5PM63: Catching up with Olympian Payton Jacobson

2024 Olympian and recently-named Athlete of the Year Payton Jacobson joins the show for Episode 63 and discusses every big moment from his breakout season. In addition to providing behind-the-match details and what he enjoyed most about his journey to Paris, Jacobson also shares some of the struggles he endured as a young athlete in the spotlight, and what it was like carrying high expectations into the biggest tournament of his life thus far. 
 
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I rip where I'm app Stop worrying about stupid procedures
and do pull up.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Sixt warning about making self gift Craig.

Speaker 3 (00:09):
Why we had a a podcast and what you call
the five point Move.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
I'm frustrated with the word Our Greco guys for United
States are true because there are good athletes, have good
human beings, but brown and win. We gotta help.

Speaker 3 (00:24):
We did that.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
See what I want people know me from all of
our results where everything comes from five point Move.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
Hello and welcome to episode sixty three of the Five
Point Move podcast. I'm Tim Hans, founder and senior editor
of five point move dot Com and for this the
sixty third episode, the guest is none other than recently
named co Athlete of the Year Peyton Jacobson. Jacobson, who

(00:53):
just turned twenty two this past fall, is obviously a
well known commodity within the American Greco Roman landscape. For
those who are hardcourt into this style of wrestling. Jacobsen
was Now you got to remember this a highly touted
prospect from Wisconsin. We're talking late twenty nineteen, early twenty twenty.
He starts going overseas. He's winning gold medals. Benji Peak's

(01:16):
going with him. They're going to tournaments and Scandinavian and elsewhere,
and started making headlines, started making headlines, and eventually he
finds his way in Northern Michigan University. About a year later,
while still of high school age, made a senior national
team in twenty twenty two, came close again in twenty

(01:36):
and twenty three, and last year April more than took
the next step by virtue of making the Olympic team
following a very memorable performance in State College, Pennsylvania. In addition,
there's more. In addition to becoming an Olympian, in twenty

(01:57):
twenty four, Jacobson also in bronze medal at the Valomar
Cup in Croatia and later came one win away from
grabbing bronze at the U twenty three World Championships. And we're,
of course, we're talking about the same U twenty three
Worlds in which Becca Melolashvili searched to the final and
finished with silver. Melolash pheely this is fresh in your

(02:19):
mind's people, was also voted Athlete of the Year for
twenty twenty four by the Esteemed five point move voting Committee.
And it's only the second time in the nine year
history of the award in which two gentlemen share the honor,
after Giangelo Hancock and Maxnowi both emerged from the final
vote together in twenty nineteen. The only difference here is

(02:42):
that Jacobson was voted and this one's entirely by the fans,
as the recipient for five point moves two thousand and
twenty four Outstanding Individual Performance for the aforementioned Olympic Trials Breakthrough.
This has happened before as well. Last year. In fact,
camal Bay swept all three of this platform's year und awards,

(03:04):
which means that Jacobson is indeed in good company. So
just as a lead, incause we're getting to Jacobson just
as a lead into the main segment of this episode.
The thing to remember is that Jacobson was already considered
a top candidate to potentially challenge for an Olympic spot
at seventy seven kilos, but just a couple like two

(03:27):
and a half maybe maybe less months out from the trials,
he decided to go up to eighty seven kilos, a
weight class filled with highly credentialed competitors. Such is where
this interview begins. So let's just get to it, all right, Peyton,
if you don't mind, could you start by walking through

(03:49):
your decision to bypass seventy seven kilograms and move up
to eighty seven in advance of the Olympic trick.

Speaker 2 (04:01):
At first, I kind of wanted to do it.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
Last year, I started wrestling guys in like the eighty
seven weight class, and I was probably eighty two kilos
at the times, and I was doing pretty well, and
I'm in camps and stuff, and I'm like, man, I
could really do this, and I wanted to move up.
I wanted to actually switch spots with Tyler Reichen's at
the U twenty three Worlds.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
But then I guess the rules said we couldn't do that.

Speaker 3 (04:24):
But so I had to go seventy seven for that,
and I was pretty big at the time, so making
that cut was a pain. And then for New York
I made seventy nine, which was pretty good. Wait Cup
for me, still kind of tough, And then ended up
going out to seventy seven in December and that wake
cut killed me.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
I was my first tear matches.

Speaker 3 (04:46):
I was just dad didn't feel good, and by the
end of the day I was eating and drinking, and
after my match with Benji, I ran for like fifteen
minutes because I said I was gonna have to make
weight and I was still eighty two.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Kilos and I was like, man, this is gonna be
a long night.

Speaker 3 (05:01):
And then Herb came out to me saying I didn't
ever make weight, so whenever we get through Christmas time.
I get back from Christmas and I'm weighing like eighty eight,
eighty nine kilos, maybe even ninety kilos. It's just my
body started to grow and I didn't think it was
going to be very possible for me me to make
seventy seven.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
But I went out to Armenia with David and.

Speaker 3 (05:22):
It was funny because all those seventy sevens would not
wrestle me. It was kind of it made me quite upset,
but yeah, it was writing on the wall that I
wasn't seventy seven anymore. But I didn't make the decision
until probably three weeks before the Store Masters, where I
was weighing like when I would eat real healthy and

(05:45):
try and get my weight down. I was getting down
to maybe eighty four and a half, not feeling great.
So talked to Andy and Parker talked to Lucas and Bill,
and yeah, just ultimately made the decision. Plus being on
the team at Northern we had Max at sixty, David
at sixty seven, Benji had seventy seven to me at
eighty seven, and Georgia ninety seven.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
It just it made the most sense.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
Okay, Before we keep going in this direction, I just
want to mention for those who might be unaware, is
that when you had begun competing full time in Greco
with the Toppers Wrestling Club, I think that was what

(06:32):
Burlington Central Catholic High.

Speaker 2 (06:33):
School I want to call it, Yeah, Catholic Central.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
Okay, is that you were a sixty kilo guy, and
yeah that was good. Okay. See you know what we
we talked about this last night. See for you a
few years ago was a big deal, okay, because you're
only what like twenty two, Okay for someone like me,

(06:57):
that's that is nine minutes ago. And then in two
thousand and twenty fall U twenty nationals COVID you were
at sixty three. And then a year later, so that
would be twenty twenty one. I think you entered you

(07:23):
can correct me, but I think you entered the September
Senior Trials, your first senior trials at I want to say,
seventy two. Yeah, okay, And I remember at the time.
I don't even know if I said this or rode

(07:44):
it publicly, but I remember it was something like Jacobsen's
you know, made his like senior debut or senior trial's
debut at seventy two. But he's probably ticketed more towards
sixty seven. Because that's how dumb and unaware I was that, Like, well,

(08:07):
first off, that you were piling on muscle and just growing,
and like second of all that like these things were
even within your purview, Like I totally just I guess
I kept thinking back to when you were just you know,
a sixty.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
I mean I was in high school. I had kind
a bunch of way to make every time. Every time
I make sixty, I had kind a bunch sixty three.
I kind of buying sixty seven. I got up to
Northern House seventy five kels already, and then Lucas told me,
he just go seventy two at least send your trials
and let your body grow.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
See what happens.

