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Penn State Wrestling: Jeff Byers Surveys Past Season and Shares NCAA Expectations

It’s tempting to take Penn State’s wrestling success for granted. Yes, the Lion grapplers have won nine NCAA team titles in the last 11 years when the national tournament was contested. Yes, they’ve captured 32 individual titles over that period. Yes, according to any reasonable definition of “dynasty,” they qualify for use of the “D” word.  

But let’s not take Coach Cael Sanderson’s athletes for granted. That would put us on a slippery slope to becoming entitled, even spoiled. Rather, let’s exercise the very theme that helped put them at the top: gratitude.

And while we’re counting our blessings rather than demanding them, let’s be thankful for the voice that brings us Penn State wrestling. Jeff Byers is now in his 34th year of broadcasting the team’s exploits, and he does his radio work with a rare combination of objectivity and passion.

It has been my privilege for the last several years to interview Byers between the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA Championships. Our recent conversation ranged from regular season dramas to postseason possibilities; from dodgeball diversions to grappling grit. No one puts things in perspective quite like the man they call “Ironhead.”

What would you consider to be the most dramatic moments of the regular season?

Byers:  Well, in terms of actual moments, I don’t think there was anything as exciting as when Marco Vespa took Spencer Lee to his back. (Vespa was filling in for Gary Steen at the 125-pound weight class in Penn State’s dual meet against Iowa.) I mean, you’re talking about a kid who’s never won a collegiate match taking on one of the true legends in the sport. And for about three seconds there, it looked like he might have a pin.    

I think there were a bunch of others that you could consider. Levi Haines, having his red shirt pulled and beating Cobe Siebrecht that same night in the Jordan Center. And then Alex Facundo and Levi getting wins in the Michigan meet against higher-ranked opponents. That was pretty special. And in the Michigan State dual, Gary Steen getting the win against Tristan Lujan, who was ranked 24th at the time. Then there was the performance by Roman Bravo-Young when he racked up 14 takedowns in the Maryland dual. That’s virtually unheard of at the collegiate level to get 14 takedowns in a single bout.

Jeff Byers, shown here at the recent Big Ten championships, must focus intently to broadcast action from multiple mats. Photo by Jennie Tate

You spoke about Gary Steen. I think most fans have been very supportive of his efforts, but others are frustrated with Penn State’s ongoing “black hole” at 125 pounds. What’s the answer for that weight class? 

Byers: I think Gary just needs to get some confidence. And you know, Robbie Howard… I think if he had been healthy he would’ve been the guy this year, and he will probably be the guy moving forward. (Howard has battled a series of injuries, but when healthy in early 2021, he reached the round of 16 at the NCAA nationals.) 

Is Robbie gonna be OK for next year?

Byers: That’s certainly the hope and the plan. And I think if he is healthy, he can be a dangerous kid there at 125. As for Gary Steen, the effort was there and there were a lot of things that he improved on during the season. But just as your confidence builds when you start piling up wins, if you start to pile up the losses it’s hard to keep your confidence.

Can you share a story or a comment that you think encapsulates the whole season? 

Byers: Watching Donovan Ball carry Roman Bravo-Young out of Rec Hall after his final match there… that reinforces how close the team is. Here’s Donovan Ball, a guy that’s working his tail off and who could be a starter in a lot of places, and he has that genuine joy for a teammate who is getting to fulfill his dreams out there. The fact that you have a backup coming out and carrying off a starter is special. I think it speaks a lot about both wrestlers and the team—that camaraderie and the feeling they have. And I do think that’s why Penn State has had the success it’s had under Cael.

Talk to me about the fun side of this team. 

Byers: It’s mostly between the coaches and the wrestlers. There’s always good-natured allegations of cheating in the dodgeball games and the other games they play. A lot of the wrestlers will tell you that they’re the best dodgeball players, and the coaches will tell you that they are the best. I think that adds a competitive spirit to things, but it also adds a fun element.  

Who is the best dodgeball player?

Byers: I don’t know. I’m not in the wrestling room enough to be able to say. And even if I did know, I’m not saying cause I don’t want to get caught in the middle. These guys are pretty good with their aim.

Switching to Big Tens, I would have expected the Nittany Lions to have been a bit more excited by their victory in the team competition (they beat Iowa, 147-134.5). Most of their post-tournament interviews were very laid-back. Except for Levi Haines—and of course, that was his “coming out party.” Do the Lions view Big Tens as just a warmup to the NCAA nationals like the Valero Texas Open before The Masters?   

Byers: Well, I don’t think that’s quite the case. I think that these guys want to compete in anything and everything they do, and they want to win anything and everything they do. But I also think they understand that the ultimate goal is to win a national title. So I don’t think they look at a loss in the Big Ten tournament as being the end of the world. Truth is, I don’t think they look at a loss in the NCAA championships as being the end of the world, either. I think the focus is always on getting better. It’s not quite accurate to say that Penn State doesn’t care about the Big Tens. It’s not where they’re trying to peak, but you understand that to get to where you’re ultimately trying to get to, this is an important step in that process.

