TRANSCRIPCIÓN 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.759
We're looking forward to an incredible championship weekend here in Cleveland.
2
00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:07.360
We're excited to be joined today by four outstanding student
3
00:00:07.400 --> 00:00:10.320
athletes representing some of the top programs in the country.
4
00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:13.279
We'll begin with opening statements for me each wrestler, and
5
00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:18.320
then we'll open it up for questions from the media.
6
00:00:18.440 --> 00:00:23.000
Joining us today is Levi Haynes from Penn State, Jesse
7
00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:26.320
Mendez from Ohio State younger but.
8
00:00:26.399 --> 00:00:28.239
Still from Iowa State.
9
00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:35.439
We'll start with opening remarks from each student athlete, if
10
00:00:35.479 --> 00:00:37.560
you could each take a moment to reflect on your
11
00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:40.520
season and what it means to compete here this weekend.
12
00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:42.240
Levi will start with you.
13
00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:47.280
Yeah, I think it's been a good season. Seen our
14
00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:50.439
team progress pretty well throughout the season. We have a
15
00:00:50.439 --> 00:00:52.000
lot of young guys in the lineup and they've been
16
00:00:52.039 --> 00:00:53.359
taking care of business getting better.
17
00:00:53.960 --> 00:02:07.040
Aw So, before you ask the weird questions.
18
00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:15.599
Him Eric knob Snider from The Tribute Democrat and Johnstown
19
00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:19.680
PA Levi. In Cale's press conference this week, he talked
20
00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:22.120
about you, and he said that you're going to be
21
00:02:22.120 --> 00:02:24.919
one of the guys as much as anybody that's ever
22
00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:27.840
come through the program that he's going to miss when
23
00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:30.240
you look at the legends that have come through Penn State,
24
00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:32.680
what is it like to hear him say something like
25
00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:33.360
that about you?
26
00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:39.599
And lots of means I was doing my job.
27
00:03:11.759 --> 00:03:15.039
And your current college career care man's not too far
28
00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:16.240
away from where you grew up.
29
00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.639
Yeah, I grew up twenty minutes away. So I've been
30
00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:22.400
to this arena a lot. And uh yeah, having the
31
00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:26.280
opportunity to represent where I came from, it's just give
32
00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:28.000
me in the world to me for one nice talk.
33
00:03:32.919 --> 00:03:38.360
Zeb Miller, Akron, Beacon Journal, The Ohio Kents, Jesse, Oh yere,
34
00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:41.479
you got that dog? And yeah, Well, have you been
35
00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:43.759
able to capture the momentum from the season to the
36
00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:45.840
beg time to try and win your third in Serio
37
00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:47.439
title and potentially the Hodge Trophy.
38
00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:50.080
Yeah, I think it just it starts in the summer.
39
00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:52.680
You know, throughout summer we've been putting the work in,
40
00:03:52.719 --> 00:03:54.879
and you know, you want to start with the season
41
00:03:54.919 --> 00:03:58.039
strong and and I just I made an emphasis on
42
00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:00.000
trying to widen the gap this year and continue to
43
00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:02.680
score bonus points throughout the year. And you know, last
44
00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:04.840
year I had a couple hiccups, and you know that's
45
00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:07.840
a big emphasis for me was, you know, my performance
46
00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:10.240
the way I wrestle, and I really want to wrestle
47
00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:13.840
with extreme focus and you know, an offensive mindset for
48
00:04:13.879 --> 00:04:15.879
seven minutes. So you know, just from the start of
49
00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:18.160
season until now, that's that's been my mindset and I
50
00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:19.920
look forward to carrying that into the tournament.
51
00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:29.040
Hi, Jack and Cordova was cycling fanatic younger. How does
52
00:04:29.079 --> 00:04:31.160
it feel to be able to be here and represent
53
00:04:32.439 --> 00:04:35.120
Cuba and all the little kids who look up to
54
00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:37.959
you and hope to one day be in your position?
55
00:04:39.160 --> 00:04:39.360
Man?
56
00:04:39.399 --> 00:04:40.240
You know, it means a lot.
57
00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:43.360
You know, it's a good opportunity, you know, for me
58
00:04:43.480 --> 00:04:45.399
and you know from everybody out here, and you know,
59
00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:48.040
to be over here and then representing either you know,
60
00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:51.279
the country or school or whatever. Yeah, it means a lot.
61
00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:53.800
And you know, I can't I can't wait for tomorrow
62
00:04:53.839 --> 00:05:01.560
and the next two days.
