It’s all about Iowa vs. Penn State. And, no, this isn’t another rehash of a painful football defeat. Rather, it’s a look forward to the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships where all the mat metrics point to a battle between the Hawkeyes and the Nittany Lions.
Iowa, of course, won last year’s team championship over Penn State, 129 points to 113.5. But the Lions earned some whopping consolation prizes when all four of their finalists—Roman Bravo-Young, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks—won individual titles.
Now, with a “free year” stemming from the COVID cancellation of the 2020 championships, all of last year’s regulars from both teams are available to compete again.
And that has created all kinds of anticipation in Iowa City and Happy Valley. Other powerhouses like Michigan, Arizona State, Oklahoma State and North Carolina State will grab some attention, but expert observers are locked in on Iowa and Penn State.
The geriatric Hawkeyes will pin their hopes on fifth, sixth or even seventh-year veterans Spencer Lee, Austin DeSanto, Jaydin Eierman, Kaleb Young, Alex Marinelli and Michael Kemerer. Penn State, holder of eight of the last 10 NCAA team crowns, will field a somewhat younger lineup led by the aforementioned individual champions.
How will it all turn out? To be honest, I haven’t got a clue, but I know someone who might. Jeff Byers, the radio voice of Penn State wrestling since 1990, loves the Lions but he’s fair-minded and warm-hearted toward all who endure the grueling demands of wrestling—even the rival Hawkeyes.
So before Penn State (2-0 after wins on Saturday against Sacred Heart and Oregon State) hosts its home opener against Army on Thursday night at Rec Hall, I sat down with the man they call “Ironhead” to talk about the battle that lies ahead. Along the way, we also discussed a transfer athlete who could supply success at 125 pounds. And the competition between Michael Beard and Max Dean for the 197-pound role. And a returning national champion who may have actually gotten lots better since last year.
Jeff, what are you expecting from this year’s NCAA wrestling season?
Byers: I’m expecting it’ll be a whole lot of fun. The fact that you have so many guys returning through the extra year of eligibility, along with the new kids coming in… I don’t know that we’ve ever had as much talent competing for starting spots in all of the rooms.
In fact, all 10 national champs are coming back to their respective teams. And Iowa may have the oldest lineup in the recent history of college wrestling.
Byers: They’re old, oh yeah. They’re a veteran group. I think everybody’s looking at that as an advantage, and certainly having experience is an advantage. But this sport takes a toll on you, and it’s not easy to keep that focus and enthusiasm for five years, let alone six or seven.
Maybe everybody in the Iowa lineup will be better than they were a year ago. But for Penn State with younger kids, I think you will see greater jumps from freshman year to sophomore or sophomore to junior year than you would from junior to senior year or whatever. I think one of the big focal points for Penn State will be in getting more bonus points. Bonus points were a contributing factor last year—the lack of them for Penn State. So that’s where you’re looking for Penn State to close the gap.
Do you think all Penn State’s reigning champions will repeat as champs?
Byers: Obviously you’re hoping that’s the case, but a lot of things fell into place for all four to win last year. And once you’re the champion, everybody is gunning for you and they’re studying all your films. I think all four of those guys are obviously going to be in the title hunt. But there’s never a guarantee with injuries and so many other factors.
For example, at 133 where Roman Bravo-Young is coming back, some people want to say, ‘Hey, I think Daton Fix is going to be better than Roman.’ And indeed, Daton has been phenomenal on the international stage and he is a fantastic wrestler. The same thing with Starocci—there are some people that think last year was a little bit fluky when he got the win in sudden victory over Kemerer. But Roman has jumped a level in his game and so has Carter. So has Nick Lee.
I don’t think it’s crazy for somebody to think a certain guy will have trouble getting to the finals, even Aaron Brooks. To me, Aaron has been the most consistent of the four we’re talking about. But there’s a lot of really good guys in his weight class. Amin (Myles, from Michigan) is terrific, a very talented individual who’s going to be very driven. And Hidlay (Trent, from North Carolina State by way of Lewistown) was right there with Aaron last year in the finals.
