…. I wish I could go back to junior high and take that time and be more serious about getting better.  You don’t want to look back when you’re a Senior in high school, and say “I wish I would have worked harder back then to be a state champion”.

OWS: Keith, thanks for taking the time and good luck in Fargo!
Sulzer: Ok, thanks a lot!

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