Speaker 1 (08:42):
You were all correct, all right? Getting back to twenty
and twenty four, for which you were named Athlete of
the Year along with Becca Miller Lashvili. As well, you
received the fan vote for outstanding Individual performance with regards
to the Olympic Trials, which obviously we're going to get to,

(09:05):
but first we'll go to Thor Masters, since that's where
you left off. And you know, I'm sure you know,
but I always make a big deal about Thorp in
this case, in particular, you going eighty seven, which was
technically eighty nine at Thor Masters. I thought that was

(09:29):
the signal. I thought that was the like the first
salvo that you were at the very least, bare minimum
least going to be a very major problem for people
at eighty seven at the Olympic Trials. Before I mentioned
a couple of, you know, specific matches from Thor after

(09:51):
that tournament, did you see it the same way? Like
you had four matches at Thorn Masters. You wrestled, I mean,
you wrestle uh two top European type guys, I mean
one hundred. I was like dropped dead and pressed by that.
So I came away from that tournament watching you. Oh

(10:13):
my gosh, look out for Peyton. Next month in State
College Pennsylvania. Did your performance at Thorn Masters did that
kind of you know, did was that like a sense
of vindication for going up? Like did you feel confident?

Speaker 2 (10:30):
More confident?

Speaker 3 (10:32):
Yeah? That point, I mean a lot of people were
like within I felt like within the Northern Room they
believed in me.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
There's a few people that questioned me.

Speaker 3 (10:41):
Outside of it, I felt like they were like, I
don't know, that's a big jump twenty two pounds, But
for me, I was like, I think I can beat anybody,
so why not. Also like I felt like nobody wanted
to see me, and like within the States, I've wrestled
all the guys that we're going eighty seven and in

(11:03):
practice in whatever at the OLTC, and I'm just like,
none of these guys want to draw mate. I know
for a fact, guys, when I get ahold of them there,
I think I do very well against him.

Speaker 1 (11:14):
For me, uh And I know you know this, and
it's not a diss to anybody else you face at
Thor Masters, and I don't. I mean, we never even
talked about the thor Masters camp, but just a tournament itself.
It's cool. And Nitch and Takic those were the two matches.
I mean even though you, I mean, you be cool Nitch,

(11:37):
who's a bronze medalist, World bronze medalist, and then you
go against tak I mean you got him mad frustrated
in the second period, like he was like gesturing and
complaining and stuff like that, and it's like he couldn't
deal with you. And I think that match ended five
to three for him. The score is notwithstanding, I mean,
no offense to you. I'm sure you wanted to win

(11:58):
the tournament. I'm I obviously did. I couldn't have cared
less about the results more just how you looked and
now like stuff like that. And I was like, dude,
if he's like giving Takics these kind of problems, like
and he's brand new to the way, I mean, I
don't know, I go crazy over those kinds of things.
Did you get the same feeling like like you knew

(12:21):
who you were going against, right, Like you knew who
these guys were, I would imagine, right.

Speaker 3 (12:25):
I mean, I wrestled I can't pronounce the Polish guy's name,
but I say cool and Itch. I wrestled him in
Armenia quite a bit back in January, and it was
like he was like the old man in the room
and then he would grab me and he's like real
good at a bunch of judo throws and he would
just like whip me around.

Speaker 2 (12:47):
I just got smoked by him. Like that whole Armenia
trip was a whole I got beating up bad. That
was January, right, Yeah, it was January.

Speaker 3 (12:56):
It was not a lot of fun, like super unique
experience like outside of the wrestling room. Had a great time,
but I got my buck kicked in the wrestling room,
which was not a great time. But I mean sometimes
you gotta get your buck kicked. But yeah, I wrestled him.
That was a big win for me. I remember thinking
before the match that going out there, like he just
looked way bigger than anyone I had.

Speaker 2 (13:17):
Wrestled within the Northern Room.

Speaker 3 (13:19):
I dressled the heavyweight sometimes and Kenneth Crossy would be
like David versus Goliath, here we go, and that's all
I was thinking of going into that match and just
gonna fight for my life. So that was my mindset
going to that match. Ended up winning all my friends
by my side. It was awesome, and the tackage match,
so I was just like, we're gonna fight again, see

(13:40):
what happens, and I think, go my way.

Speaker 2 (13:42):
Whatever, we move on. It's just just a tournament's move on.

Speaker 3 (13:46):
But then after into the camp, like some of the
guys are like surprised, Like some of the foreigners were
talking to me, They're like, you only lost the takage
five three.

Speaker 2 (13:55):
I'm like, yeah, They like were super eye opened by it,
which I didn't think that big of a deal to
be honest. Is it just like I think I'm the
best in the world.

Speaker 1 (14:05):
Right And that's the beautiful part to all this, Peyton,
is that to you that was a loss and to
some of us who understand this sport on a little
bit more of an international level compared to most of
the United States, that was Peyton Jacobson, in his first

(14:26):
tournament at eighty seven kilograms, went and pushed a dude
to the limit, a guy who, if he were on
any number of other countries teams, would be a number
one and a probably a world I mean, I don't
like to say this like it's easy, but probably be

(14:46):
a world medalist for crying out loud and so yeah,
I think it says something said something to me and
he wound up making me look pretty darn smart because
I used Storemasters as like the blueprint basically for you
entering the Olympic Trials. I mean that was enough for me,

(15:09):
and I already had thought you were a fantastic wrestler,
as you know, So let's get to the trials, Peyton,
because that's what that's what the people want to talk about.
That's why you got voted Outstanding Individual Performance. Enormous deal.
And it was an enormous deal in particular because eighty

(15:29):
seven kilograms was almost objectively the best and most competitive
weight class in the tournament. You can go ahead and
make an argument for sixty seven if you'd like.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
You, I thought noise to be honest.

Speaker 1 (15:49):
Well, then you must be on kayludes, because eighty seven
kilos was ridiculous, ridiculous. It's the best way, barn is
the best way. It was certainly was last year anyway,
And you had in order, you know, my good friend

(16:09):
Rich Carlson, you had the returning World team member in
that weight class, Zach Braunegele, and then in the Challenge
tournament final you had John Stefanowitz. So for those keeping score,
Rich Carlson, you know, it's a couple of time national
team members, top kind of guy for sure. You had Zach.

(16:34):
Zach is tremendous and he creates a lot of motion
and he, you know, brings a pretty good pace himself.
And then you had stefana Witz, who's a twenty nineteen
World team member, twenty twenty Olympian. That's you at where
I think you were still twenty one at the time,
were you yea, yeah, there you go. Okay, So it's

(16:55):
a lot to ask Rich, Zach and Stefanowitz in a row.
I mean, that's it's a gauantlet. Maybe not to you perhaps,
but certainly two observers.

