University of Minnesota Athletics
Freshman Friday: Brandon Krone
8/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
For all wrestlers, the jump from high school wrestling to college wrestling is challenging. What those challenges are and how they're overcome differs from person to person. As a high school All-American and All-State performer, Brandon Krone had a routine to prepare for matches that led to success on the mat, but his results early in his college career were lackluster. After an 0-3 start, Krone received a bit of advice from a former Gopher All-American that he took to heart. A subtle change ââ'¬" switching the style of music he listened to as he got ready to wrestle ââ'¬" may not have been the lone reason for a sudden improvement in his results, but it represented a new mindset that helped Krone go 14-2 the rest of the way. GopherSports.com caught up with Krone this summer to talk about how he turned his season around and built a successful rookie season.
What's the biggest challenge transitioning from high school wrestling to college wrestling?
The biggest thing I noticed was constant action. You can't really take a second to think. You have to constantly be moving, constantly looking for the next shot and constantly chain wrestling or you end up on [the mat]. That happened to me a couple of times. I'd get in deep on a shot and think, 'Nice, I got this guy.' But then I'd take a second to adjust or change the angle and I'd be on my face having to bail out. That doesn't happen in high school.
What were you feeling when you started your first college season 0-3?
I don't know if I'd say I was nervous, but my head wasn't in the right place. I'd just get too excited. I really don't know how to explain it. I think it was Mike Thorn, who was at one of the open tournaments, who told me, "You've got to calm down. Find a way to calm down." So I started listening to Christian music. That was my warm-up music for the rest of the season. I'd bump Christian music in my Beats and, instead of trying to get pumped up for my match, I'd relax as much as I could. It helped a lot.
After that tough start you sort of went on a tear for the rest of the season ââ'¬" going 14-2 the rest of the way. That can't all be just based on music. What else changed?
I wasn't pushing as hard. I was letting it come to me instead of trying to force it. I wasn't reaching out for stupid stuff. Instead of telling myself, 'You've got to go for this shot, this is your go-to shot, you've got to hit it' it was, 'Alright, move this guy around, whatever shot comes to me, I'm going to hit.'
How do you stay positive and put in the hard work every day when you're struggling like you were?
I didn't let it get to me. You figure, this is college, it's going to be a lot tougher than high school. Not every match is going to be a quick pin. You're not going to be able to hit your cradle every match.
Was there a moment where you felt like your season turned around?
Definitely. After that first cradle (against Darrian Irlbeck of Buena Vista at the Luther Open) I was like, 'I can compete with these kids.'
Now that you've experienced it for an entire year, how would you describe a practice in the Minnesota wrestling room?
A lot of live (wrestling). We drill for 10 minutes, maybe 15 minutes. Sometimes they put us through a drill match. Then it's all live situations. The thing with having good partners is everything you learn is from the guy you're wrestling. It's one of the coolest things. Everybody you're wrestling down there is going to make you better. It's hard not to get better.
Bigger picture, what's was this year like as you became a collegiate student-athlete?
It was a little bit of a struggle initially. Honestly, I was taken aback but how hard my classes were. I took drawing and I thought, 'This is going to be sweet.' It was one of the hardest classes I've ever had. It was hard to find time. All my architecture classes interrupted wrestling practice. I was constantly having to try to find workouts and going straight from class to practice. Traveling was fun though. It helps you get to know your teammates. You really grow together, especially when your packed into a hotel room.
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