Redshirt senior Brandon Precin talks about winning his second career Midlands Championships crown and resisting late night Burger King runs.
Excerpts:
Daily: How did you first get involved in wrestling?
Precin: I first got involved through my family. I had a few uncles and cousins who wrestled and my parents asked me if I wanted to try it. I thought it would be more like pro wrestling with the throwing of the chairs, so it was a surprise when I got my butt kicked the first time.
Daily: Why NU?
Precin: I chose Northwestern for a variety of reasons: academics, athletics and being close to home.
Daily: Do you have any special pre-match rituals?
Precin: I don’t have too many superstitions – just try to take it one match at a time. A lot of times, I’ll sit in the center of the mat and shuffle my feet a little.
Daily: What has been your favorite moment during your collegiate wrestling career?
Precin: I have a couple, when I took third at NCAAs and took Midlands for the second time stand out. My goal is to hopefully win NCAAs this year.
Daily: How special was that second Midlands Championships title?
Precin: It is a really great feeling. I appreciate them selecting me as the recipient, and it means a lot and I wasn’t expecting it. It was a nice surprise.
Daily: How are you able to maintain your weight throughout the season?
Precin: Weight management is very tricky. Workouts more than once a day. For me it’s about portion control and discipline. Can’t have a late night BK run and expect to make weight. I eat the healthy stuff, chicken and salad. Not that much different than what people eat, I just take out the bad stuff.
Daily: What is your favorite thing about Evanston/Northwestern?
Precin: I am a Chicagoan at heart so it is nice to have Evanston and Chicago so close to one another.
Daily: How does it feel to be so close to home?
Precin: I’ve been very fortunate. I am far enough away I have my space, but if I need (my family) for anything I can call them and they can drive up.
Daily: You have the duals in Pittsburgh this weekend. You are expected to face Anthony Zanetta again. How does the first match in which you face an opponent affect the subsequent rematches?
Precin: When you face someone multiple times, people start to learn the way you wrestle and vice versa. Need to change your game plan each time and try to expect what they’re going to do. When I prepare for a match, I don’t want to change my style of wrestling. I want to make the match my match.