Of all the newcomers to the program—whether freshmen or transfers—who really stands out to you?
Byers: Max Dean. It’s a pretty easy pick to say he’s going to have an impact. He’s obviously a special kid in terms of his commitment to the sport and now to the Penn State program. (Dean placed second for Cornell at the 2019 NCAA Championships; he was unable to compete at the 2021 Nationals because the Ivy League cancelled all wrestling last season.) He is a guy that is just good to have on the team. But it’s not a given that he’ll be the starter. I think he and Michael Beard (the seventh place NCAA finisher in 2021 as a redshirt freshman) will have a very fiery competition throughout the entire course of the year. And I think it’s going to benefit both of them in terms of their wrestling. Obviously, it will be very rough on one of them at the end of the season, the one who isn’t representing the program in the Big Tens and NCAA tournament.
Aside from the 197-pound class, both Shane Van Ness and Alex Facundo are big time prospects. (Van Ness is a 149-pounder who won two National Prep titles; Facundo, a 165-pounder, captured four Michigan high school championships.) I’m not sure that either will compete this year; there’s a chance they’ll both redshirt. But those are the two guys, talent-wise, who stand out.
But how about the new face at 125 pounds? Can you talk about Drew Hildebrandt, the former Central Michigan wrestler who placed fourth at last year’s Nationals and who is apparently transferring to Penn State?
Byers: Everything I know about him is second-hand. But I think he’s a guy who has the passion that the Penn State program is known for. I know he’s won some awards for being an excellent scholar-athlete. And I know he comes from a wrestling family. (Older brother Cory wrestled at the NCAA Division II level; sister Sarah won a bronze medal in freestyle wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics.) I think he is a very coachable kid who will fit in well with the Penn State team.
We both saw an image on social media that showed Hildebrandt’s registration for Penn State’s World Campus. Do you know if his transfer status has been finalized?
Byers: I’m not 100 percent sure about this. But my understanding is that once the fall semester ends, if he is registered for spring classes then he can compete. Certainly, at the very least in the spring semester, he will bring a lot of talent and a lot of experience to the table.
How do you think his presence in the lineup will affect Penn State’s chances in the postseason?
Byers: He’s a guy who is obviously capable of scoring points, which is not insignificant. Penn State and Iowa had a battle last year at NCAAs, so every point you can add from a year ago is important. I don’t think Hildebrandt is a guy who is necessarily going to beat Spencer Lee. (Last year, Lee defeated Hildebrandt 11-0 in the NCAA semifinals.) But if he can get on the podium again, those are significant points in tightening things up in the team race.
If somehow Hildebrandt does not occupy the 125-pound spot, Penn State has lots of other options, right?
Byers: Yes, absolutely. You’ve got Brandon Meredith, a guy who has a lot of talent. If he can hold the weight at 125, he’ll be right in the mix. And there’s Gary Steen, a true freshman who is a two-time Pennsylvania high school champ. He certainly has the talent, but he’s still making the adjustment to collegiate wrestling and kind of figuring that out. There’s a transfer from Bucknell, Jake Campbell, and a redshirt freshman, Marco Vespa, who was a three-time medalist at the New York state high school championships. Then, of course, there’s Robbie Howard who won the varsity role last year as a true freshman and qualified for the NCAAs where he went 2-2. But he’s had some injuries, so I’m personally hoping he can take a redshirt year and get himself back into 100 percent physical condition. Finally, Baylor Shunk is a local kid who last weekend became the first Penns Valley High School graduate to compete in a Nittany Lion singlet when he defeated his and tech falled his opponent from Sacred Heart. And that meant something to me because my dad was an assistant coach at Penns Valley when I was just a little guy.
Returning to Penn State’s front-line wrestlers, which returnee has improved the most?
