Featured Athlete
2x All-American, 3x National Qualifier & Elite 88 Winner Cory Bloodgood Question-and-Answer Interview 3.22.2010
I've had the pleasure of knowing Cory since high school, on the wrestling team where he was a freshman and I was a senior. Fast foward nine years, and a few weeks ago I watched Cory wrestle to qualify for his third and last time to the National Tournament. Sitting there, I saw Cory hit perfectly set-up takedowns to latch on to his opponents and impressively hold them there with complete control against their best escape attempts. He had skills and techniques that I could only wish to master. Watching this, beyond my scope, it was hard to recognize Cory as a wrestler. I smiled the whole time though, as I recognized something unmistakable; the hard-working and determined kid I was familiar with. That same "kid" and all his hard work, his tenacity, made him a 3x National Qualifier, 2x All-American and the most successful and decorated wrestler and collegiate athlete to ever come out of Spring Hill, Kansas as well as etching his name in the UCM Wrestling books. Even more, Cory is a humble, positive person that anyone would love to have around. You'll see what I mean, as I got the chance to talk with Cory after his 5th place finish at the National Tournament a few weeks ago...
Q: First off, you have devoted the last eleven years of your life to the sport of wrestling, now it's over. Describe your feelings about that fact.
A: I've been thinking about it a lot now over the past week, I don't know what I’ll do with myself. Wrestling has been a big part of my life. I want to move on, with my wife and start a family as far as that goes, but I still need to find a new purpose. It’s surreal, thinking that it’s all over now.
Q: You are a 3x Division II National Qualifier, 2x All-American capping your career with a 5th place finish last weekend in
A: I definitely prefer it. My junior year I placed (at Nationals) and wasn’t ranked all year. As a senior I was ranked a good portion of the year, lost some matches, dropped in ranking, it went up and down, but eventually heading into Nationals I was out of the rankings. I was glad to be out (of the rankings), just more upset to lose those matches that put me out than anything. I liked having some of the pressure off that accompanied being ranked, and I knew I was still going to do well.
Q: In fact, you unexpectedly stormed out of the 16-man bracket and into the semifinals, only one match away from the finals, but you faced and obstacle, a tough opponent from the defending champs,
A: My quarter-final second match was a tough match, the guy was ranked 2nd in the nation, I was set up a couple times to wrestle him throughout the year but hadn’t until then. My semi-finals match was against Mario Morgan who I had close matches with in the past. Last year he won a close decision with riding time. This year he caught me on two different occasions with inside cradles and pinned me. Those losses made me look worse off against him than what I knew was true. So with him and I matched up in the semis I knew I could beat him, but he had that confidence (3 wins, 2 by pin) going in. In the match, I was hit with two controversial stall calls in the second when I was riding, but that’s just how the ref saw it. It was 3-0 late in the final period so I had to try something; I went for the win but ended up getting pinned.
Q: Heading into Nationals, in your bracket your record showed the most losses (32-19), but you also had the most overall matches with 51. Only two wrestlers had more wins and almost just as many matches, (40) Jeremy Parker 33-7, Mario Morgan 37-3, those two ended up being champion and runner-up this year, respectively. How did you get so many more matches? And how does this affect your seeding?
A: We have a tough schedule, lots of big tournaments. First tournament of the year, the UCM Open I went 4-3. I learned a lot having that many matches. You always learn more from losses than wins. I felt like I could have very well won every loss that happened this year. It definitely played a part in my success having that many matches. Another reason I had more matches is from many times wrestling up through the backside of the bracket, gaining those extra one or two matches. I prided myself in being in every tournament, staying consistent, never getting hurt. In five years I missed only one tournament, it was my junior year, and it was only because I was ill. Coach Ersland makes sure we get a lot of matches, he doesn’t hold kids out or strategize the way a lot of other coaches and schools do.
Q: You are a red-shirt senior, five years at the
A: It’s been a long five years, but it’s passed by quick. I came to Central knowing it was going to be a good fit, with how I finished my high school wrestling career. I didn’t want to go to a huge Division I school and at the same time not a small junior college. It made sense academically too. Originally coming in I wanted to start. My freshman year I ended up 3rd on the ladder in the 125lbs. division and against encouragement to do so, I didn’t red shirt. After that first year I knew then I had to move up to 141lbs. My height and weight didn’t match the smaller class, I needed to be bigger and fill out my taller body frame. So I lifted hard and red shirted my sophomore year. I ended up at 133lbs. that year. The last three years I was at 141lbs. All my hard off-season work paid off. I was lifting my ass off doing everything I could do to get better. Eventually I was beating teammates that were beating me when I first got to Central. Becoming a national qualifier was a huge confidence builder. I don’t like to tell people what to do, I’m more of a silent leader, leading with my actions and efforts. I always wanted guys to want to listen to me because of my finishings and placings, and I didn’t want to just be a leader by default, because I was an upperclassmen. As soon as I was a qualifier I really stepped up and became more and more of a leader to the team.
Q: Is there a defining tournament or match that stays with you, or sticks out in your mind that you want to discuss?
A: I have a couple, but if I had to chose one it would have to be when I first qualified for nationals in 08’. I had gotten beat by the 3rd seed, in the consolation semifinals. After that it was a long shot to Nationals, I sat there and watched four of my teammates qualify and it just hit me that I needed to work my ass off and give myself a chance to challenge for true 4th (the very last qualifying spot). I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself, get my mind right. I did, and as the team got on a roll I wrestled through the backside and won the 5th place match. Getting there to challenge for true fourth was crazy tough. I did it, I challenged the kid; he was from
Q: Talk about UCM’s long wrestling history and other accomplished wrestlers who have come before you. Where do you stack up?