Speaker 2 (17:05):
It was.

Speaker 1 (17:08):
Take me through it one by one. You don't have
to go super detailed. But Rich, did you know Rich beforehand?
Had you gotten hands on him prior?

Speaker 2 (17:18):
Yeah, it had been a while, but I wrestled him
years ago. I don't know. I just they just gave
me the seventh seed.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
I'm like, whoever's got me first, they don't want to
wrestle me, that's for sure. Uh So, I whatever, I
was taking it one match at a time, didn't care
what I had next, and I that was my biggest worry,
to be honest, just getting that first one under the belt,
because you gotta win one or else you're out.

Speaker 2 (17:47):
You're not making the team.

Speaker 3 (17:48):
So got that first one done and then you gotta
start getting hot from there. Yeah, so I forget what
happened in the match. I think I didn't score in
parts are and then I got double unders on him.

Speaker 2 (17:59):
At some point.

Speaker 3 (18:01):
It's going to takedown and then just kind of control
the center of the match from there.

Speaker 1 (18:06):
Zach, I thought was a very interesting matchup. I know
that you had wrestled them before in camps and things
like that. We don't have to you know, go station
station here, but just in general, what did you feel
against Zach? I mean, you you shut him down, you
won six nothing, but like, what'd you feel against them?

Speaker 3 (18:27):
He's not a typical UH greco wrestler, so I'd approached
it differently. I knew he was gonna be heavy on
my head and going into the tournament, the only thing
that was really connecting and practice of my arm throw,
so I was looking to set that up a lot
of the time. Uh and Zach happened to have his
hips out a few times, and yeah, scored with that,

(18:51):
and yeah, yeah, that's pretty.

Speaker 2 (18:53):
Much about it.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
I did score on top one time, the only time
other than the finals that I scored on top of
the turn.

Speaker 1 (19:00):
You go and you beat Stefano Witz. It's the Challenge
Tournament final. You know what this means, right, It's a
Friday night, Friday evening or whatever you want to call it.
What's your mindset? What's your mentality after getting past the
Fana Witz? I, I don't know if you had to
have much attention, you had to pay to your weight,

(19:21):
but uh, just bring us through your EBB and flow
of your mentality Friday night after winning the Challenge Tournament
final and leading into the best of three the next morning,
starting the next morning anyway, Yeah, I.

Speaker 3 (19:39):
Mean there's in all the tournaments I've really wrestled at
the senior level, I've lost in the semis and I
consider that a semifinal match, and I was like, that
was such a big win for me.

Speaker 2 (19:51):
I did Russell kind of tighten that match? I thought.

Speaker 3 (19:53):
I thought it was one of my matches where I
didn't let it fly as much as well this point
in the man Uh, but at the same time we
were moving on, so I was super pumped about it.
Ran to the back Max Max is cutting wait in
the sauna. So I just hopped in sauna with him,
and who else is in there? Jesse Mendez is in there,

(20:15):
and Audrey Jim and Az. We were just kicking in
there for a little bit talking and.

Speaker 2 (20:21):
Really just like picking it. Not a big deal in
my mind.

Speaker 3 (20:26):
But then I get home that night or back to
the hotel, it's like probably midnight, and I'm can't really
sleep much. I'm all giddy because I'm like, dang, I
could really, I could really make the Olympics tomorrow.

Speaker 2 (20:37):
I just gotta do my thing. Yeah, that was kind
of the.

Speaker 3 (20:41):
Mindset, But then my mind switches to like, maybe you
could do it in twenty eight, but like at the
same time, it's you're not maybe in twenty eight.

Speaker 2 (20:52):
I'm I don't have the opportunity. So it's just like
those are the kind of battles.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
I have in my mind when going to sleep, which
I feel like I'd be human if I wouldn't be
having those doubts with myself. But I'm trying to shut
down those doubts as much as possible.

Speaker 1 (21:10):
What did Basics say to you? After beating Steveanowitz and
getting prepped for Spencer the next day, I really.

Speaker 2 (21:18):
Don't think he said much, just more just keep doing
your thing, have fun.

Speaker 3 (21:24):
I bet the whole tournament, I mean, well, going to
the bullpen and I had a great time.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
I would just sorry, ah I sing in the Danish song.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
Where they go the Bob Marley parts, oh yoh yoie,
oh yeah yo yo, just like to keep my.

Speaker 2 (21:44):
Mind like.

Speaker 3 (21:47):
Away from racing, and then I would just like just
trying to get my mind in the rhythm. And I
feel like part of the match is boring in that bullpen,
and if I'm I felt like the whole time I was,
I looked like a scary man in that bull end
as I was Tom going back and having a great
time in Ian Parker with that, So that was I

(22:11):
love that bullpen offense.

Speaker 1 (22:12):
State Okay, Spencer. I think by the time this episode
is released, everyone will have probably read the top ten
matches a year. His was number two against Daniel gregorich
Hekabaria from Cuba. He had a monstrous match to qualify
the weight. It was clutch, clutches all get out, totally clutch,

(22:38):
especially considering the circumstances. Not only had he qualified the weight,
but at that tournament US struggled at sixty, sixty seven,
and seventy seven, respectively, and it was like, oh, it
wasn't a great feeling. And then Spencer comes out against
a really tough Cuban who's well decorated in himself and

(22:59):
just you know, gets the job done. He gets to
buy to the best of three. You face him the
next day, which is Saturday, and match one you were
by and large in command of and you get that
under your belt.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
What is.

Speaker 1 (23:23):
I want to add something? I'm gonna wait, how are
you feeling after match one? Are you feeling like I'm
sewing this up in two?

Speaker 3 (23:32):
Yeah, I'm like, ah, I'm definitely making this team as
I had it in my mind like this is gonna
be easy. And that was my problem going to match too,
I think, cause match one went pretty much my way
the whole time, and I think it had to deal
with I was already hot coming in from Friday and
Spencer is just getting his first match in, which is

(23:54):
kind of interesting, like sitting in the finals, like yeah,
you get to sit out you're already in the finals,
but at the same time you don't get that arena
experience yet. So like him qualifying the way like completely
incredible like him beating that Cuban. I voted for him
for Individual Performance of the Year because I thought like

(24:14):
without him, I wouldn't have made the Olympics. I mean,
maybe I would have made a run at the last chance,
but I mean no promises on that.

Speaker 2 (24:22):
So I that was a huge thing for him to
qualify it.

Speaker 3 (24:27):
So I feel like you should have an option if
you want to go to the through the tournament or not.

Speaker 2 (24:31):
Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. But going into that
after that first match, I was just like super giddy.

Speaker 3 (24:37):
I wanted to get out of the arena as quick
as I could because I wanted to call my nerves
a little bit. And I went at home and my
parents had an airbnb near the near the arena, so
I took a nap over there, and yes, kind of relaxed.

