Penn's Burak rides out win at 165 in wrestlebacks at NCAA Championships
Penn’s Stephan Burak quickly glanced at the scoreboard to see he held a 1-0 lead with 21 seconds left in his wrestleback match at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center. But what Burak was focused on was his amount of riding time and how close he was to gaining the extra point awarded when a wrestler’s riding time surpasses one minute, 30 seconds.
Penn's Stephan Burak quickly glanced at the scoreboard to see he held a 1-0 lead with 21 seconds left in his wrestleback match at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center. But what Burak was focused on was his amount of riding time and how close he was to gaining the extra point awarded when a wrestler's riding time surpasses one minute, 30 seconds.
The senior did just that and was awarded the 2-1 victory after gaining the clinching point with just one second left in the win over Missouri's Zach Toal at 165 pounds.
"I just had to ride him out, and that made the difference," said Burak.
A Colorado native, Burak said he's not "really a big-city guy" but has enjoyed his four years in the city while at Penn. He believes the Championships being held in Philadelphia can help the sport gain popularity in the region.
"Hopefully this can get more kids involved and serve as a platform for the sport," Burak said.
He'll be back to wrestle later today in the next round of wrestlebacks and plans to rest and take in fluids on his break between matches.
"I'm just focused on recovery," said Burak, "Hopefully, get a take down next time too."
From Session 3: