Sympathy for Steen

[Elevator]

He was a talented and accomplished schoolboy wrestler from PA and is a valauble asset in the PSU room probably best suited to develop being Howard for another year or two.  Getting thrown to the B1G wolves now cannot be easy.  I do not want to rush to any conclusions as to how he might develop.  Some accomplished high school wrestlers get to a high level sooner and some later and of course some do not find whatever it takes to make it at the next level. Maybe he finds a way.

It cannot be easy on him to be the one guy on the roster that the whole arena considers a success if he does not give up 6.  I do not think it is a lack of character or commitment.  Kid probably wants it as much as anyone. I feel a little bad for him watching him struggle.  I think it is a noble struggle to keep trying in the face of tough odds in a sport where you are all alone and everyone is watching. So I wish him well and tip my hat that he is out there battling!   

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

He tries hard but he’s basically a 103 pounder wrestling 125. 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

23 minutes ago, Elevator said:

He was a talented and accomplished schoolboy wrestler from PA and is a valauble asset in the PSU room probably best suited to develop being Howard for another year or two.  Getting thrown to the B1G wolves now cannot be easy.  I do not want to rush to any conclusions as to how he might develop.  Some accomplished high school wrestlers get to a high level sooner and some later and of course some do not find whatever it takes to make it at the next level. Maybe he finds a way.

It cannot be easy on him to be the one guy on the roster that the whole arena considers a success if he does not give up 6.  I do not think it is a lack of character or commitment.  Kid probably wants it as much as anyone. I feel a little bad for him watching him struggle.  I think it is a noble struggle to keep trying in the face of tough odds in a sport where you are all alone and everyone is watching. So I wish him well and tip my hat that he is out there battling!   

I don't feel that bad.

[1032004]

I think he would beat Ybarra 

[MPhillips]

44 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

I think he would beat Ybarra 

1-3 Ybarra?

Be careful out on that limb...

[1032004]

6 minutes ago, MPhillips said:

1-3 Ybarra?

Be careful out on that limb...

There are posters here saying Ybarra would major him

[MPhillips]

2 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

There are posters here saying...

There are dummies here...

[ionel]

4 minutes ago, MPhillips said:

There are dummies here...

[MadMardigain]

Pretty sure Junior Jacob Moran at IU (who also had a gap year) was finally reaching 125 sustainably last year. So give Steen a few more years. 

Edited January 22, 2023 by MadMardigain

[Eagle26]

It drives me nuts when people criticize and act like he is terrible wrestler when he is better than 99% of the people criticizing him! Yeah he is undersized and struggling against the top D1 wrestlers but I’m sure the critics would struggle against that kind of competition too

[Kov88]

125 is literally their only hole, now that Haines is burning his redshirt

[MPhillips]

53 minutes ago, Eagle26 said:

It drives me nuts when people criticize and act like he is terrible wrestler when he is better than 99% of the people criticizing him!

I believe those folks are critiquing him against other 125's, not themselves...

[jackwebster]

PSU has multiple weights with AA-level back ups and can't get/keep a 125. Strange bc NLWC has the senior-level guys at 57. 

[Eagle26]

8 hours ago, MPhillips said:

I believe those folks are critiquing him against other 125's, not themselves...

Of course. It’s fine to make those comparisons… he chose to go D1, that’s who he wants to be compared against. However, when someone says he sucks or he’s a terrible wrestler, it is a not an accurate statement. An accurate critique comparing him to the other 125s in the B1G is that he’s a very good wrestler struggling against the best wrestlers. 

[MPhillips]

16 minutes ago, Eagle26 said:

An accurate critique comparing him to the other 125s in the B1G is that he’s a very good wrestler struggling against the best wrestlers. 

I don't see that "phrase" catching on.

[1032004]

11 hours ago, MadMardigain said:

Pretty sure Junior Jacob Moran at IU (who also had a gap year) was finally reaching 125 sustainably last year. So give Steen a few more years. 

What weight did Steen wrestle as a HS senior?

[Eagle26]

59 minutes ago, MPhillips said:

I don't see that "phrase" catching on.

Nor do I. The right thing and the common thing are rarely the same thing. Hey, maybe that phrase will catch on

[Elevator]

1 hour ago, 1032004 said:

What weight did Steen wrestle as a HS senior?