Byers: Beau Bartlett is a guy I’ve pegged as someone to watch. Last year, he was a true freshman with little dual meet experience—because COVID cut into the schedule—and then he jumped right into the postseason. We just didn’t see what he has to offer. (Bartlett is a four-time National Prep champion and won a bronze medal at this year’s Junior World Championships.) But I think this will be a season that will be more indicative of his talent and his competitive nature.
Believe it or not, I think the guy who has probably taken the biggest strides is Carter Starocci. I know how good the results were last year (Starocci was Big Ten runner-up and NCAA champion at 174 pounds as a redshirt freshman). But I think he has taken a huge step forward from where he was a year ago, and I think you’re going to see a more consistently dynamic wrestler in Carter Starocci. He went to the Tokyo Olympics as a training partner, as did Aaron Brooks, and I heard that Carter was seeking out Olympic medal winners from any weight class—not just U.S. wrestlers but from other nations. He just wanted to go against those guys. He does not back down from any challenge. And so in the Penn State room, he seeks out Aaron Brooks and Max Dean and guys like that.
The 157-pound weight class seems to be up for grabs. Are you projecting Terrell Barraclough or Joe Lee to take that spot?
Byers: I think it’s going to be an interesting battle. I think Barraclough has terrific riding ability, and he gained some valuable experience last year. I think he still needs to trust his shot a little more to get the most out of himself. For Joe Lee, I think it’s a matter of finding that passion for the sport again, going all-in so he can take the steps to be an All American (among the top eight finishers at the NCAA Championships). I think Barraclough’s consistency is the thing that’s going to help him in trying to claim a starting job.
How about 165 pounds?
Byers: Alex Facundo is a tremendous talent and whether they (the coaches) can afford to keep that talent out of the lineup is an unanswered question. He’s a true freshman, so you don’t want to throw him out there just because he’s talented. But he is an elite talent, so it’s a matter of watching his progress. Meanwhile, Creighton Edsell is a guy who keeps working his tail off. Edsell does everything the coaches ask of him, and he’s another one of those guys that keeps getting better and better. In some ways I’m rooting for Edsell, just because I think it’s good for the young kids to see that you don’t have to be a four-time state champ superstar to make an impact.
We talked previously about 197 pounds, but can you say more about Penn State’s awesome talent at this weight class?
Byers: Bill, going back to your earlier question about who’s made the greatest strides, Michael Beard is also in that discussion. I’ve been really impressed with what I’ve seen in the room with Beard this year. He looks more physically solid, and he’s added some things to his offensive arsenal. But Dean is obviously a terrific talent. He’s a really good scrambler and very good in all three positions. And I think him coming here has made Beard better.
Penn State’s had these situations in the past where you have two guys who are clearly All American candidates. This one may be like the time when Penn State believed they had the best two guys in the country at one weight class, Ed Ruth and Matt Brown. I don’t think this pair is far from that. I think Dean and Beard are at least two of the top four or five 197-pounders in the country.
It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out because I don’t think there’s much separating those two in talent or commitment. As for Michael, I’m not saying he wasn’t committed last year, but I just think he’s now one of those guys who is all-in on trying to make himself a champion.
Here’s my last question. What is your most outlandish prediction regarding the upcoming season for Penn State?
Byers: I don’t know how many people would consider this outlandish, but I do think Penn State’s heavyweight, Greg Kerkvliet, will be a top three guy by the end of the season, even though Mason Parris (Michigan’s national runner-up), Tony Cassioppi (Iowa’s third place winner) and Gable Steveson (Minnesota’s NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist) had their way with him last year.
Also, I don’t know how outlandish this sounds, but I do think Beau Bartlett will be an All American at 149 pounds this year. And I’m guessing he’ll be on the top half of the podium. I think this is a guy who is really talented and has figured some things out after last year. I think he’s more mature in knowing how he has to compete. He’s going to be a lot of fun to watch and once he gets it going, he is going to be hard to stop.
