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| Ben Askren answered your questions on Dec. 11. |
Ben Askren Chat Transcript
On Monday, Dec. 11, senior Ben Askren stopped by to answer your questions.
Askren, the defending NCAA National Champion at 174 pounds, has won his last 60 bouts, the longest active streak in the country. The 2006 winner of the Hodge Award as the nation's best grappler, Ben is coming off his third consecutive Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational title, where he racked up a 21-1 career record over his four years. With a career record of 126-8, Askren is just six wins away from breaking former head coach Wes Roper's school record of 131 victories.
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Moderator: Get your questions in now. Ben Askren will be answering your questions beginning in five minutes! |
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| Steve (columbia): are you in my exercise class with Dr. Ball? |
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Ben Askren: Steve-Yes....I am. |
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| Mark Hayes (Kansas City): As the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships) have gotten more and more popular throughtout the country it seems that more and more wrestlers are getting into that field. Any desire to to try that after college? |
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Ben Askren: Yes, I have a lot of desire. I want to take my time and learn a lot of the other skills needed besides wrestling. Hopefully, eventually I'll become successful in that field as well. |
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| Ryan (Florissant, MO0: What has been the biggest thing that has motivated you through high school and college? |
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Ben Askren: Trying to be the best ever. |
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| Bruce Rosendale, Wisconsin: Ben why didn't you attnd Wisconsin?
I heard that you were never recruited by Coach Davis. |
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Ben Askren: I wasn't strongly recruited but the Missouri wrestling coaching staff did a great job of recruiting me. |
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| Matt (St. Louis, MO): First off, congratulations on not only becoming Missouri's first NCAA champ, but also on being awarded the Danny Hodge trophy and the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAAs. Your season last year was one of the most dominant seasons ever by a college wrestler. It will be difficult for anyone to match it this year, but if anyone can do it, you can. Good luck.
My question: Have Matt Pell or Raymond Jordan given you a hard time about chasing everyone away from 174 into their weight classes? Although I'm rooting for Raymond Jordon, Herbert will be tough to beat at 184, and 165 was already crowded with talent before you chased Perry and Patrovich into the weight class. You're certainly not making things any easier on Pell and Jordan. |
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Ben Askren: No, I believe Matt and Raymond are both the most talented wrestlers at their respective weight classes. It does make my division kind of boring though. |
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| Jason Post Lenexa, Ks: What advice can you give younger guys when just starting the sport of wrestling? Good Luck in your journey to be the best wrestler and best team in the nation this year... |
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Ben Askren: Work hard and have fun and don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something. |
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| Sandi Burgess-Columbia: Seriously, Ben. . .when are you going to tame that 'fro? It is abouit to overtake the Hearnes! Keep it up and good luck this season! |
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Ben Askren: Sandi...I don't think I'll be getting a haircut anytime soon. But, I hope you're around this week to get your Christmas present! |
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| waukesha: Ben:
Are you coming to town any time soon to watch the warhawks? |
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Ben Askren: I hope to make it home for the state tournament this year. |
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| Luke Bader, St. Louis: Ben,
Earlier this year I watched you get your hair cut mullet style on ESPN after you won the national title. Any chance we will get to see the mullet before the season is over? Keep up the good work, you are a pinnning machine!! |
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Ben Askren: The mullet was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me, I don't think it will be making a comeback. If you have creative hairdo options for me, please let me know. |
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| Hassan Mahmood (New York): Do you cut a lot of weight for 174? Can you make 165 and not be completely sucked out? |
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Ben Askren: I make 174 pretty comfortably during the season. I get a little heavier during the summer. 165 with a one hour weigh-in would be very difficult for me. |
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| Greg Reinhardt, Bay City , Mich: Seen your team wrestle CMU. Was very impressed with the cradle your team ran. Do you or your school sell a tape so I can learn from it. I'm in the 10th grade and have been wrestling since 6 years old and my dad coaches youth wrestling. My cradle is effective with my long arms, but think the way your team runs it would be an asset to learn. Good luck with your streak.
