Press Conference?

[anon_d29z1jdixxwey]

Some fire content here:

View embedded media

Cael is the best. He’s fine if you curl up into the fetal position on bottom because it’s the top guy’s job to figure out how to turn him, and it’s the bottom guy’s job to figure out if or how to get out of the fetal position. No stalemates, no stalling - just figure it out. Just like Jacob vs. The Angel! I believe Angel had a late takedown to win that one but I can’t find it on YouTube.

 

[jack66]

Some fire content here:

View embedded media

Question: In general, do you like the media?

(paraphrasing)
Cael: No

 

[Ja1339]

On 165

" We got 4 really good guys in that weight area. So yeah, we'll just let things play out and let guys compete. And yeah we'll go from there."

I wish all the 165s the best in the competition for 165. It appears that no one is talking an ORS, so my money is on Mesenbrink.

 

[GogglesPaizano]

Honestly, I am surprised.

Ignoring this year, the assumption re: next year is it would be MM 157, Levi 165.

I get the Mesenbrink vs Facondo best man wins mentality, but 'if' Mitch actually wins the spot and goes this year, doesn't that make a flip back to 157 next year unlikely?

We all heard that Levi is not long for 157 last year. By most accounts MM is walking around very close to if not below 165, so to be 'optinally' effective and sized he should be looking to add at least 5 lbs of not more during the season.

Oh well, other than Levi not getting to eat a hamburger, fries and shake for 3 more years, while MM sits across the table with a smile on his face, I guess these are good problems to face.

One other thing seems certain, either Alex or MM should absolutely take advantage of an Oly this year so whoever lost the wrestleoff or volunteered, we won't see much of him this year and we will know for certain at the very first attached event.

 

[nerfstate]

Question: In general, do you like the media?

(paraphrasing)
Cael: No

I have to say though--those 2 questions those guys asked got Cael to light up behind a mic like you rarely ever see. The one about Bonnie and the one about the Media. I love it when you catch glimpses of Cael's passion--it's known to be a big part of who he is, but he's a gooood poker player.

 

[CSauertiegPSU]

Honestly, I am surprised.

Ignoring this year, the assumption re: next year is it would be MM 157, Levi 165.

I get the Mesenbrink vs Facondo best man wins mentality, but 'if' Mitch actually wins the spot and goes this year, doesn't that make a flip back to 157 next year unlikely?

We all heard that Levi is not long for 157 last year. By most accounts MM is walking around very close to if not below 165, so to be 'optinally' effective and sized he should be looking to add at least 5 lbs of not more during the season.

Oh well, other than Levi not getting to eat a hamburger, fries and shake for 3 more years, while MM sits across the table with a smile on his face, I guess these are good problems to face.

One other thing seems certain, either Alex or MM should absolutely take advantage of an Oly this year so whoever lost the wrestleoff or volunteered, we won't see much of him this year and we will know for certain at the very first attached event.

Couple of things here.

1) I don’t think Levi is big as some think. Yes, he’s cutting weight. But he’s not making some crazy pull. Not insane to think he stays at 157.

2) If MM goes this year at 165, I don’t think he’ll be bulking much to do so and could definitely go back to 157 in a year. Won’t be as small at Bartlett at 149, but will certainly be small than most guys.

Could prove an asset for a guy with an already unreal gas tank.

 

[tullfan68]

Mid-summer??? 🥺

When was he hurt again?

I think it was early last yr!

 

[NittanyChris]

Couple of things here.

1) I don’t think Levi is big as some think. Yes, he’s cutting weight. But he’s not making some crazy pull. Not insane to think he stays at 157.

2) If MM goes this year at 165, I don’t think he’ll be bulking much to do so and could definitely go back to 157 in a year. Won’t be as small at Bartlett at 149, but will certainly be small than most guys.

Could prove an asset for a guy with an already unreal gas tank.

Interesting, I have one curious question about your first point. Cael, who we all know holds his cards very close to his chest when it comes to divulging his plans to the public, made that comment about Levi being not long for 157 last season. I’m wondering why he would make that public comment if what you claim is true about Levi’s cut. Have plans changed a lot since then? Hmmm.

 

[tullfan68]

Couple of things here.