63
00:05:05.639 --> 00:05:10.399
You guys come in with seven number one seeds and
64
00:05:10.680 --> 00:05:13.160
you know you've you've broken the scoring record the past
65
00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.639
two years. What is the success for you guys in
66
00:05:16.680 --> 00:05:18.879
this tournament? Is it breaking the scoring record again? Is
67
00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:22.160
it getting tane Americans again? What do you guys talk
68
00:05:22.199 --> 00:05:24.279
about is to what you want to achieve here.
69
00:05:26.079 --> 00:05:27.800
Yeah, I don't think we focused too much on the
70
00:05:28.240 --> 00:05:31.920
results of stuff like that, breaking records or anything, you know.
71
00:05:32.079 --> 00:05:34.120
I think each and every one of us kind of
72
00:05:34.160 --> 00:05:36.399
comes in with the goal just being ourselves and staying
73
00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:39.040
true to our character throughout these tournaments. You know, the
Load full transcript
74
00:05:39.040 --> 00:05:42.120
big moment is easy to just straight away from who
75
00:05:42.160 --> 00:05:45.680
you are and let that stuff kind of come in
76
00:05:45.720 --> 00:05:48.000
a little bit. So I think that's our main focus
77
00:05:48.040 --> 00:05:50.360
this weekend is just being ourselves and competing hard.
78
00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:58.240
Sell huge cheering section Northfield, Macedonia. They're going to be
79
00:05:58.279 --> 00:06:02.759
here in force, a lots of Italian Americans coming bringing
80
00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:05.240
the Gobba Google, They're gonna have it all. What's it
81
00:06:05.279 --> 00:06:07.360
like knowing that you have the momentum, the cheering section
82
00:06:07.480 --> 00:06:08.519
and it's the last ride.
83
00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:11.000
I think it makes it pretty easy to go out
84
00:06:11.040 --> 00:06:14.360
and just let everything fly. This is a big tournament,
85
00:06:14.439 --> 00:06:18.279
you can it can just get to you at some point,
86
00:06:18.279 --> 00:06:22.399
but just letting it fly and just being yourself out theirs.
87
00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:25.480
It's pretty easy when you have somebody supporting you from
88
00:06:25.480 --> 00:06:25.800
the back.
89
00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:34.800
John Kozak Flow Wrestling. As for Jesse, big storyline heading
90
00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:39.160
into the weekend is a potential match with you versus
91
00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:42.600
Sergio Vega true freshman. You were there one time as
92
00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:45.279
a true freshman. How often do you think about that match?
93
00:06:45.319 --> 00:06:46.439
How much are you preparing for that?
94
00:06:47.480 --> 00:06:49.519
You know, I don't try not think about it too much,
95
00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:52.240
but you know, you get excited for those matches. You know,
96
00:06:52.279 --> 00:06:55.000
going into your senior year, you get a fiery freshman
97
00:06:55.279 --> 00:06:58.000
and you know you want those Corystal highlines when you're
98
00:06:58.279 --> 00:07:00.319
you're looking back at your career, So you know, I'm
99
00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.120
really excited for it. You know, hopefully the cards playouts
100
00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:06.079
were the matchup Avans.
101
00:07:06.680 --> 00:07:10.639
Younger. You were out last season, so obviously your absence
102
00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:13.480
was felt. A lot of chirping this season of your
103
00:07:13.480 --> 00:07:16.759
return and your dominance and maybe how the season before
104
00:07:16.839 --> 00:07:17.279
that went.
105
00:07:17.720 --> 00:07:20.279
What do you hope fans and really your.
106
00:07:20.120 --> 00:07:24.240
Competition thinks going into this and knows what they're what
107
00:07:24.240 --> 00:07:25.360
they should expect from you.
108
00:07:26.600 --> 00:07:29.160
I mean, just seven minutes, you know, the hot wrestling.
109
00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:31.920
That's that's what they kind of splait you. Seven minute
110
00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:34.199
and then I'll fight. It's gonna be a fight with
111
00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:34.759
seven minutes.
112
00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:44.920
Leby, How did the experience at the Senior World Championships
113
00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:47.120
prepare you or help get you to this point? For
114
00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:48.480
your run here in the NCAA is.
115
00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:51.839
Yeah, it was a great opportunity to just keep getting
116
00:07:51.879 --> 00:07:54.439
better all summer. You know, I was always getting ready
117
00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:57.199
for another tournament, and uh, through that, iways just had
118
00:07:57.240 --> 00:08:00.720
a lot of opportunities, uh to just get better or wrestling.
