Varsity - The Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics

Varsity - November 15, 2012

Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.

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TYLER GRAFF »» WRESTLING BADGERING... Already a two-time All-American at 133 lbs. in his first two seasons wrestling for the Badgers, junior Tyler Graff opted to take an Olympic redshirt last year for the 2011-12 season in order to train in an attempt to qualify for the 2012 Summer Games in London. That hard work nearly paid off as Graff fell just short of making the U.S. Olympic team by finishing third at the U.S. Olympic Trials in April. He returns to Wisconsin loaded with the valuable experience of competing at the international level. What was most beneficial part of competing at the international level last season? "I enjoyed the challenge of being able to compete and wrestle at the highest level and learning how to train and get myself prepare for those competitions. I think a lot of it, overall, was learning how to engage in what I'm doing and putting myself in the situations that I will be in at the competitions and in practices and just focusing on getting better every day." At the international level you wrestled in freestyle competitions, what has been the biggest adjustment for you in transitioning back to collegiate folkstyle wrestling? "The differences in the rules with no locked hands and no turns. Freestyle, I actually say, definitely has positioning a lot better. Mistakes count and are a lot more critical in freestyle, so I had to focus on making a lot less mistakes. I feel like that transition into my collegiate wrestling will have me in good position." You spent much of your redshirt year training in Madison. Why? "I didn't leave because I wanted to be able to train with the guys. I like it here. It's a good campus and a good place to be." Now that you are back competing at the NCAA level, what are your goals? "To take it one day at a time and get better and results will take care of themselves. Obviously I have high expectations and my plans are for greatness." 28 » VARSITY NOVEMBER 15, 2012

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