1) I don’t think Levi is big as some think. Yes, he’s cutting weight. But he’s not making some crazy pull. Not insane to think he stays at 157.

2) If MM goes this year at 165, I don’t think he’ll be bulking much to do so and could definitely go back to 157 in a year. Won’t be as small at Bartlett at 149, but will certainly be small than most guys.

Could prove an asset for a guy with an already unreal gas tank.

I doubt Levi is cutting much he said he is lighter now than last season!

 

[tullfan68]

Cael is the best. He’s fine if you curl up into the fetal position on bottom because it’s the top guy’s job to figure out how to turn him, and it’s the bottom guy’s job to figure out if or how to get out of the fetal position. No stalemates, no stalling - just figure it out. Just like Jacob vs. The Angel! I believe Angel had a late takedown to win that one but I can’t find it on YouTube.

can't call stalling on top when the bottom guy is doing absolutely zero to escape!

 

[CSauertiegPSU]

Interesting, I have one curious question about your first point. Cael, who we all know holds his cards very close to his chest when it comes to divulging his plans to the public, made that comment about Levi being not long for 157 last season. I’m wondering why he would make that public comment if what you claim is true about Levi’s cut. Have plans changed a lot since then? Hmmm.

I don’t know if it’s as much plans changing as it is Levi A) not getting as big as maybe some thought and B) getting better at handling the weight.

He didn’t really cut at all in high school or in the year in between. Which is why he went 71kg at his first cadet trials and then 74kg at the junior open.

 

[CSauertiegPSU]

I think it’s *most* likely Mesenbrink ends up at 57 with Levi at 65 in a year. But I don’t think that’s set in stone by any measure.

 

[RandyL]

Iirc Cael simply said "We dont know how long Levi can hold /stay at 157".
That may have been based on any number of factors, or really not much at all.
It did not necessarily mean he was having difficulty making 157 right then.
But from that came assumptions that going up in weight was a given.
Maybe, maybe not.

It would be nice to see a pic of the two of them side-by-side right now.
Anybody got one?

 

[nerfstate]

Of note: the reigning U20 World Champ at 74Kg seems to do well wrestling around that weight.... If he has 2024 Olympic aspirations, it would make sense to not be trying to cut weight if he's a bit light for the class.

Perhaps Levi has similar aspirations--but if so, it's a bit curious he skipped freestyle altogether this past year.

 

[Bosox2004]

Of note: the reigning U20 World Champ at 74Kg seems to do well wrestling around that weight.... If he has 2024 Olympic aspirations, it would make sense to not be trying to cut weight if he's a bit light for the class.

Perhaps Levi has similar aspirations--but if so, it's a bit curious he skipped freestyle altogether this past year.

Not sure I can fully answer this but Levi tore his meniscus had surgery after nationals . He then missed all the qualifiers so he didn’t wrestle free style .

He basically wrestled the entire year with it torn . Said it help him learn how to lead with both legs .

Not sure what you mean exactly by aspirations but he likes free style over folk style and wants to one day be an Olympic champion.

 

[CSauertiegPSU]

Of note: the reigning U20 World Champ at 74Kg seems to do well wrestling around that weight.... If he has 2024 Olympic aspirations, it would make sense to not be trying to cut weight if he's a bit light for the class.

Perhaps Levi has similar aspirations--but if so, it's a bit curious he skipped freestyle altogether this past year.

To be fair, I wonder if there’s a bit of pragmatism at play here. Obviously all of these guys have incredible self-belief, but 74kg in the US is also pretty darn loaded and making the Olympics this cycle feels a tad far fetched

 

[nerfstate]

To be fair, I wonder if there’s a bit of pragmatism at play here. Obviously all of these guys have incredible self-belief, but 74kg in the US is also pretty darn loaded and making the Olympics this cycle feels a tad far fetched

Oh, for sure, the task is mighty tall when you're 5th or 6th on your own room's ladder, no matter if you're a U20 champ or not. But Mitch is qualified for trials at least, I'd imagine he makes a go of it--and perhaps Levi will too.

@Bosox2004 I had forgotten about Levi's injury--that makes sense. I know sometimes our college guys seem to favor focusing on folkstyle and or just general recovery in the offseason--even when they're elite at free too, but that may not be the case for him.