Speaker 1 (24:53):
Well, first off, you brought up something that I had
not heard before. And it's very interesting. It really is
because obviously the buye is looked at as advantageous for
those who earn it. Yet there is a different school
of thought that it's like you're sitting around, especially now
that we're in a two day format, you're sitting around

(25:16):
for you know, at least in this case, a full
day of the event at least, right, and that could
work a little against somebody. I mean that could you
use the word option where maybe it could be an

(25:37):
option in a situation in which buys are awarded, It's like, hey,
do you want this or do you want to enter
the tournament and roll the dice? Like, I don't know.
I think that's a very interesting point of view. I totally.

Speaker 3 (25:52):
I imagine most people would choose to be in the finals,
but at least give them an option.

Speaker 1 (25:59):
Let me tell you something. It's a radical idea, for sure,
but I understand it. I think there's something to it.
I do in some cases. But you know what, I
think ultimately, the buye means that you're not in danger
of slipping on a banana peel.

Speaker 2 (26:17):
You know.

Speaker 1 (26:17):
It means that you're saving yourself from getting potentially banged up.
Two And even if you make the files, by the
time you get there, you're gonna have to could be
limping into it, so to speak. So there's arguments on
both sides, but I thought the fact that you use
the worst the word option is what caught me. I

(26:40):
guess it's safe to say this now after the tournament.
We'll get to match three because you had a big
gut wrench I think in the first period against Woods.
But do you know what assistant coach Parker Betts told
me after the tournament with regards to you dropping match
two to one, mister Spencer Woods, do you know what

(27:02):
Parker told me?

Speaker 2 (27:03):
What's up?

Speaker 1 (27:05):
Parker told me that you had told him that it
was like you, I listen, this is not verbatim, but
it was more to the tone of you were having
too much fun going into match too.

Speaker 3 (27:23):
Yeah, I told him that after I lost. I think
I went out there. I wasn't very focused. I was
just like, yeah, I'm gonna go bank. The slipper team
was gonna be awesome.

Speaker 2 (27:35):
This is this is great.

Speaker 3 (27:36):
And then big setback in match too obviously, which definitely
plays a role on.

Speaker 2 (27:44):
The mentality going into match three.

Speaker 1 (27:45):
For sure, Peyton, you're missing the entire point of me
bringing that up. Do you understand how crazy it is
for uh, forgetting like this is your mature for your age,
for for sure. Okay, so don't take this as a slight.
You're twenty one years old, in your first Olympic trials,

(28:07):
you get to the finals, you win match one, match
two doesn't go your way, and to hear that, like
the response to that is, yeah, it's kind of having
too much fun. That's like wild. Nobody would say that. No,
that would not be You have to have some ultra

(28:27):
like high belief in your ability to be able to
even say that.

Speaker 3 (28:31):
Ye, maybe saying maybe fun isn't the right word, but
like I don't know what the right word would be.

Speaker 1 (28:38):
But oh, the sport's supposed to be fun. Why can't
you enjoy what you're doing?

Speaker 3 (28:41):
For kinda of course, Oh, I was enjoying what I
was doing, but like I walked out like the first
match in the second match were different because in the
morning that they didn't have like the whole stage set up.

Speaker 1 (28:52):
No, it wasn't the same presentation at all. It was
a regular match at a tournament in the first round,
and then a second round spotlight TV cameras everywhere.

Speaker 3 (29:01):
Yeah, exactly. So like I'm like, oh my gosh, this
is showtime. I'm about to make this team. It's gonna
be great. And then like I was just like goofing around.
I felt like, not not even goofing around, but just
like I don't even know the best way to explain it,
just not locked in enough to perform.

Speaker 2 (29:22):
I guess.

Speaker 1 (29:24):
Fair enough. Match three. I their anxiety is their tension.
Are you feeling pressure? Okay, go through it, go through it,
go through it.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
I mean in between the match, everybody from Northern It
is sitting in the back with me, George, David, Max
and Mikey Ultimer was my warm up partner the whole time.
And then I think it was David's dad and that
Andy and Parker. That was about I think that was

(29:58):
about it. And we were just in with Morris as well,
Max's coach. We were just like chatting, not talking about
wrestling at all. But for a while it was just
like in my mind, I'm thinking, like, man, I could
really have a fun summer. If I didn't, I'd really
like not be on this Olympic team and just have

(30:19):
a fun summer and Marquette. But at the same time,
I'm like, no, this is who is my dream? Is
my dream to make this Olympic team. So I had
to play that mental battle a little bit. And then
before before the match, b Parker and Andy said a
quick quick prayer.

Speaker 2 (30:34):
I've never prayed with them before, so that was pretty special.

Speaker 3 (30:39):
To me, and then it went out there and for
the match, they send the coaches out there and it's
just me and Spencer.

Speaker 2 (30:46):
Sitting in the bullpen.

Speaker 3 (30:47):
And in my mind, I'm thinking, like if all the
times I've lost, And I was doing that a lot
the whole tournament, but then I started thinking about, like,
who's put faith in me, who's put their time into me?
So I started thinking about, uh, my family, my all
my friends. And I was just rereading this book on
something where it's saying that you can perform extraordinary tasks

(31:10):
when uh, you start thinking of other people.

Speaker 2 (31:15):
I wasn't read that before trials.

Speaker 3 (31:16):
I just read that recently, but yeah, so I started
thinking of other people and started thinking about I honestly
just put it in God's hands at that point, and
I was like, I didn't even pray for it win.
I'm just like, please, just let us wrestle to our
greatest ability, and however you see fit, whoever you see
fit to win, it's all on your plan. So that

(31:38):
that really took the pressure off of me a lot,
and that's got it happened. I also, like, before the match,
I told Mikey, if I'm gonna win, I'm gonna have
to turn him on top. So when I got put
on top right away, that was that was my biggest focus,
is I have to get this turn and ended up happening.

Speaker 1 (31:58):
Yeah, the turn, that's what won the match essentially. And
in the second period that passive s flip, he has
the reverse lift, which you got a glimpse of and
match two, and it's well known that Spencer has put

(32:18):
a lot of work into his reverse lift does not
have to be beautiful. Sometimes it is, but it's the
kind of turn from top where you could just kind
of yank a guy over if you have to. And
he has some variations and different ency points. And so
second period he gets he gets chance from top. Are

(32:44):
you just waiting for it?

Speaker 3 (32:48):
I mean, I know he's going reverse lift, but the
whole time I'm just looking up at his feet. As
the first match, I've didn't really focus on that much
because I didn't get the turns, more focused on what's
going to happen after the reverse lift rather than focusing
on the exact defense of it. So this time it
was pretty locked in on where's his feet moving, keep

(33:09):
his eyes on his feet, and then I could feel
him panic for a second when he went to the
front halflock, and the amount of times George Sykes's front
halflock to me in the room stupid, so dumb, but
it definitely prepared me for at least that moment and
probably moments in the future where like I hate when

(33:32):
people touch my neck, like when Bill Colly would have
me defend front half blocks immediately as soon as somebody
goes to that.