120, after placing in the (I think smaller school division) of the PIAA tourney at 106, and 113.

https://www.statecollege.com/two-time-state-champion-gary-steen-flips-from-pitt-to-penn-state-wrestling/

"Steen — who projects as a 125-pounder in college — won the PIAA championship at 106 pounds as a freshman in 2018 and place third in 2019. Last year he moved up to 113 pounds and claimed his second Class 2A title with an overtime victory against South Park’s Joey Fischer.

Wrestling at 120 pounds for his senior season, Steen is 12-0 on the year so far, including four pins and one tech fall.

Steen, currently ranked No. 7 in the nation at 120 pounds by The Open Mat, joins Shayne Van Ness and Alex Facundo in Penn State’s 2021 recruiting class."

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

He looks about 2" shorter and 20 pounds lighter than every 125 pounder he's faced.  I don't think he has to cut at all to make 125.

[1032004]

12 minutes ago, Elevator said:

120, after placing in the (I think smaller school division) of the PIAA tourney at 106, and 113.

https://www.statecollege.com/two-time-state-champion-gary-steen-flips-from-pitt-to-penn-state-wrestling/

"Steen — who projects as a 125-pounder in college — won the PIAA championship at 106 pounds as a freshman in 2018 and place third in 2019. Last year he moved up to 113 pounds and claimed his second Class 2A title with an overtime victory against South Park’s Joey Fischer.

Wrestling at 120 pounds for his senior season, Steen is 12-0 on the year so far, including four pins and one tech fall.

Steen, currently ranked No. 7 in the nation at 120 pounds by The Open Mat, joins Shayne Van Ness and Alex Facundo in Penn State’s 2021 recruiting class."

That’s what I thought.  So while I’m he’s smaller than the guys cutting a lot, I would bet he’s at least weighing in right around 125, maybe even cutting a couple pounds

[Idaho]

21 hours ago, 1032004 said:

That’s what I thought.  So while I’m he’s smaller than the guys cutting a lot, I would bet he’s at least weighing in right around 125, maybe even cutting a couple pounds

Probably more of "losing" a couple pounds than "cutting" a couple pounds.  Like that guy who could just skip lunch to make weight then complain that he was starving because he missed one meal. 

[Pish]

Who knew @Elevator motivation is what Gary needed to get his first B1G dual win?

 

any magic words for this week to keep him off his back?

[Elevator]

Would be interesting to hear from the experienced wrestlers or coaches how you might guide a wrestler how to navigate a match with Lee.  I cannot think of much.  Maybe: do not choose down, better 1 than 2 if you are on top, and use your best control ties on your feet to slow him down and (in theory) work your own offense.  Doubt any strategy works much better than: "try to have fun out there and stay relaxed!"  

[1032004]

3 minutes ago, Elevator said:

Would be interesting to hear from the experienced wrestlers or coaches how you might guide a wrestler how to navigate a match with Lee.  I cannot think of much.  Maybe: do not choose down, better 1 than 2 if you are on top, and use your best control ties on your feet to slow him down and (in theory) work your own offense.  Doubt any strategy works much better than: "try to have fun out there and stay relaxed!"  

I would say don’t tie up.  Rivera’s strategy of maintaining space seemed to work well.

Not sure of bottom strategy.  Probably try to get up off the whistle, don’t be afraid to get a couple cautions

[11986]

On 1/21/2023 at 5:08 PM, Elevator said:

He was a talented and accomplished schoolboy wrestler from PA and is a valauble asset in the PSU room probably best suited to develop being Howard for another year or two.  Getting thrown to the B1G wolves now cannot be easy.  I do not want to rush to any conclusions as to how he might develop.  Some accomplished high school wrestlers get to a high level sooner and some later and of course some do not find whatever it takes to make it at the next level. Maybe he finds a way.

It cannot be easy on him to be the one guy on the roster that the whole arena considers a success if he does not give up 6.  I do not think it is a lack of character or commitment.  Kid probably wants it as much as anyone. I feel a little bad for him watching him struggle.  I think it is a noble struggle to keep trying in the face of tough odds in a sport where you are all alone and everyone is watching. So I wish him well and tip my hat that he is out there battling!   

I recall a Pa kid who wrestled 125 in the B1G and was routinely noted on the old forums to have been thrown to the wolves his 1st year and he ended up doing ok. With this W under his belt, maybe Steen just needs a semi rhyming nickname to achieve AA status down the road?