 

[Ski]

Cael is the best. He’s fine if you curl up into the fetal position on bottom because it’s the top guy’s job to figure out how to turn him, and it’s the bottom guy’s job to figure out if or how to get out of the fetal position. No stalemates, no stalling - just figure it out. Just like Jacob vs. The Angel! I believe Angel had a late takedown to win that one but I can’t find it on YouTube.

No video of the match, but it looks like they were wrestling Greco. Makes sense given the timeframe of the match.

Jacob going for a throw hoping to follow up with a gut wrench:

 

[STAND with PRIDE]

No video of the match, but it looks like they were wrestling Greco. Makes sense given the timeframe of the match.

Jacob going for a throw hoping to follow up with a gut wrench:

No video of the match, but it looks like they were wrestling Greco. Makes sense given the timeframe of the match.

Jacob going for a throw hoping to follow up with a gut wrench:

I DUNNO,but that sure looks like JTS’s uncles. Is that his basement????

 

[86PSUPaul]

I DUNNO,but that sure looks like JTS’s uncles. Is that his basement????

Am I the only one that wonders how Stand knows JTS’s uncles?

 

[PSUAllTheWay]

No video of the match, but it looks like they were wrestling Greco. Makes sense given the timeframe of the match.

Jacob going for a throw hoping to follow up with a gut wrench:

If its Greco, I think that's an illegal leg foul by the angel. Jacob needed a coaches challenge!

 

[LongJakk]

Cael mightve been thinking that Levi was a young freshman last year and potentially still had some growing left not that he was sucking a lot of weight.
Edit: pretty sure he graduated at 17 not 18 or 19 like most athletes.

 

[Bosox2004]

Cael mightve been thinking that Levi was a young freshman last year and potentially still had some growing left not that he was sucking a lot of weight.
Edit: pretty sure he graduated at 17 not 18 or 19 like most athletes.

Correct. He joked about his parents not wanting to pay for day care so he started kindergarten at age 4 . Kid cracks me up .

So essentially PSU had a high school senior last year as runner up at ncaa ‘s .

I assume D1 wrestling coaches look at growth plates to see potential future height and I gotta believe someone has an AI model that predicts weight , If not that would be a fun project…

 

[KCLion]

Correct. He joked about his parents not wanting to pay for day care so he started kindergarten at age 4 . Kid cracks me up .

So essentially PSU had a high school senior last year as runner up at ncaa ‘s .

I assume D1 wrestling coaches look at growth plates to see potential future height and I gotta believe someone has an AI model that predicts weight , If not that would be a fun project…

I didn’t turn 18 until the middle of my freshmen year, but I wasn’t a D1 runner up, 😂

 

[Cstroke]

I didn’t turn 18 until the middle of my freshmen year, but I wasn’t a D1 runner up, 😂

Same here, 18 year old freshman in high school.

 

[tullfan68]

Honestly, I am surprised.

Ignoring this year, the assumption re: next year is it would be MM 157, Levi 165.

I get the Mesenbrink vs Facondo best man wins mentality, but 'if' Mitch actually wins the spot and goes this year, doesn't that make a flip back to 157 next year unlikely?

We all heard that Levi is not long for 157 last year. By most accounts MM is walking around very close to if not below 165, so to be 'optinally' effective and sized he should be looking to add at least 5 lbs of not more during the season.

Oh well, other than Levi not getting to eat a hamburger, fries and shake for 3 more years, while MM sits across the table with a smile on his face, I guess these are good problems to face.

One other thing seems certain, either Alex or MM should absolutely take advantage of an Oly this year so whoever lost the wrestleoff or volunteered, we won't see much of him this year and we will know for certain at the very first attached event.

well Cael says one thing then Levi says he is lighter than last yr so who knows Levi could be at 157 his whole career!

 

[BruceK-PSU83]

I wish all the 165s the best in the competition for 165. It appears that no one is talking an ORS, so my money is on Mesenbrink.

Me thinks you may be taking what CS says a bit too literally and then trying to draw conclusions. When CS says "We have four good guys competing at that weight range", it certainly doesn't mean that none will redshirt or ORS this season.