Speaker 2 (33:39):
Front haldlock, you're up. You're up and moving. So as
soon as Spencer reach for that, I was gone. I
was struck standing up and I was on him.

Speaker 1 (33:47):
You can never discount anything that happens, no matter how
much time is left, unless the score is completely wide.
In this case it was not. It was three to one.
But when you got to your feet, you know the protocol.
Are you counting down at all? Or are you glancing?
I mean I didn't see it, but are you glancing
at the clock? How are you handling this last race

(34:09):
to the finish?

Speaker 2 (34:10):
Here?

Speaker 3 (34:10):
In match three, after I got up is just keep
moving forward, keep your head up, stay in the middle,
don't do anything too stupid.

Speaker 2 (34:18):
And then once I got in part ter, I got
on top again right and I was just gassed.

Speaker 3 (34:24):
Oh oh my god, maybe got eight seconds on top
because I wasn't doing anything. They bring it back up
on my feet and I saw the time from there,
and from there I was trying to do the same thing,
but I was very tired and just trying to control
the match. And then I forget how much time was left,
but they stopped it because I was getting a little
I was backing up a little bit, and then.

Speaker 2 (34:45):
I looked over the pocket. I think there was like
twenty seconds left.

Speaker 3 (34:48):
And from there it's just like, you can do twenty seconds,
no matter how tired you are, you can you can
do twenty seconds.

Speaker 1 (34:54):
Well, it was a huge moment for you, It was
a huge moment for your family. It was a huge
moment for NMU. As I've published I think a couple
of times. You making the Olympic team. It's the first
Northern Michigan Olympian since Spencer for Beijing. I mean, there
obviously have been other guys who have made Olympic teams
who have come out of Northern but as far as

(35:16):
being a current student athlete is a huge deal, and
it's not long after you win when you are ushered
to the press area and you greco Roman wrestler. We
don't get so many of these opportunities at these kinds

(35:38):
of tournaments unless it's a World or Olympic Trials really
where there's a giant press school. But here it is.
And I said this to both of your coaches and stuff.
But one thing, Peyton, is that like this is such
a huge thing, Like it's a huge thing, Like we

(35:59):
don't have a higher level than an Olympic Trials in
our country. I mean, it's the highest level we have.
And you went and had achieved this at what is
it like a young age for sure, and then you're
put in front of all of these reporters and wrestling

(36:21):
media types and whomever else, and you handled it so well,
like so calmly and professionally, and I was blown away
by it. Like it's look, it's not as important as
winning the tournament, obviously, but I mean you saw I

(36:46):
clipped part of that. When you know you did that,
I clipped part of it and put it out. But
why were you so comfortable with like all these people
surrounding you asking you questions after this?

Speaker 2 (37:00):
I don't even know.

Speaker 3 (37:00):
Maybe because when I was real little, before I even
started wrestling, I remember hearing that, I thought I was
probably first first grade kindergarten. I remember hearing that Benji
wanna state titled within wiscons like a youth state titled,
and I thought that was the coolest thing I ever Like,
immediately my mind went to like getting interviewed after winning state.

(37:22):
So I'm like, man, he definitely got interviewed. It was like,
you state, so obviously you're not getting interviewed. But maybe
it was just like in my human nature to like
like to win something big and get interviewed immediately after.

Speaker 2 (37:33):
So it was more just like.

Speaker 3 (37:36):
I can't even describe it. Maybe that was just like
what I what God.

Speaker 2 (37:41):
Made me to do.

Speaker 1 (37:42):
Oh, but you are completely natural, like just totally like
self assured and answered, oh, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (37:50):
I loved it.

Speaker 1 (37:51):
Look, it's not that big. It's the biggest deal in
the world, no, when the tournament is. But I was
really impressed with how you handled it because some people aren't,
you know, necessarily as comfortable in that sort of environment.
In short order, after winning the Olympic Trials, you actually
went and trained with Spencer in Alaska. How did that

(38:11):
come about? And what did you guys do together?

Speaker 3 (38:14):
So my coach Bill Colly. He was said he's going
on a hunting trip up there. He said, I actually
come along. So I called Spencer. I'm like, yo, I'm
being Alaska. You're gonna be up at those dates, and
he actually was going up so well, my coach went hunting.
I went and visited Spencer and extremely grateful for that.

(38:35):
The fact that I just beat him in the finals
and now he's invited me up there is crazy, Like
what a great friend. He is a great person.

Speaker 2 (38:44):
He is yep.

Speaker 3 (38:45):
But yeah, we just every day, the time was all
messed up because it's light all day, so we'd go
train in the morning or as soon as we'd wake up,
and as soon as we're done training, we go straight
to going hunting, whether that was fighting for geese and ducks,
are going beaver hunting.

Speaker 2 (39:07):
And they showed me a great time up there. It
was really fun.

Speaker 1 (39:12):
Yeah, I thought it was awesome just seeing the pictures
and stuff like that, and just you know, people can
say what they want, but our program has some special things,
and one of those special things is the relationships a
lot of our athletes have with one another, whether they're
in the same weight class or their rivals or what
in spaces we have. That's one thing we do kind

(39:35):
of well these days, is foster those kinds of relationships.
It was it was really pleasant to see like other
countries do that too, right, but other countries aren't fifty
states spread out with the sports pure presented regionally.

Speaker 2 (39:53):
No, it was definitely very special.

Speaker 1 (39:56):
April late April as the trials we move on past
the life. Now you're in the training phase for the
Paris Olympics. One question I had been wanting to ask you,
and to be transparent, I was planning to ask you
this on the record, I guess whatever, seven months ago

(40:20):
before the tournament, and that didn't happen. But you wind
up on an Olympic team, and what comes with that
is you get a lot of media requests from all over,

(40:42):
not to mention your home state itself, and it's a
lot of attention, and it's a lot of attention quick
and it's a little bit sustained too. It doesn't just
pop up and go away like people now want a
piece of you. People who don't even pay attention to
Greco Rown and wrest or wrestling period for that matter,

(41:03):
I want to talk to you and write about their
Olympian right about the whole story. What was that like
for you having to kind of make time for these
media obligations in the middle of all this.

Speaker 3 (41:19):
It was great at first, but then I felt like
a lot of the times I'd be getting asked the
same questions and it started getting very repetitive. I should
have accepted it more because it's like a super Nobody
gets to experience something like that, So I wish I
would have been more appreciated, appreciative towards it. But I

(41:43):
can't look I can't look at that now. But yeah,
I wish it was fun in the moment, for sure,
but I wish I would have taken it, taken more
gratefulness towards it.

Speaker 1 (42:00):
What was your favorite part of the lead up before
going to Paris, well before leaving for France instead of
just saying Paris. But as far as the the initial
prep phase covering we'll call it June and July.

