Wrestling | 8/11/2020 12:53:00 PM
By Logan Sass, Communications AssistantGrateful. If there was one word to describe Brayton Lee, that would be the one. The Brownsburg, Indiana native has always been mindful of the opportunities that he has been given through the sport of wrestling, but not once has he taken those opportunities for granted when he steps out onto the mat. The once blue-chip recruit turned 149-pound hammer in the Golden Gophers lineup turned in an outstanding 25-6 record during his redshirt freshman campaign, but with the NCAA Championships being cancelled just days before its scheduled start, Lee's season came to a screeching halt.
Looking ahead to the 2020-2021 season, Brayton Lee is sure to be one of the most notable names in his weight class, as he competes for a national title once again. GopherSports had a chance to catch up with Lee for the first time since last season's unceremonious end to talk about the season that was, his goals moving forward, and more.
GopherSports: How's your summer been so far for you and what have you been doing to stay busy?
Lee: "Summer's been good. I've been wrestling a lot, I've been with my family a lot, I spent some time up at the University training … I got to travel, I went to Florida with my family which was great, but yeah, summer has been really good."
GS: How has the training regimen with the team been different this summer as compared to prior years?
Lee: "It's been a little bit different, I've been home back in Indiana for a large majority of the summer, besides our 3-4 week training cycles on campus, but it's been a lot more of being on the move, going day-to-day and training in a bunch of different places. Luckily for me, back home I've gotten to wrestle a lot at my club (Red Cobra Wrestling Academy), and when we're in Minnesota, we've gotten to wrestle at clubs like Pinnacle. It's been different though, normally we know when we're training and when we get off, but right now it's just kind of going with the flow, but it hasn't really changed the actual wrestling portion. When we get to wrestle, we still work hard and learn new things."
GS: Has the communication between coaches and teammates changed as well with the pandemic?
Lee: "Yeah, obviously at the beginning of quarantine we were doing Zoom calls when we weren't allowed to be together, which was definitely a little different, but we found a way and kept moving forward. So yeah, it's been different but it definitely hasn't been bad.
GS: So let's talk about last season. You came in as a true freshman as a highly-ranked recruit, and gained a lot of hype from not only Gopher Wrestling fans but also from college wrestling media. So when you stepped out on the mat at the Maturi Pavilion for the first time, was there ever any pressure or nerves on your end about trying to live up to that hype?
Lee: "The first dual meet I definitely had a lot of anticipation built up, I thought about it for a while, and with redshirting, it definitely added some pressure. Even though I would like to say I handled it perfectly, I was definitely a little excited about wrestling in front of the home crowds and the people who have been waiting on you. When you start thinking about those things you definitely want to perform, but when the moment came, it was fun to wrestle and showcase my talents in front of the fans and the University."
GS: Then shortly after your debut, you have the Cliff Keen Invitational, a premier regular season tournament, and you take home first place. Describe what that feeling was like, especially the way you won it with that string of top-10 victories in the last three rounds.
Lee: "I was really grateful for the opportunity to wrestle against great guys. Coming in, I knew I could wrestle with some of the top guys, but I just hadn't yet, so I was ready. I was hungry and I went out and wrestled hard, and even though I felt like I could do it, it was the first big tournament I had wrestled in so it was fun to win and wrestle those hard matches."
GS: Another big moment for you last year was the trip back to your home state to wrestle against Purdue and Indiana. You even got to go back and practice in your high school wrestling room before the two duals, but what was it like to wrestle back home again and ultimately get those two victories in front of friends and family?
Lee: "It was really special. With all my friends and family there, it meant a lot and I was happy I won. Just being able to wrestle hard, it was just really cool, and really unique and I think I'll remember that for a really long time"
GS: Can you talk about what it was like to just wrestle in a premier wrestling conference like the Big Ten?
