Ohio Wrestling Site's Interview with Sean Nemec

For Ohio Wrestling fans, three things have been inevitable over the past decade: death, taxes, and Ohio's best wrestlers leaving the state in droves. We've watched our Ohio greats win NCAA titles: Indeed, while an impressive twelve Ohio high school wrestlers have won NCAA titles since 1990, only three of them did so for Ohio Schools- or 25%. Among the great wrestlers who won NCAA Championships for out of state schools: Dan St. John, Marcusn Mollica, Alan Fried, Ryan Bertin, Brian Dolph, Joe Heskett, Mark Kerr, Charles Jones, and Dustin Schlatter. It may be fair to say that the Schlatter's brothers leaving Columbus (their original home town) for the University of Minnesota was the final nail in the coffin of the prior regime. Only NCAA Champs Tommy Rowlands, Kevin Randleman, and Rex Holman stayed in state, winning national titles for Ohio State.

There has been almost an expectation that top recruits would head somewhere beside the Ohio State University (or any other Ohio school for that matter)- which is why, it was so crucial for Ohio State's new regime to set a new precedent....to make a statement that, the Big Ten program down in Columbus is good enough for Ohio's best. The importance of capitalizing on the momentum and goodwill towards the new staff could not be overstated. Tom Ryan and his staff have done exactly that- as Ohio's consensus #1 recruit, Sean Nemec, gave a verbal commitment to Ohio State on October 19th. Ohio Wrestling Site spoke with Nemec about his decision to head to Ohio State and his upcoming senior season.


OHIO WRESTLING SITE:   Sean, I understand that the you have recently made a college selection, the Ohio State University- are the rumors true? 
SEAN NEMEC:  Yep, I will be at Ohio State.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE: What influenced your decision to pick Ohio State?
NEMEC: I felt real good about all the new coaches there, and what they were doing.  They were confident in their goals and plan to achieve them, and the guys that were there were hungry to win.  More importantly I felt real comfortable there.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE: What colleges did it come down between?
NEMEC:  My top three choices were Ohio State, Northwestern, and Michigan.  Ohio State and Northwestern were the final two choices.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  Was it a hard decision for you?
NEMEC: Yeah, it was real tough, I really didn’t have a bad visit with any of the three.  I’ve known the guys from Michigan like Mike Kulzycki for years so it was pretty hard.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  Did you have to call and break the news to Michigan and Northwestern?
NEMEC: Yeah, just today….. they were pretty tough calls to make!

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  Heading into your senior year, what goals have you set?
NEMEC:  First of all, win states again.  I would really like to  go undefeated.  Winning nationals after the season would be great. 

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  Do you feel that losing Lance Palmer as a workout partner will affect you?
No, I really don’t think so.  I still have Brian Roddy, I still have Shawn Harris and Dan Gonsor….so I will see a number of different styles from great wrestlers in the room.  Having Lance to work out with after next year will be a plus.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  There’s been a lot of speculation and rumor as to what weight you will be at, can you clear that up for Ohio wrestling fans?  What weight will we see you at this year?
NEMEC: I’m actually planning to go 160.  Just in the last week I decided that I’m not going to cut weight this year.  I actually got hurt last week, injuring my ankle….we have those certification weigh-ins coming up, I wasn’t sure if I could get down to 152 without running. 

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  How is the ankle now? 
SEAN NEMEC: It’s a lot better, I’m just rehabbing it now, should be ready to go by the time practice starts. 

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  Last summer you lost to Eric Medina of Blair Academy at Junior Duals.  Then you seemed to take your game to a whole different level at Fargo, taking out three outstanding New Jersey wrestlers- Eric Medina, Scott Winston, and Damion Caldwell— what was the difference?
NEMEC:  I think it was just mental, really.  It seems when I’m at Fargo, I don’t think about things as much.  I guess because its off-season I don’t worry about it as much, I just go out and wrestle. 

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  A lot of people were highly anticipating a match-up between yourself and Eric Medina at Ironman and even more so, a match-up with Colt Sponseller at Medina.  However, that was when people assumed you would be at 152.  Now that you are going 160 is there one match-up that you are looking forward to?  
NEMEC: I think there’s a still a good possibility of wrestling (Colt) Sponseller or (Eric) Medina.  It’s hard to say what weight they will be at.  But I try not to focus too much on one opponent- I try to take every match the same. 

OHIO WRESTLING SITE: You’re pretty familiar with the style of both by now….having wrestled Sponseller and been on several teams with him, and having wrestled Medina twice over the summer.  Does that affect how you approach the matches?
NEMEC: Not really… I wrestled Sponseller in the finals of Medina two years ago, and Medina twice this summer.  I have been on the cadet and junior national teams with Sponseller too, but I don’t remember us wrestling too much.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE: The possibility has been discussed of Thomas Straughn moving up to challenge you and whatever weight you go.  What are your thoughts on another meeting with Straughn? 
NEMEC: If it’s true, there’s nothing I can do about it.  I’m not going to change anything I do training-wise for one guy.  If it comes down to states, I’ll focus on it, but I don’t think I’ll train during the year any differently for him.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  Sean, your freshman year you lost unexpectedly in the state finals against Brian Matthews of Garfield Heights, a wrestler you’d beaten badly the week before.  What can you tell us about that match?
NEMEC:  It was a tough match, a tough loss to take. I don’t know what went wrong…… I don’t know if it was nerves or what.  But it probably helped me in the long run- as far as hunger to win.  Its hard to think of it that way, but I guess it was probably a blessing in disguise. 

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  Meaning that the loss has served to motivate you?
NEMEC: Yeah, definitely.  Especially that whole next year.  Just remembering how it feels to lose a big match gave me all the motivation I needed.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  I know that you actually live in Garfield Heights- the story I’ve heard is your father actually has to drive by the sign that says “Bryan Matthews, State Champion” on his way to work, is that right?
NEMEC:  (laughs) Yeah, that’s right.  But actually, when I won they took his sign down and put mine up, in St. Edward colors.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  That sounds like great redemption!  Who do you think has had the biggest role in your success thus far?
NEMEC: Probably the coaching staff at St. Edward.  I don’t think if I went to another high school I’d be as successful.  They train you in all aspects…..make you mentally tough, the most technical, and the best conditioned. I think they are the best in the country at what they do!

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  What wrestler or wrestlers have you looked up to in your career?
NEMEC:  Ryan Bertin.  He went to St. Edward and was only a 1x state champ….. and then he goes out and wins two NCAA titles in college! 

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  What accomplishment or victory are you the most proud of in your career?
NEMEC: Probably both state titles, about equally.  As for matches, looking at Beast and Ironman and Fargo, there’s been a lot of tough battles.  Maybe when I beat Blasco at Ironman last year 6-2.  He had beaten me the previous year in the dual.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  Sean, right now you are considered the best wrestler in Ohio- a 2x state champion, 3x finalist, Cadet National Champion, and 2x junior national freestyle All-American.  What has been the key to your success?
NEMEC: The hard work I see at St. Ed’s…..I think we work harder that anybody else. 
OHIO WRESTLING SITE:  That’s hard to argue against! Changing gears, is getting your college decision made a weight off your shoulders?
NEMEC: Most definitely!  This past week, really the whole decision time has been real stressful, so it’s really good to get it off your shoulders and be able to focus on wrestling.

OHIO WRESTLING SITE:   Once again, thanks for taking the time and congratulations on being a Buckeye!
NEMEC: Thanks!

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OhioWrestlingSite.com 2005