119
00:08:00.839 --> 00:08:03.360
Each match I just treated as practice for my next one,
120
00:08:03.399 --> 00:08:05.519
and I think I made a lot of big gains
121
00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:08.480
throughout the summer and I got to see some cool places,
122
00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:11.639
meet some cool people. So I think it's you know,
123
00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:14.519
just kind of been ready since since the Senior Worlds
124
00:08:14.519 --> 00:08:18.360
and just getting better from every little piece of data
125
00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:20.439
collected through competing.
126
00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:34.000
LEVI Pennsylvania once again leads the tournament with fifty qualifiers,
127
00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:35.879
is at a point of pride for you. I know
128
00:08:35.879 --> 00:08:38.120
you've got teammates from from all over on the penn
129
00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:41.679
State team, But do you do you enjoy representing Pennsylvania
130
00:08:42.039 --> 00:08:45.240
and the lineage that has come through the NCAA tournament
131
00:08:45.240 --> 00:08:45.639
from there.
132
00:08:46.039 --> 00:08:46.240
Yeah.
133
00:08:46.279 --> 00:08:48.320
Absolutely, It's really cool to be a part of. And
134
00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:53.159
I think it's just really neat to see the history
135
00:08:53.159 --> 00:08:55.120
and heritage of wrestling in the state of Pennsylvania. It
136
00:08:55.159 --> 00:08:56.840
just seems like it keeps on getting better and better.
137
00:08:56.879 --> 00:09:01.360
You know, we just watch some the state tournament last weekend,
138
00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:04.320
and it seems like it just keeps getting better and better.
139
00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:06.840
So I'll look forward to watching some of those guys
140
00:09:06.840 --> 00:09:08.360
in the national tournaments in the future.
141
00:09:20.639 --> 00:09:22.759
Younger twenty twenty two, you're in All American at one
142
00:09:22.840 --> 00:09:25.279
ninety seven. Now you're at heavyweight. The guys are much different.
143
00:09:25.320 --> 00:09:29.559
They're bigger, You're really athletic, You've been battling injuries. What
144
00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:31.799
is it like to russell heavyweights compared to one ninety
145
00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:34.080
seven and this
twenty twenty two seem like a really
146
00:09:34.120 --> 00:09:34.799
long time ago.
147
00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:37.000
I mean, he's way better man. You know, I don't
148
00:09:37.039 --> 00:09:38.879
have to cut Wait, we just you know, which is hard.
149
00:09:38.919 --> 00:09:39.679
Everybody knows that.
150
00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:40.600
Well.
151
00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:43.159
Yeah, you know, I feel feel way better on heavyweight,
152
00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:46.279
you know, stronger than faster. I would say, so, Yeah,
153
00:09:46.679 --> 00:09:49.159
I feel a heavywere I'm on my best.
154
00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:57.759
It's for a Jesse and Levi. You guys both wrestled
155
00:09:57.799 --> 00:10:01.279
four years straight, no red shirt. You both won national
156
00:10:01.360 --> 00:10:05.480
titles before. Explain the decision to not red shirt, and
157
00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:07.399
then also, what is it what would it mean for
158
00:10:07.440 --> 00:10:09.399
you to end your career.
159
00:10:09.120 --> 00:10:13.200
With an NCAA title the first Yeah, it wasn't like
160
00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:14.799
the plan coming out of high school to go in
161
00:10:15.080 --> 00:10:17.120
you know, off the rit but you know, once you
162
00:10:17.159 --> 00:10:19.279
get in the room and you started getting that itch,
163
00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:22.159
you know, I just I wanted to go right away,
164
00:10:22.200 --> 00:10:24.639
and I started talking to the coaches, and I just
165
00:10:24.720 --> 00:10:26.440
I felt like I was ready, especially in a really
166
00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:28.360
tough weight class. My freshman year, I won thirty three
167
00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:33.279
with guys like rby Veto. You know, Dayton Fix is
168
00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:35.759
a tough weight class. But you know, I think the
169
00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:37.679
best way to get better is to go up against
170
00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:39.639
the best, and you know, that's what I wanted to do.
171
00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:41.600
So I wanted to throw my hat at the ring
172
00:10:41.639 --> 00:10:44.159
early and see where I was at. And you know,
173
00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:45.759
I think it's kind of catapult to me to have
174
00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:48.279
the success I've had and then you know, finish off
175
00:10:48.320 --> 00:10:51.159
my college career. The national title would you know, really
176
00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:54.960
cap off my career. But I don't really you know,
177
00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.519
hold myself to buy to my accolades. I'm trying to
178
00:10:58.519 --> 00:11:01.120
focus on our compete and my performances and I just
179
00:11:01.120 --> 00:11:02.519
want to wrestle like me for seven minutes.
