"I was signaling that this was the end of this part of my life," he said. "It's been a great journey and and I couldn't be happier to close my career as a national champion."
Prater, seeded second at the NCAA Championships, marched to the semifinals on Friday with a 14-0 major decision over Cornell's Trevor Engle followed by a 3-0 win over Delaware Valley's Vincent Fava. In the semifinal match on Saturday morning, Prater pinned third seeded Mark Hartenstine of Wilks to reach the finals.
Facing, top-seeded and top-ranked Bobby Dierna of SUNY-Cortland in the championship match, it was Prater's defense that helped him early in the match. Dierna nearly had him in a prone position, but Prater countered and was able to draw a stalemate whistle.
"Dierna really frustrated me in the first period, but I felt that I would able to roll around with him on the mat," he said.
Ryan Prater records a near fall in the championship match.
Prater showed his strength in the second period, starting from the top position and turning Dierna's shoulder to the mat for two points on a near fall. He rode Dierna for the entire period to build up two minutes of riding time and put Dierna in a virtual 3-0 hole.
"There's a certain sense of pride on being able to ride a guy out for the entire period," Prater said. "Putting him behind by three points really gave me the confidence that I could finish off the match and win."
Prater earned a quick escape in the third period and held Dierna at bay until the closing seconds to secure a 4-2 victory and become the third Bluejay in the last two years to win a national title.
"I couldn't be more proud of the work that Ryan put in this season," said Elmhurst head coach Steve Marianetti. "He easily integrated with this team and despite his background, he never tried to stand out except when it was time to perform on the mat."
At 25 years old, Prater followed in the footsteps of former All-American Elmhurst wrestlers Dalton Bullard and Mike Benefiel. Both Bullard and Benefiel were both former Division I wrestlers at major programs and transfered to Elmhurst after a few years away from the sport. Bullard won a pair of All-America honors in 2012 and 2013 while Benefiel won a national title at 197 pounds last year.
"Coming out of high school as a state champion, I think every wrestler dreams of going to college and winning a national championship," said Prater. "I was a little bitter with the way things ended for me at [University of] Illinois, so I ended up stepping away for about three and a half seasons, but I was able to view the sport from a different angle as a coach while also maturing as well. Watching the success that Dalton and Mike had at Elmhurst made me realize that I still had the desire to get back on the mat and compete. I'm grateful for Coach Marianetti and the entire Elmhurst coaching staff for helping me fulfill my dream of winning a national championship."
Prater also had to overcome an injury along the way to the national championship. He blazed through his first 10 matches of the season without a blemish before a knee injury put him on the sidelines for almost six weeks. He returned from the injury and promptly won a CCIW title, an NCAA regional title, and now, an NCAA national title while finishing the season with a perfect 20-0 record. He joins Jake Oster as Elmhurst's only undefeated national champion and became the fourth Bluejay to win a national title on the mat.
Ryan Prater celebrates with Elmhurst coach Steve Marianetti.
"To be able to call myself a national champion is amazing," said Prater. "But my body is ready for a rest, so I'm happy I could end my career on top."
Prater's win helped Elmhurst finish tied for 17th place with 22.5 points in the team standings.
Marianetti, who improved to 4-2 as a coach in national championship matches, was quick to point out that every wrestler has their own unique journey throughout their career.
"A wrestler's journey doesn't always happen in a straight line," said Marianetti. "I'm happy that we've been able to help Ryan and several others write a happy ending to their wrestling careers."
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