Beau Bartlett is Byers’ choice for “Most Overlooked Contributor” on the 2022-23 Penn State wrestling team. Photo by Mark Selders

What do you think, for you, is gonna be the memory from Big Tens that’ll stay with you for five or 10 years? 

Byers: It would be Levi Haines and his win over Peyton Robb. 

How about him picking Robb up off the mat twice during sudden victory for the decisive takedown… 

Byers: There are not a lot of guys that when the two (for a takedown) was not initially awarded, would have stayed right on things. A lot of guys would have gone into complaint mode. I do believe Levi did a terrific job of thinking, “I’m just gonna keep wrestling until I get the win.” And you need to understand just how remarkable that was. You’re talking about a true freshman against a guy in his fifth year of college who is at the top of his game in Peyton Robb. And you’re in sudden victory at the end of your first big college tournament. And to have that strength, that will and strength to be able to pick him up twice. That is really special stuff. We knew Levi Haines was special, but I think you’re now seeing moments that define how unique Levi Haines is.

It was just an hour or two after the Big Tens were over when Bo Nickal won his first official UFC match. How does that fit into the cosmic scheme of things?

Byers: I think it opens up an alternative career opportunity to make money for these guys, right? Wrestlers, by and large, have done very well in MMA, but from Penn State’s perspective, now you have a top-notch training facility close by (American Top Team Happy Valley located in Pleasant Gap) with a big-time rising star in the sport. I think there’s going to be other guys follow that that road.

How would you compare the current team to previous Penn State teams? 

Byers: I think the overall depth in those final nine weight classes is as good or better than any team Cael has had here. From a pure wrestling talent standpoint, I think this is as good of a team as they’ve had going into the national tournament. They have at least seven, and I would argue nine, who are legitimate national title contenders. No, I’m not expecting nine guys to win national titles, but there’s not a guy in those last nine where there isn’t a path. And they certainly have nine guys who can get on the podium and be All-Americans. 

Were you a bit shocked by the seedings for Penn State? Like Aaron Brooks, a two-time national champion, seeded third. Or Max Dean, a defending national champ, seeded ninth!

Byers:  Well, I think 197 pounds is probably the toughest weight class in the country, and there’s no way that anybody knows what’s going to happen. There’s probably 10 guys there who could win it, and Max is certainly one of them. But we knew his loss to Silas Allred in the Big Ten finals would put a pretty big dent in his seeding, and the committee isn’t supposed to consider records from previous years. As for Aaron, he got hurt by a couple things. He didn’t wrestle a whole lot this season (his record is 12-1). Obviously, he did lose that match to Marcus Coleman (the fifth seed from Iowa State) and he never got to officially wrestle (Parker) Keckeisen or (Trent) Hidlay this season. But I don’t know if seeding matters a whole lot to a guy like Aaron Brooks. The way he wrestled at the Big Ten tournament, if he wrestles like that, you can seed him 33rd and it’s not going to matter. He is going to win the tournament… he’s just that good. At the end of the day, you’ve got to beat the top contenders one way or another to get to your ultimate goal. 

So the sky isn’t falling because of these seeds? 

Byers: No. I think it’s quite unlikely that these guys will look at the seeds and throw in the towel before the tournament begins.

Now in his 34th year of broadcasting Penn State wrestling, Byers still draws rave reviews for his objectivity and passion. Photo by Bill Horlacher

Does Penn State have a chance to set the all-time point record for NCAA nationals? 

Byers:  For Penn State? Yes, they do. But I don’t think they’re gonna set the all-time record for all schools. (Iowa scored 170 points at the 1997 NCAA nationals. The Penn State record, 146.5, was set in 2017.)

Who is the Penn State wrestler likeliest to achieve a surprise finish at nationals?

Byers:  There are a few strong candidates. The guy who is probably the most underappreciated for the improvements he has made is Beau Bartlett. I still think Beau, going into nationals, is a legitimate title contender. He has really worked on improving his offensive game and creating scoring opportunities for himself. I think that was the last piece of the puzzle for him to take the final step to become a national champion. He had a little bit of a slip-up in the one bout at Big Tens, but I think he is somebody that can go win a national title. 

And I think both Shayne Van Ness and Alex Facundo are capable of beating anybody in their weight classes. That being said, there’s probably about 12 guys in each of those weight classes who are capable of beating them as well.

Well, let’s go into your annual Ironhead Awards and a couple quick predictions. First, who would be the Ironhead Award winner for “Most Valiant Effort in a Single Bout”? 

Byers:  Boy, that is a tough one. There’s a few strong candidates, but Carter Starocci wins for his performance at the NWCA All-Star Classic (Nov. 22 in Austin, Texas) and his ride in the third period against Mekhi Lewis. (The bout was heavily publicized as a rematch from last year’s NCAA title bout where Starocci defeated Lewis in a tie-breaker.) I just think that showed the will and determination that Carter has. He’s obviously a terrific athlete, but there’s a mental edge to Carter Starocci that when he needs to find a way he does it.  

How about “Most Valiant Effort for The Season”? 