Speaker 3 (42:19):
The first thing that comes to mind is around the
fourth of July and Marquette and Benji's up at the
time to Traino's name and this this interviewer was coming
in and he said he's gonna be in the room
on this day and there was just me, Benji and

(42:40):
Max in the room and I go through this like
blitzing work, like nothing too crazy, but it's just like
ordinary stuff. Not to the outside viewer. This this interviewer,
that was this reporter that was coming in. But afterwards
he came out with the story and it was just
it was awesome. It started with like if you if

(43:04):
you look, you might see or if you split your
eyes you might see a Rocky Balboa, but no, it's
Peyton Jacobson.

Speaker 2 (43:11):
It was just like it was an awesome news story.

Speaker 3 (43:15):
It was super funny and uh that was That was
one of my favorite moments moments leading up.

Speaker 1 (43:25):
What About Ranking series? What did that show you that Trip.

Speaker 3 (43:33):
W asked a chingis I thought I wrestled well against him.
I wish I don't know I was. I was ready
to get home. To be honest, I didn't. Uh, I
didn't think I kind of a problem. I thought within
my preparation, I wasn't. I don't know how bad I

(43:55):
wanted to be there, which was kind of an issue.
So I felt like I could have left, I could
have left more on the mat. But I thought I
wrestled all right against him.

Speaker 2 (44:03):
But I just thought.

Speaker 3 (44:05):
I could have done a little better, but it was
just more of a prep tournament to get me ready.

Speaker 2 (44:10):
That's what I thought of it, as I wish I would.

Speaker 3 (44:12):
Have taken it a little more. Once again, be more
grateful for that. But yeah, it definitely showed me that
I can beat the past world champ.

Speaker 1 (44:23):
Yeah, I was, I was hoping that you were going
to say that, because you know, just for the audience.
You know, Ali Chengiz is a you know, a cod
World champ from twenty twenty three, and uh, you know
has other accolades in addition to that. So I mean,
top top, top guy. And that was the draw, right,

(44:45):
didn't you draw him?

Speaker 2 (44:47):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (44:48):
Yeah, straight up right, Okay, let's cover the Olympic experience
if you don't mind. It's a fascinating especially for those
who have never been to with the Olympics. And you know,
I did the math. I forget, I forget what it is.
I did the math, and it's it's just stupid math.

(45:08):
I mean, it's pointless math. I think I did it
in twenty sixteen for Rio, and it's like the percentage
of the population of humans on average whoever participate in
an olympiad if I can speak English, is like point
zero zero zero, like the Zeros go on and on

(45:29):
and on and on and on and on and on,
like point zero zero zero zero zero zero zero zero
zero zero zero one percent of like the population ever
competes in the Olympics. So it's a very unique and
prestigious affair. But it also comes with some pomp and

(45:50):
circumstance too, Right, there's the opening ceremonies, and there is
the experiencing the village, and there's if you're you know,
you have a training facility that was you know, not
in Paris, that was I believe Normandy. It's a lot,

(46:12):
it's a lot, and you're experiencing this for the first time.

Speaker 3 (46:19):
What was it, Like, I mean, like like you said,
like it was a super unique experience. Like I've gotten
that question a thousand times within the past few months,
like how how was your Olympic experience? And like the
Olympics was just awesome just to experience all of that,

(46:40):
it was I felt just completely blessed. My whole family
was there. Uh, they had the trip of their lives.
But obviously the competition didn't go as I wanted. But
what a unique experience.

Speaker 2 (46:56):
It was.

Speaker 1 (46:58):
What was it like in the training facility while you
were getting prepped to go from Normaly to Paris? What
was like there?

Speaker 3 (47:08):
It was good vibes in the room. I thought the
whole time I was more of a I think I
was kind of feeling the pressure of maybe some of
the interviews where I felt like I don't know if
I was becoming a poster boy, but I felt like
a lot of people were talking to me, and I
felt like I had an obligation to go perform well, and.

Speaker 2 (47:34):
Part of that put some pressure on me.

Speaker 3 (47:37):
Where I was like, I didn't think I was getting
to where I wanted to be in my training, where
I would have to where I would be able to
win a gold medal, which was putting a lot of
pressure on me. And I didn't think mentally my training
was not going well, Like I was doing fine physically,
but I was all.

Speaker 2 (47:54):
Out of black mentally.

Speaker 3 (47:56):
The facilities were great though, like the hotel that we
stayed in, Amazing USA Wrestling did a great job.

Speaker 2 (48:04):
It stayed right on the beaches of Normandy, like it
was so cool and uh we practiced.

Speaker 3 (48:11):
Eleven every day because that was when we were competing,
and the freestyles were not even just the freestyles. The
only one that would go in before us was the
Iowa guys. And by the time we got in the room,
it was like ninety five degrees in there because it
was already hot outside and brands turned the heat up
and it was just like a sweaty mess.

Speaker 2 (48:32):
By the time we got in there. Is ridiculous.

Speaker 3 (48:35):
It was still awesome training with Benji out there and training.
The whole experience was just crazy.

Speaker 2 (48:43):
It was awesome.

Speaker 1 (48:47):
Would you go back for sight seeing.

Speaker 3 (48:51):
Yeah, definitely, one hundred percent. It was super gorgeous spot.
The tide was crazy. It would like in the morning,
the tide would be right on shore and then later
in the afternoon it'd be three hundred yards off the shore.
I didn't understand it, but yeah, it was super gorgeous spot.

Speaker 1 (49:12):
All right, after the Olympics and you go home, you
have another main event on your horizon for the year,
and that is the U twenty three World Championships, which

(49:34):
for which you became the U twenty three World team
member by virtue of well national team member being age eligible. Basically,
to put it plainly, anyway, you're not done competing period.
But you also have another tournament in what six and

(49:55):
a half weeks after the Olympics, which was the Valomar Cup,
in which, if we're following your year overall, this was
also another big time sort of performance insofar as you

(50:16):
not only earned bronze at a top level senior event,
but you also defeated Axel Mkubu, who's a U twenty
three world champion. You had trained with him for a
brief time in the running run up to the Olympics,
and he's an amazing athlete, and that's quite the feather

(50:41):
to put in your cap getting a win over him.
So if you could, let's hit Vaalimore Cup.

Speaker 2 (50:49):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (50:49):
I mean, after the Olympics, it was definitely a tough
time for me because I felt like I got people down.
So I didn't know if I even wanted to go
to you twenty three at first. Then Max gets back
from Lithuania and he's telling me how he's going to
Croatia and I could see the way he was training.

(51:12):
I'm like, all right, I'm in, I'm going, And then
like a week later, I'm like, I don't know if
I want to go. Then we end up talking about it.
Me and Herb and he's like, you're going. The trip's
already locked in. So I'm like, all right, we're going.
And I'm I'm so glad I made that decision because
we had such a great group out there.

Speaker 2 (51:30):
It was Dalton, Max Ildr, who else, who else?

Speaker 3 (51:37):
Benji beca me But yeah, yeah, I think that was
a oh in Spencer, sorry, but yeah.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
We had a great time and in the tournament.

