UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- For 2021 Men's Epee Champion Ryan Griffiths, earning his first title at this year's NCAA Championships was something special. "Having finally won, it was just a sense of validation that everything we did leading up to this has paid off."
Competing at the Bryce Jordan Center as tournament hosts gave the Nittany Lions a sense of familiarity and the opportunity to strictly focus on preparing to fence. "I think in terms of preparation we were just coming in everyday making sure that we were pushing ourselves, that were doing the best that we can just to make sure that we were ready to compete."
While the tournament was fun, it was also very different than what Ryan was used to, as the format of the NCAA Championships are the only of its kind. "There is no other tournament in the world that's even remotely similar to it."
While this format doesn't necessarily get repetitive, it does become mentally exhausting, making it especially important to treat every bout like it's the last. "It's the only competition that you have two days straight of just 5-touch bouts over and over and over again."
Griffiths last competed in the NCAA Championships freshmen year. Competing again as a junior without fans or his family in attendance was an adjustment, however, the support from his teammates helped fill the void. "It's like a second family you're constantly surrounded by."
Ryan's family was able to live stream the event and while he was used to seeing their faces in the stands, it was comforting to know they were cheering him on from home.
His biggest challenge of the tournament was starting off 0-3. "After that I needed to take a step back and relax a bit." After refocusing his attention, Griffiths was victorious.
"When it finally happened, fencing Notre Dame in the final, I wasn't even nervous at that point I was just comfortable because as an athlete you want to be in the most-tense situations and when that moment finally happens, all the nerves go away."
Penn State as a team finished second behind Notre Dame. Ryan is looking forward to next season and is hopeful for the Nittany Lions' continued success. "I feel the team as a whole, right now, we are just banging on this door. Every year we are just so close. I'm hoping that next year we finally just break this door down."