Byers: There are so many really strong candidates there. And I’m not just talking about the starters; I’m talking about everybody on this team. You talk about a guy like Paul Feite who, due to a congenital condition, was born missing one arm. He provides inspiration with his attitude, and he’s constantly there for his teammates in building guys up if they’re coming off losses. And guys like Baylor Shunk and Donovan Ball are so valuable for the team—willing to step in and do whatever’s asked of them at any particular moment. And a guy like Terrell Barraclough was expecting to start throughout the season and he ends up ceding the position to Levi Haines. That’s a situation where on a lot of teams, you could see friction develop. But Terrell is right there, supporting Levi and doing anything he can to help the team.

So out of all those potential recipients, who gets the Ironhead Award along with our $100,000 gift certificate for “Most Valiant” this season?

Byers:  In these days of NIL, it probably should come with that money. (But it doesn’t.) First, let me also mention another wrestler.  Although I’m not going to give him this award, I do think Gary Steen also deserves recognition. There’s a point I heard years ago from David Taylor when he was moving up a weight class in freestyle. He said it’s one thing to work your tail off and then you win a title. But it’s another thing to work your tail off and not see results. Make no mistake, Gary Steen is busting his butt every day in that practice room but not getting the results he wants. Yet he’s still coming back, grinding it out. He deserves some special recognition. 

But at the end of the day, I think Shayne Van Ness should get this award. This is a guy who battled through injury last season (while he was redshirting) and had very little opportunity to get out on the mat. And he has been valiant in his effort throughout this season. He’s lost some matches to guys who were better wrestlers on that day, but he never lost because somebody was putting forth a better effort. To me, Shayne Van Ness epitomizes that drive and willingness to keep moving forward that Penn State wrestling has been all about. 

How about the “Greatest Off-Mat Contributor”? 

Byers: In all honesty, I don’t think I could pick just one for this year. And to me, that speaks volumes about this team and how many guys are making significant contributions. Baylor Shunk and Donovan Ball come to my mind immediately as two guys who are willing to do anything they can to help their teammates. But again, I could go to Paul Feite; I could go to Marco Vespa. And Seth Nevills is another guy who could be mentioned. After all, he lost his position when Greg Kerkvliet arrived here, and Seth could have easily just gone the football route. But he never lost contact with the wrestling team, and he came back this year, and I think he’s had a lot to do with the success that Kerkvliet is having this season. This room is loaded with guys who are here for the right reasons, trying to make themselves and this team better. 

Who’s the “Most Overlooked Contributor”?

Byers: I think it probably is Beau Bartlett. The three freshmen are exciting because they’re new faces and you’re wanting to see how far they can get this year, and you know what the guys who have already earned All-American honors are capable of. But Beau Bartlett’s sitting there with only one loss during the regular season and now two losses heading into the national tournament. He’s kind of an overlooked figure when you talk about this team. I really think he is a guy who could sneak in and surprise people at the NCAA tournament. 

The NCAA team title is their ultimate goal, but the Nittany Lions were delighted to capture the 2023 BIg Ten championship. Photo by Mark Selders.

Now onto your predictions for the NCAAs. Which Penn State wrestlers will win national titles?

Byers:  Titles? I think I’m getting out of that part of the prediction business. But I will say going in that there are some bouts I’m really excited to see. And I think Roman Bravo-Young against Daton Fix is going to be as good as college wrestling gets. (Fix has won four Big 12 titles and has lost three times in the NCAA title bout including twice to RBY.) If Roman wins it again—and I’m assuming they’re both gonna get there—that solidifies his place on the mountain of greatness that Cael Sanderson has built here. But even if he loses that match, you’d still be talking about a guy who won two national titles and was a five-time All American.

I think all of our highly-rated guys will face potential pitfalls, and that makes things very intriguing for the fans. Some of the matchups may not occur, but if Carter Starocci faces Mekhi Lewis, that will be must-watch wrestling.  And obviously, Aaron Brooks has a couple of guys seeded ahead of him that are really dangerous at 184—Keckeisen and Hidlay, from Lewistown. (Keckeisen is a three-time Big 12 champion and Hidlay is a three-time ACC champ who has lost a couple nail-biters to Brooks at prior NCAAs including a 3-2 defeat in last year’s title match.) And I think Greg Kerkvliet and Mason Parris are gonna meet again in the finals and that will be must-watch wrestling.

All right. Here’s my final question. Which teams will take the top five spots? 

Byers: I do think Penn State will win the title. And the nice thing from Penn State’s perspective is that they don’t need to have their best performances of the season. That’s certainly what we’re expecting and that’s what their track record will tell you is likely. But they could have a subpar performance and still win the national tournament. That’s just the type of firepower that this team has. Penn State has the most potential All-Americans and, by far, the most potential national champions. And I just think that combination is going to be virtually impossible to overcome barring an injury or something horribly unforeseen. I do think Iowa is a really good team, and I think they have a lot of guys that will get bonus points in those early rounds. That should help them take the number two spot. I’m really impressed with that Missouri squad; I think they can get six or seven All-Americans, so Missouri is my pick to finish third. And I think Nebraska is peaking here at the right time for taking fourth place. As for fifth, I think you could flip a coin among at least four teams. But I’m gonna go ahead and say Oklahoma State.