Greg |
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Ben Askren: Look for my DVD coming out in the near future...once I graduate. In the meantime, you should check out the Move of the Week section of our website (www.mutigers.com). Each week one of the guys on the team demonstrates a move and breaks it down for anyone to learn. Afterwards, there's a demonstration of how the move was completed in competition. |
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| Gray: What do you plan on doing after your collegiate wrestling career is over? |
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Ben Askren: I'd like to teach camps, coach, prepare for the 2008 Olympics, prepare for my future MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) career, go to graduate school and become a professional disc golfer. |
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| andy: how much of your success do you attribute to positive mental attitude? |
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Ben Askren: My positive outlook on life leads me to everything good. |
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| andy: with all of the missouri success in wrestling lately shouldn't mizzou offer gear i.e. shirts, hats so fans can show support for the team and that the university can make a little change? maybe Ben wigs or Ben t-shirts or sweat shirts.... |
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Ben Askren: You can buy some of the Missouri stuff at the team store on the North side of Faurot Field, or during duals in the second level (concourse). You can also buy things on line at www.mutigers.com After I win my second NCAA title the funky shirts are going up for sale. Look for them in Detroit...after I'm done wrestling of course... |
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| UNCLE MIKE STUART, IOWA: WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR CHRISTMAS. SEND ME SOME EXTRA TEAM POSTERS TO HANG UP IN OUR WRESTLING ROOM. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MISSOURI WRESTLING TEAM THIS WEEKEND. NICE JOB. SEE YOU AT THE NATIONAL DUALS. |
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Ben Askren: I'd like to have you come visit me in Columbia once in a while!!! |
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| Tim Vocke Rhinelander,Wi: What's next Ben, Where are you going to be in 10 years? |
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Ben Askren: Coaching a highly successful Division I wrestling team while holding a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) middle weight championship title. |
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| Javier, Madison, WIsconsin: Why did you pick Missouri over top ranked wrestling programs like Iowa, Minnesota or Oklahoma State, or your home state Wisconsin? If you could do it over, would you still do the same? |
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Ben Askren: The very top echelon programs didn't really give me that much of a look because I wasn't that great in high school. I chose Missouri because I liked everything about it. I think I would have made the same choice if I had it to do over again. |
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| VisionQuest (Wisconsin): What is your best advice to high school wrestlers in their quest for success on the mat? |
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Ben Askren: Never stop learning. Too many wrestlers think they've become good enough when that can really never be the case. |
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| Bill (Kansas City): We really enjoy the Tiger's success. How proud you must be to have your brother Max on the mat with you this year. Do your parents get to attend most of your matches? Who will be your toughest competition this year?
Thanks |
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Ben Askren: Yes, my parents come to pretty much everything. I don't know who will be my toughest competition. I'm trying to dominate everybody. |
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| Clark - Missouri: In spite of your season beginning in a dominating fasion, you are taking alot of heat on wrestling websites regarding your "hotdog" attitude. What is your response to these individuals? |
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Ben Askren: I'm just having fun and being myself. If this bothers other people, I can't help that. There comments will never change me from being me. |
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| Jim: Congrats on a great career at Mizzou and continued success throughout the regular season and nationals.
I noticed that your matches haven't been lasting very long (that's an understatement) since you had a near default with the kid from Indiannapolis. I was curious to know if you have changed your strategy to go for the quick pin instead of take down and release (and then pin) because of that match. |
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Ben Askren: I had poor strategy in that match which led to me getting my ankle injured. I was over-anxious to dominate. I haven't changed my strategy there's just been a lot of knees coming close to the head....and I can't resist a good cradle. |
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| David(Columbia): Ben love watching you wrestle. It is truly awesome to see dominance.Do you ever get mad when your in a match and the other wrestler doesn't want to wrestle? Do you say to yourself well if you don't want to wrestle I will just pin you and get this over with. Anyway can't wait to see the team against Pittsburgh and continued success. |
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Ben Askren: There's nothing more frustrating to me than having an opponent stall. Especially when the ref refuses to call stalling just because I'm wining the match. I try to make all of my pinning combinations as painful as possible so they really don't want to be on the mat with me. |
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| Mike Grain Valley: Congratulations on your success. I am a die hard MU Wrestling fan, and I look forward to MU getting more than one National Champ this year. See you in Detroit. |
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Ben Askren: So do I! |
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Ben Askren: Thanks for the questions I'm off to play some disc golf before it gets dark. Have a great week. |
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Moderator: Thanks for all the questions. Next week 125 pounder John Olanowski will be available for the online chat. Don't forget to check out the move of the week...updated every Tuesday afternoon. This week's move will be demonstrated by Assistant Coach Bart Horton. |
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