Lee: "For me, it was a great opportunity. It meant a lot, because I've been watching Big Ten wrestling since I was a little kid, and so to be able to put on the Minnesota singlet and wrestle in the Big Ten, knowing I'm wrestling the best guys, it really added to my skills, my excitement, added to my love for the sport. Every match I was grateful for, and it makes you want it a little bit more knowing you are wrestling the best. It was tough, but I didn't want it any other way."
GS: We obviously have to talk about how the season ended and how bizarre that time was, because you get your seed for NCAA's, you're right in the mix for a national title and all of a sudden it's just gone. Describe that experience and the emotions that you must've been going through?
Lee: "My natural reaction, even just talking about it now, it was heartbreaking for me, to be honest. I give everything I have to wrestling, and I know life's tough, but I really wanted it that weekend and I was looking forward to it. Just for something like that to happen, something that's never happened before it was just really tough. I still don't know how to feel about it, because I'm happy with how I performed, and I'm happy that I got better, but I've been looking forward to wrestling at NCAAs my entire life, and I really felt like I could be a national champion, so it was really tough. I'm thankful for my family, my friends, and coaches though because they still support me, and we're just moving forward and trying to become a national champion next year."
GS: Overall, did you have a favorite moment from last year?
Lee: "The dual meet that I liked the most was against Wisconsin, with (Brock) Lesnar there and some of the talks we had. The way our guys competed, with some of the overtime matches we had against those guys, it was just a cool dual meet. Really, there were just a lot of fun times traveling with the guys. The more moments I have with the guys, just traveling, working out in the wrestling room and just the cohesiveness of our team was probably what I'll remember the most."
GS: Let's just talk about you for a second, because it seems like you always have a smile on your face come meet day and you've said that you're grateful for the position that you are in. Where does that come from?
Lee: "Really it comes down to the fact that a lot of people have poured a lot into me and when you take the time to sit back and think about it, as hard as times can be, for example to NCAA's, the initial reaction that rose to the surface was sadness and anger, but once those things pass, things like being grateful and joy come to mind, and ultimately it comes from my family, my friends, even in God knowing that one day I get to be with him. We only get one life and so I try to enjoy both the good and the bad, and when I think back on everything I just end up being a more grateful person."
GS: Now looking into next year, you're no longer going to be overlooked like you may have been last year, you're going to be one of the top guys in this lineup and in your weight class. Is that something that you've really thought about?
Lee: "Really, all I'm thinking about is trying to get myself better each day. I just like to live in the moment, and yeah it's fun to look at rankings, but my ultimate goal is to just be the best wrestler that I can possibly be, and as long as I keep that in the forefront of my mind, I really think that I'll be able to make up some ground during this time and come back better than last year."
GS: Do you have any goals or expectations for yourself going into next year?
Lee: "Obviously, I wanted to be a four-time national champion and I can still get three, but like I said, my ultimate goal is to just be the best wrestler I can possibly be. Getting better in every position, getting better mentally and physically, and just being grateful for these upcoming three years."
GS: Who's one teammate you would tell Gopher fans to watch out for next year?
Lee: "I would say Bailee O'Reilly. He's awesome, he's a hard worker, he's constantly working, constantly pushing himself. He's really tough too, he's got one of the highest rates of attack in the room … I think we're just making each other better, and as he continues to work hard the way he does, he's gonna keep getting pushed by guys in our room and with his work ethic, he's just going to keep getting better."
GS: Obviously, there's a lot of uncertainty going into next season, but what is the feeling going to be like for you when you're able to finally compete in front of fans again in the Maturi Pavilion whenever that may be?
Lee: "I think it will be even better than before. I think all good things come with sacrifice and we've had to change our ways but when we're able to wrestle in front of fans again, I think I'll have no regrets because I know that when I get to that match, or wrestle in front of fans, that could be the last one, so I think when they do come back they should see some exciting matches and a wide-open style from me."
GS: Finally, is there anything that you want to say to the Gopher fans who are going to be following the team?
Lee: "I know everybody is probably missing wrestling right now, but we're all still grateful for your support and everything that you do.
August 12, 2020 at 01:00AM
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Checking In with Brayton Lee - GopherSports.com
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