Speaker 3 (51:49):
The best match I thought you had his match the
year was Dalton and when he broke that George and
it was so bad. He just stayed on him the
whole time. Down went down seven er right away and
just started breaking him. No rest off again. Uh the
whole time were on the match, just like chirping the

(52:10):
whole time. It was a great time. But uh, bengers
having a tournament, Max is having a tournament. Everyone was
performing well, Becka.

Speaker 2 (52:17):
Was doing well. So I felt like I had to
get a win.

Speaker 3 (52:20):
And my first mattress against Hucklicks where I took him
down late in the first period, I was winning and
then second period.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
I was controlling the match and then I reached up
for his head.

Speaker 3 (52:33):
And he kind of tried to duck on me and
I kind of tripped over my own feet and kind
of flew the match.

Speaker 2 (52:38):
So I was really upset about that.

Speaker 3 (52:40):
But then like I get pulled back in because he
makes the finals beats XO and going against Sexo. I
trained with him before, so kind of knew what to
expect a little bit. I thought he was gonna come
out a lot or fiery, but he came out more
playing the parterer game, it seemed like. So I got

(53:05):
on top first, didn't get the turn, and then second
period he gets on top and tries to reversive me, which.

Speaker 2 (53:12):
He usually goes for his straight lips.

Speaker 3 (53:14):
I was kind of surprised, but defended that in one
to one, and we always talk about this in the
Northern room. Is like I got the last part er,
and I think me and Benji always talk about it,
is like if you get that third part tar and
you choose on your feet, that just like terrifies your opponent.
So I was like, whatever, I'm gonna keep him on

(53:35):
my feet. So I'm sure he was not. I'm sure
he's a little tired by the time that came around.
So I just started attacking as much as I could,
and I gave up an overhook and he started attacking
the body with his hips out a little bit, and
as soon as he did that, I felt the hat block.
The amount of times in practice I would just try

(53:55):
a head block on when someone tries to.

Speaker 2 (53:59):
Hit a lazy a back on me.

Speaker 3 (54:00):
It paid off and third before and then there's like
ten seconds slept and nothing could happen.

Speaker 2 (54:06):
It was great.

Speaker 3 (54:07):
Well, everyone in my corner went crazy. Is It was
a super fun tournament. We won the We won the
Bronze Cup with almost we only have like six guys.
It was awesome that whole trip. We were just in
a good mood.

Speaker 2 (54:20):
It was. It was a really fun trip.

Speaker 1 (54:23):
It's rough. It is rough in a sense because yeah,
the week prior, alan Vera had passed away, that's right,
and it was just it felt really heavy and like,
you know, pretty dark, and you know, we we have

(54:47):
a team, a delegation if you will go to this
tournament and to have that kind of showing just for
tenuous say these all sometimes these events in the middle
of the season, when we're talking like the middle of
the season, but if we're talking like a regular tour

(55:09):
in the winter or something like that, yeah, they blend
together a little bit. But this one stood out for
more than one reason, and the fact that it happened.
We got a great team performance amid a really like
kind of tough, like sad time, you know, And I
don't know, I just there was something special about it,

(55:32):
you know, just for for the US to make the
podium at a pretty darn tough tournament with a lot
of great athletes there, you know, I don't I didn't
put out like a like a like a general highlights thing.
I have done that, and five point has done that
in previous years, like top ten stories or whatever. But

(55:55):
the Vaalomar Cup, just in general for our pro that
was a pretty huge highlight I thought for twenty four.

Speaker 3 (56:05):
Yeah, along with a along with Alan, I felt him
looking down on us. Also, one of my one of
my youth coaches who coached both Benji and I, his
wife passed away of cancer about that same week, So
I thought that I was dedicating that performance I don't
really to Alan, but to Carriers as well. So that
was that was pretty special week for me. We actually

(56:28):
beginning Croatia, we missed a funeral, which wasn't was an idea.
We missed Allen's funeral as well, but I definitely felt
like they were they were present on.

Speaker 1 (56:37):
That dead It was uh, it was something. It was something. Look,
I didn't want to say that I had heard that
coming out of Paris that you were sort of on
the fence about you twenty three, on the fence a
little bit about you twenty three. I didn't know that
it was Maxo who kind of pushed you over the

(57:00):
I uged to go ahead and make the trip. But
U twenty threes winds up being pretty good tournament if
you asked me, certainly with regards to your co athlete
of the Year Becca, For US as a whole, it
was not even close by far and away, the best

(57:22):
United States performance at the U twenty three World since
the tournament began in twenty seventeen. But for you personally,
it was a pretty good tournament. I think you could agree.
Coming off of being in an Olympics and now you're
in this World Championships, how did you you know what?

(57:42):
Let me not say how, because that's presumptuous. Peyton, I've
asked you several presumptuous questions during this interview and then
you've like turned the tables on me and your answer.
So let me go ahead and like ask this a
little differently, even though you had gotten the itch to
go in this tournament thanks in part to Max Black

(58:06):
and just being kind of reinspired. Once the tournament began
to approach, did you have to get re up for
it or were you back to being in like, you know,
full Peyton Jacobsen beast mode here.

Speaker 2 (58:22):
I mean I was in shape.

Speaker 3 (58:23):
I was still in shape, but I wasn't in I
don't think I was in my top tier shape. I
was definitely in better shape at the Olympics, no doubt
this tournament.

Speaker 1 (58:32):
I'm talking mentally, oh mentally.

Speaker 2 (58:36):
Mentally, I.

Speaker 3 (58:40):
I didn't care, to be honest with you, I was
just going there to have as much fun as I
could because Johnny Johnny made the team, Max made the team.

Speaker 2 (58:49):
I believe it, like the whole team was a great team.

Speaker 3 (58:53):
I thought it was gonna be a super fun trip
and I was just taking it as a trip to
go have some fun. And uh, I guess for wrestling
a little bit. I think that took the pressure off
me a little bit. But e mentally, I'm always in
it to win it. But at the same time, I'm
just like, yeah, whatever happens, it's all in God's hands and.

Speaker 2 (59:14):
We'll see what happens.

Speaker 1 (59:18):
Well, before we get to a little bit of the tournament,
let me ask you this. How'd you like Albinia?

Speaker 3 (59:24):
The spot we were saying at was amazing. I mean
I was there last year and it was not nearly
as as good. We're staying down in Tihana, but we
stayed in Duras where we stayed right on the coast,
which was a beautiful resort.

Speaker 2 (59:39):
Yeah. This the food was great and I really liked
it a lot.

Speaker 3 (59:44):
Honestly, We're a bit far from the venue, but I
think it was worth it that we were on the coast.
It was crazy because like the resort was like on
this beach front and then like one building over it's
straight dog.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
It is a rundown building.