A: UCM has a pretty long history of wrestling, it’s been around for a while. There are four national champs in its history. Besides Plamen (Paskelev in 2006, and he was thirty something years old from Russia, had international experience) it has been a while, since 1991 I think. After my win on Senior Night I found out that I had 103 all-time wins which moved me up to 5th in overall school history. I finished with 110. I don’t think very many people have qualified (for Nationals)3x and placed 2x. I looked and even before this season Cory was on several of the all-time and single season lists for Central including tech falls, near falls, reversals and of course, wins. Even before his total career is tallied, he stacks up pretty well in UCM wrestling history.
Q: Your very proud mom has stated many times that you “always exceed expectations.” Are you ever surprised with your placings and accomplishments, do you surprise yourself? Or, do you know in your own mind beforehand what you will do?
A: I surprise other people yeah, but me I just get more excited than anything. I know it’s something I can do before I do it. In fact, I thought I could win the National Championship this year, but I fell short and ended up finishing 5th ; according to everyone else’s predictions I wasn’t even suppose to place at all. That just shows that you can’t base your own expectations off of others’. I remember a conversation with Courtney before the state tournament my senior year. I had plans of winning it after not even placing the year before, and when I told her she was even surprised and skeptical, and she’s the closet person to me (he came close, made it to the finals). I guess the difference is that no one else sees the hard work I put in but me.
Q: Talk about your support system: parents, wife, coaches…
A: I have a really nice support system. My wife Courtney takes care of all kinds of little things when I’m tired or I’ve been training hard focusing completely on wrestling; like cooking for me and things like that. She helps a ton. My parents have always been there, they travel a lot and always come to my tournaments. Courtney’s parents have came out (to watch) a lot. It was exciting to have around twenty or so people in the stands for me at Regionals this year, it gave me even more motivation to win.
As far as teammates, a few guys, like Grant Baker especially, really boosted my confidence and was my biggest support I had last year. He was always looking out for me, coaching, making sure I’m working my hardest and pushing me. Guys like Bill Forest and Jesse Whitson, same thing. (Head Coach and 2010 Hall of Fame Inductee Robin Ersland) was always very supportive. He is a hard-ass, you’ve met him. He likes doing things his way. You have to earn his trust, definitely. He is so easy to get mad at and question, but as you get to know him you realize he wants you to win just as much as you do yourself. He’s a personality that you just have to get to know to understand. For example he paces during matches, he can’t sit still at the corner of the mat to coach; I realize those littler things now. Not everybody necessarily sees that stuff. Starting out with him my first year I just didn’t know what to expect, he had that different personality and different coaching style. Now I realize he’s been there since day one for me but I couldn’t really see it until a good while into it (their relationship).
Q: Your wife Courtney has said to me, “Who doesn’t like Cory?” which in one simple phrase, describes you perfectly. You have a great attitude with modesty, an infectious positive personality, and rare work-ethic. That’s not a bad way to be remembered, how do you feel about that?
A: I definitely like to be remembered like that. I consider myself a modest person. I know I am a better wrestler than other guys, but I’m not one to talk about it, I keep it to myself. Not being modest isn’t going to make you any better. Not ever being satisfied is what always makes you better. Every year I was never satisfied, and every year I got better. All the team awards, medals, All-American plaque, trophies, everything I had earned and won I sent home to my parents. I didn’t want to look at them, I didn’t want to concentrate on the past. The only one that stayed in my house was the “Most Dedicated” award I received from the team. I kept that one so it helped remind me of who I was, helped to keep me motivated and not satisfied. I always thought after my senior year when my careers done then I’ll think about my past accomplishments.
Q: Talk about the Elite 88 honor and what that means.
A: It’s pretty cool; I had heard of the award before but never really knew anything about it. I had always kept a good GPA but I didn’t know what to expect when an NCAA official came up to me in the middle of my warm up for my very first match at Nationals and notified me. In that short time I started learning about it and what an honor it was. So right before the National Anthem, during the opening ceremonies I went up on stage to receive the award in front of the 5000 people there. It was hard, getting ready to wrestle my second match of the tournament against the #2 ranked guy in the country, and here I was getting presented with this award. Honestly in a way I didn’t really want to think about it (the award) at the time, I wanted to stay focused on my upcoming match. After the tournament I started thinking about it, and I only wish I would have taken it in more at the time, but the fact that I had a big match immediately following it kind of ruined it (the awards presentation part). I’m very proud and honored to win the Elite 88 honor.
Q: Eleven years. How do you, or can you draw a conclusion to your life as a wrestler? What’s next, coaching?
A: Well, it’s funny. I think about it now and I can start to finally be satisfied after years of telling myself to never be satisfied. I can now look back and start to actually enjoy my accomplishments. As far as the future goes, not being a competitor I realize I’m a fan now. I’m always going to be active, helping out my high school and younger guys and keeping in shape. I really like coaching and need to look into it more, but at the same time I don’t want to be a teacher. The future is open. I love wrestling so much I want to give back, its part of me that can’t leave. I’ll find a way to continue to be involved in wrestling. In general it’s a sport that is always put on the back burner, I want to try and get it in the main stream. I had people help me along my path, now I need to do the same and give back.
I think now you can pull all those awards, trophies, and medals out and start to look at them Cory.
