NCAA Championships Q and A: Donny Pritzlaff

- It’s a busy time for 2006 World bronze medalist Donny Pritzlaff, who is at The Palace this weekend for the NCAA Championships. Pritzlaff, a two-time NCAA champion for Wisconsin, is back in Madison again as an assistant coach for the Badgers. He’s been part of a magical season for Wisconsin that included the first dual meet win over Iowa since 1965 and a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships.

TheMat.com: What is it like being back at Wisconsin after spending the past few years as an assistant coach at Hofstra?

Pritzlaff: It’s been great. My wife and I really enjoy Madison and we love it there. It’s been good to be back in the Big Ten and it’s been great working with (Wisconsin coach) Barry Davis and everybody in the wrestling program again. The transition has gone real well.

TheMat.com: You guys really got on a roll during the dual-meet season before finishing strong in the Big Ten Championships. What do you think has been the key to your team’s success?

Pritzlaff: We had a lot of wins early and then once we beat Iowa the guys really started to believe in what the coaches were preaching and working on all year. That was a big win. Things have just kind of snowballed ever since then and we’ve been on a good roll.

TheMat.com: What message are you guys preaching to the athletes?

Pritzlaff: We are just trying to build their confidence and get them to believe in our system and the technique we are showing them. We have a lot of good guys and a lot of talent on this team – we just need to get them to believe they can do it.

TheMat.com: You won this tournament a couple times. Being here this weekend, what memories does this bring back for you?

Pritzlaff: I love being here. I could never imagine not being at every NCAA tournament for the rest of my life. I love seeing everybody, and seeing all the guys I used to compete with and against. It’s like a big reunion every year.

TheMat.com: What’s so special about this event?

Pritzlaff: The great crowds and the atmosphere – you can’t beat the fun and the excitement of the finals on Saturday night. I remember my whole family being here to celebrate both those times I won. From the time when I was a little kid, when I was eight years old, all I wanted to do was win an NCAA title. To finally actually be there and do it, that was an unbelievable feeling.

TheMat.com: You had a great season internationally in freestyle last year. How do you build off that for this season?

Pritzlaff: The goal has always been to be a World champion at the highest level. I just need to do the same things I did last year and keep improving. I had a couple opportunities to go overseas and wrestle, and that’s been good for me. I’m excited about this season.

TheMat.com: How hard is it to balance coaching and training?

Pritzlaff: It’s probably actually the best distraction you can have because you’re around the sport and it keeps you in tune with everything that’s going on. It’s a great situation for me to be in at the NCAAs because there are a bunch of guys here I can work out with and train with. I have better partners here.

TheMat.com: How excited are you about competing in your first World Cup next weekend in Krasnoyarsk, Russia?

Pritzlaff: I’m really excited. I get to wrestle three real good opponents and it’s a good tune-up for the U.S. Open that’s coming up. I’ve never been to the World Cup, not even as a fan when it was here in the U.S., so I’m really

- It’s a busy time for 2006 World bronze medalist Donny Pritzlaff, who is at The Palace this weekend for the NCAA Championships. Pritzlaff, a two-time NCAA champion for Wisconsin, is back in Madison again as an assistant coach for the Badgers. He’s been part of a magical season for Wisconsin that included the first dual meet win over Iowa since 1965 and a second-place finish at the Big Ten Championships.

TheMat.com: What is it like being back at Wisconsin after spending the past few years as an assistant coach at Hofstra?

Pritzlaff: It’s been great. My wife and I really enjoy Madison and we love it there. It’s been good to be back in the Big Ten and it’s been great working with (Wisconsin coach) Barry Davis and everybody in the wrestling program again. The transition has gone real well.

TheMat.com: You guys really got on a roll during the dual-meet season before finishing strong in the Big Ten Championships. What do you think has been the key to your team’s success?

Pritzlaff: We had a lot of wins early and then once we beat Iowa the guys really started to believe in what the coaches were preaching and working on all year. That was a big win. Things have just kind of snowballed ever since then and we’ve been on a good roll.

TheMat.com: What message are you guys preaching to the athletes?

Pritzlaff: We are just trying to build their confidence and get them to believe in our system and the technique we are showing them. We have a lot of good guys and a lot of talent on this team – we just need to get them to believe they can do it.

TheMat.com: You won this tournament a couple times. Being here this weekend, what memories does this bring back for you?

Pritzlaff: I love being here. I could never imagine not being at every NCAA tournament for the rest of my life. I love seeing everybody, and seeing all the guys I used to compete with and against. It’s like a big reunion every year.

TheMat.com: What’s so special about this event?

Pritzlaff: The great crowds and the atmosphere – you can’t beat the fun and the excitement of the finals on Saturday night. I remember my whole family being here to celebrate both those times I won. From the time when I was a little kid, when I was eight years old, all I wanted to do was win an NCAA title. To finally actually be there and do it, that was an unbelievable feeling.

TheMat.com: You had a great season internationally in freestyle last year. How do you build off that for this season?

Pritzlaff: The goal has always been to be a World champion at the highest level. I just need to do the same things I did last year and keep improving. I had a couple opportunities to go overseas and wrestle, and that’s been good for me. I’m excited about this season.

TheMat.com: How hard is it to balance coaching and training?

Pritzlaff: It’s probably actually the best distraction you can have because you’re around the sport and it keeps you in tune with everything that’s going on. It’s a great situation for me to be in at the NCAAs because there are a bunch of guys here I can work out with and train with. I have better partners here.

TheMat.com: How excited are you about competing in your first World Cup next weekend in Krasnoyarsk, Russia?

Pritzlaff: I’m really excited. I get to wrestle three real good opponents and it’s a good tune-up for the U.S. Open that’s coming up. I’ve never been to the World Cup, not even as a fan when it was here in the U.S., so I’m really