180
00:11:04.759 --> 00:11:07.960
Yeah, similar to Jesse. You know, uh, my coaches and
181
00:11:08.039 --> 00:11:10.440
I just decided that at the time, I just thought
182
00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:12.639
I was ready to go, and uh I knew they
183
00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.559
had my best interest in mind. So just listening to them,
184
00:11:15.639 --> 00:11:18.440
and uh, I feel like at Penn stated you can
185
00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:22.720
get in the lineup, you go wrestle, so uh I.
186
00:11:22.679 --> 00:11:23.559
Felt really good about it.
187
00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:26.559
Trusted them, and uh you know, I was just getting
188
00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:29.919
better each time I stepped on the mat. And uh
189
00:11:30.360 --> 00:11:32.000
so what I plan on doing this weekend, you know,
190
00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:34.600
not too worried about, uh, you know, finishing off my
191
00:11:34.679 --> 00:11:37.799
career with the national championship. You know, hopefully my career
192
00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:43.320
uh is a lot longer than just this weekend. Uh So, yeah,
193
00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:45.039
I don't I don't really try to focus on that.
194
00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:48.919
Uh just focusing on being myself, I think is uh
195
00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.399
what I would look back on and be like, That's
196
00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:52.559
what I'm most proud of is in those big moments,
197
00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:55.480
I was true to myself. And uh I feel like
198
00:11:55.519 --> 00:11:57.840
when you hit all those blockses usually the the the
199
00:11:57.879 --> 00:11:59.039
winning takes care of itself.
200
00:12:01.320 --> 00:12:04.360
Rachel Gayarda with Internet, tell me this is for any
201
00:12:04.360 --> 00:12:08.519
of you guys, despite the pressure, despite the expectations, how
202
00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.480
do you continue to find joy in this sport?
203
00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:16.519
That's on me.
204
00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:19.039
I just like throwing people down.
205
00:12:21.159 --> 00:12:23.159
What we love you know, just go out there and
206
00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:25.440
you know, wrestle hard and that's what we love as
207
00:12:25.480 --> 00:12:27.000
we've been doing since we're kids.
208
00:12:27.080 --> 00:12:30.720
So yes, it's easy to get caught up in the
209
00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:33.360
noise is a lot of people talking about you, your performances.
210
00:12:33.559 --> 00:12:35.960
You know, whether the people love you or they hate you.
211
00:12:36.039 --> 00:12:37.399
But at the end of the day, we're we're doing
212
00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:41.960
all we love and you know it's uh. You're blessed
213
00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:44.279
to be able to get to do what you do
214
00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:47.000
every day and whether that comes with a lot of
215
00:12:47.039 --> 00:12:49.080
stress and h that's what you signed up for and
216
00:12:49.720 --> 00:12:50.919
now you signed up to do what you love.
217
00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:56.000
It's a great opportunity to represent our schools and the
218
00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:58.279
bearing in front of thousands of people.
219
00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:11.000
This one's for Jesse. Sorry, Tristan warner Win Magazine. Jesse,
220
00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.639
you've been vocal in the past about the Hodge Trophy specifically,
221
00:13:14.519 --> 00:13:16.720
you know, you talked about in addition to one upping
222
00:13:16.799 --> 00:13:19.440
Jaggers because you didn't win it as a freshman. He said,
223
00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:21.720
and you need to get the Hodge Trophy. Why is
224
00:13:21.720 --> 00:13:23.120
it important to you and what would it mean for
225
00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:24.919
you to bring that home and bring that bring another
226
00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:26.120
Hodge Trophy to Ohio.
227
00:13:25.919 --> 00:13:29.279
State Yeah, I just think with me and Jay's relationship,
228
00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:31.480
we're always trying to one up each other and we're
229
00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:33.159
always taking digs at each other and making fun of
230
00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:35.679
each other. So you know, if I just got something
231
00:13:35.720 --> 00:13:37.720
I could hang over his head that he can't go
232
00:13:37.799 --> 00:13:43.720
back and change, that's a That's a one of my books.
233
00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:48.840
Leevike, country Boy Can Survive Dinosaur. What's the Hank Williams
234
00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:52.840
Junior song this potential weekend? And is there an even
235
00:13:52.879 --> 00:13:56.679
any hunting any Just down home, good, good old fashioned
236
00:13:56.720 --> 00:13:57.240
fun lately.
237
00:13:58.679 --> 00:14:00.720
Yeah, I don't know what the song. Bell probably be
238
00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:06.080
hanging Junior some sort, but no, we're always always outdoors
239
00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:12.360
doing something so we have a good time. M