Seth Gross made South Dakota State history last year when he became the first athlete to earn an individual Division I national title for the school at the 2018 草莓网站在线看 Wrestling Championships. This year, the 133-pounder returns, and he's aiming to add another title to his name in his final year as a Jackrabbit. Gross has become a leader in the South Dakota State wrestling room over the course of his three years with the program, and we caught up with the returning national champ to talk about drive, his goal-setting process and what he hopes to see from his team this year.
RELATED: 25 college wrestlers to watch in the 2018-19 草莓网站在线看 season
Here's everything you need to know about Seth Gross's wrestling mentality, in his own words.
What his mindset was like before wrestling in the national finals:
Championship Dreamin'
鈥 草莓网站在线看 Wrestling (@草莓网站在线看Wrestling)
I think one thing that helped me is that I had been there the year before, and it鈥檚 definitely a little bit scary and different. I鈥檝e been at state tournaments, but nothing really compares to that 草莓网站在线看 atmosphere, and nothing really has that many eyes on the wrestling mat, so it鈥檚 definitely a little bit nerve-wrecking. But what I started doing is going out there and blocking everything else out, and it鈥檚 just me and that other person out there, and just focusing on the wrestling match out there. You can鈥檛 let outside factors affect you, and I really focused on that going out there this year. I think that鈥檚 something that is kind of hard to do when it鈥檚 that many people, that many people yelling and cheering and everything, every time someone scores you have 'oohs' and 'ahhs,' different things like that, and it鈥檚 hard to block it out, but you鈥檝e got to otherwise it鈥檚 going to impact your wrestling.
How he defines his wrestling style:
I鈥檓 pretty relentless when I wrestle, just going after guys; I鈥檓 hard to score on. I鈥檓 going to wrestle through every position, maybe somebody gets two, maybe not, but I鈥檓 just going to keep wrestling. You can take me down, and I鈥檒l be up and out, trying to score again. I鈥檝e really focused in college wrestling on my top wrestling, and I think that definitely helps me out in a lot of matches. If you can get on top, you can get a turner and get some back points, that kind of thing. That鈥檚 one thing I鈥檝e really worked on over the summer, just adding things to my top game. People are going to start adapting and learning, so I just need to keep adding things to what I do, just keep adapting and wrestling through positions.
Which opponent he鈥檚 most excited to compete against this year:
Standing O for at the game. So impressed with this guy鈥檚 work ethic - can鈥檛 wait to see him in action in a few weeks!
鈥 Damion Hahn (@damion_hahn)
It鈥檚 always the next one. It鈥檚 not someone in particular. I love wrestling and getting out there, and every time you go out there, you learn something new. I鈥檇 say there are some younger guys that I haven鈥檛 wrestled yet, or they鈥檙e coming up to 133, that I鈥檓 excited to wrestle, but nobody in particular. I want to go make World teams and Olympics teams, and so I think that I鈥檓 just focusing on getting better right now and focused on pushing myself and that will help me reach those goals later on.
Why he writes down his goals:
Discipline. The one thing necessary to achieve any goal worth having. Fired up for the season
鈥 Seth Gross (@GodsWrestler133)
I love writing my goals down. I鈥檒l be sitting in class and writing my goals down every day, just little things everywhere I go. I have them put up on my locker, put up on my wall next to me in my bedroom. I like having my goals in front of me, it makes it easier to keep yourself accountable to things. It also helps other people keep me accountable, so the coaches know what I鈥檓 trying to do. If they see me slacking, they can call me out on it and say, 'That doesn鈥檛 match up with what your goals are.' So I write it down as much as I can and tell them to myself every day. You know, one big thing for me is telling myself I鈥檓 a 2019 national champ, I鈥檓 a 2019 world champ, and just training that every day because you have to talk it into reality, and just make things happen like that.
ALSO: College wrestling power rankings
How the team has developed at South Dakota State over his three years:
Single-match tickets for the upcoming 2018-19 season are now on sale at the office. Get yours today by calling (605) 688-5422 or online at !
鈥 South Dakota State Jackrabbits (@GoJacksSDSU)
Just guys are buying in, just a lot of improvement from these young guys because they come in, and you might not have expected much out of them. Maybe they weren鈥檛 the most talented, maybe they weren鈥檛 the strongest guys, but now we see these guys shaping into something, and that鈥檚 really cool. It鈥檚 those guys that just bought in and decided, 鈥業鈥檓 going to do what the coach says, I鈥檓 going to do extra, I鈥檓 going to do everything right.' My freshman year, my sophomore year at South Dakota, a lot of guys quit, and it鈥檚 those guys that stuck around and kept doing things right that are now starting to see a little bit of success, and I think that鈥檚 going to show this season. I think our team is definitely the underdogs in a lot of our duals compared to where we were at last year. We are a young team now, but the way we鈥檝e been working and moving forward, it鈥檚 going to be awesome.
MORE: Penn State wrestling looks almost unbeatable. Here are 3 teams that could unseat the champs
