Jan. 12, 2015
Craig Sesker of USA Wrestling documents Wildcats sophomore Jason Tsirtsis' progress towards a second consecutive NCAA Championship at 149lbs. The Crown Point, Indiana, native has won his last 38 matches dating back to Jan. 10, 2014, including a perfect 22-0 mark and a Midlands Championship this season.
Said Tsirtsis about his first national crown, and his pursuit of the next one:
“I've said it multiple times, it's what you set your goals for as a kid. It was definitely a great feeling. To have it come this quickly in my career was a blessing, yet trying to repeat is going to be twice as hard. I just have to keep improving.”
Northwestern head coach Drew Pariano said Tsirtsis has provided a blueprint for his teammates to follow:
“Jason is a great kid who is very enjoyable to coach,” Pariano said. “There isn't a day that goes by where he doesn't think about making himself better. He stays after practice and he's open to new concepts. He's very knowledgeable, and he's someone people want to be around. He leads by example and he's been a great mentor to some of our younger guys. He's really had a big impact on our program.”