Speaker 1 (01:00:02):
I didn't realize that Albania was categorized as a Mediterranean
country until Beesick was there last year. I didn't even
realize it. I should know better, I didn't know better.
I was you know what, this isn't funny? Do you
know that in an episode of The Simpsons, there's this
episode where they're gonna get They're gonna get a foreign

(01:00:26):
exchange student and they tell Homer, Homer Simpson. They tell
him that he's from Albania and he goes all white
with pink eyes. Anyway, all right, well look you twenty
three's I just I love that tournament. That was another highlight,

(01:00:49):
a huge highland of the year for the US really,
and you yourself, you had a run of matches I
had in that tournament. I think you had five matches. Yeah,
and you got off to a pretty good start here
because you had Croatia first. That was what's his name, Burkin,

(01:01:12):
That's a you know, he's a tough up and coming
Croatian guy. And I think you won three to one,
and then you destroyed Japan in the next round. That
was a blitz. And then you go against Goneibof who's terrific,
and you're right there with them, and I think that

(01:01:36):
was quarterfinal, right, And now you get to rep a charge.
And that's how I pronounce it. I don't say it
in some kind of weird French way. Okay, it's repid charge. Okay,
we're in America. Not saying it like with some kind
of accent. Nope, not that, Yep, yeah, Belarus. And then
you shut him down seven to up. I love how

(01:01:58):
it's like this. It's like we're doing an episode of
This is your Life. I'm telling you how you did
in this tournament that you first hand experienced.

Speaker 2 (01:02:05):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:02:06):
It's like right then and there, it's like to bounce
back from a like a tough loss to a guy
like Gonnibof, you know. The next day, first rapid charge match,
you go and you beat the bella Russian. I think
you want you almost tacked. It was like seven to nothing,
and then you get the bronze round and yeah, just

(01:02:30):
went the other way. How did you reconcile this afterwards?
Coming close to a bronze at the U twenty three's
what are you thinking? Afterwards? I was so close.

Speaker 2 (01:02:44):
I was like the best running with the metals so bad.
But at the same time, it's like, yeah, that's all right,
I guess I'll try and be back. But yeah, it was.

Speaker 3 (01:02:55):
It was a really fun trip. I had a good time.
For about fifteen twenty minutes.

Speaker 2 (01:03:00):
I was really upset, and then Johnny and his dad
came up to me.

Speaker 3 (01:03:07):
Well, I was outside and They're like, oh, you're right,
you had a great turnament and I'm like, yeah, you're right,
I did good. So I was happy with how I
competed and go stay the same world champ Olympic Camp.

Speaker 1 (01:03:20):
That is the way to say that. Look, we're hitting
home stretch here, Peyton. Only a couple more. First thing
I wanted to make sure we touched on before we
wrap this up is if you could sum up you're

(01:03:42):
so early, You're so young in your career, and you
know sky's a limit. But if you could sum up
what you've learned the most about yourself and your capability
in twenty twenty four, how would you do it?

Speaker 3 (01:04:00):
This year was the first year that I fully like
followed God. I think that made a huge difference in
my life. But I think I was put on this
dirt to inspire people, and if I can do that
through wrestling, I think that's the best way at the
time that I'm.

Speaker 2 (01:04:19):
Going to do it.

Speaker 1 (01:04:23):
You know, for all of the stuff we've talked about,
you've saved pretty much like your best answer for towards
the end, because that is a wonderful perspective. It's wonderful
Jesus Christ deserves the glory and that glory is his,
and so success for people who happen to be believers

(01:04:47):
is not on their own accord. It's to point people
towards Christ, and sometimes I think that gets missed, especially
when athletes bring up matters of faith. So the way
you put that, I thought, see, look at what you look.
How great of a job you're doing answering these things. Now,

(01:05:09):
Like it's just you should be pleased as punch, as
they say, Peyton, I hope you are. Thank you? Yeah right, okay,
but no, that is seriously as No. I like the
way you put that because sometimes I think athletes, especially
those who tend to be like successful in some form

(01:05:31):
of fashion, you know, And don't get me wrong, it's
never bad when somebody thanks God and things like that,
but it's you know, something gets missed. They're thanking God
for giving them something, and that's like I said, that's great,
But no, there's a job to do, and your job
is to spread the Gospel, and it's to point people

(01:05:53):
towards Jesus Christ. And if wrestling happens to be your
vehicle to do that currently, then so be it. But
that's what it is. So I love the way you
put that.

Speaker 3 (01:06:06):
Yeah, it's a cool thing at Northern, Like I wasn't
the biggest follower before I went up there. But remember
one Easter Sunday, this guy Julian Beltran, he brought a
few of the wrestlers out there, and ever since that
started interesting me a little bit, and I started going
with a few other.

Speaker 2 (01:06:24):
Teammates, including like Devin Montano and Deep Book and Kenneth Crosby.

Speaker 3 (01:06:31):
So I think it's a special thing we do at
Northern and brings the team a lot closer together.

Speaker 1 (01:06:37):
That's wonderful. Yeah, that's wonderful. The next and last question
slash topic I wanted to ask, is is really a
call back to something I know that you've discussed numerous times.
So I don't mean to bore you when you brought
up the need for full time Greco Roman athletes at

(01:07:02):
the high school ages in order for this country to
return to a semblance of prominence on the world level
like it used to enjoy. This is constantly a game
of catch up here when it comes to Greco Roman.
You had some very poignant and articulate perspectives on this

(01:07:25):
topic in the immediate aftermath after you won the trials.
What I'm asking you to do right now is paint
a little paint another picture for the audience, because it's
that big of a deal.

Speaker 3 (01:07:41):
Yeah, I mean, if you really want to make an
Olympic team in Greco, especially at a young age, and
I think the way we're gonna grow Greco in this
country is getting guys, the younger guys on a team
is to take a take a leap of faith and go.

Speaker 2 (01:07:56):
Go Greco.

Speaker 3 (01:07:57):
And in high school when you're young, it's you're not
going to move forward in Groco if you're going to
continue doing folks.

Speaker 2 (01:08:06):
I was just it's not going to work out as
you would think.

Speaker 3 (01:08:10):
But I mean, yeah, as you can see for me,
like I mean, the Olympic team haven't rached the medal yet,
but I hope that's in my future along with all
my partners that everybody pushing me. I think the best
route would be going to Combat, then to Northern Michigan
and then from there wherever it goes from there. But

(01:08:33):
that's the best that works for me. But I mean,
everybody's got their own journey, so but I think the
journey in order to.

Speaker 2 (01:08:41):
Get to.

Speaker 3 (01:08:43):
The Olympics at a young age is definitely specializing in
Greco very early.

Speaker 1 (01:08:49):
Yeah, what do you say to the pressures that some
kids might face when they are very interested at let's say,
sixteen seventeen years old and focusing only on greco, But
they have high school teammates, coaches, club coaches, and parents
who are trying to steer them away from such a choice.

(01:09:11):
They are trying to convince them that regular folk style
high school wrestling is the path, and that path leads
to regular folk style college. That's their best shot to
go to college, best shot to get an education in
concert with wrestling. How would you go ahead and talk

(01:09:32):
an imaginary sixteen or seventeen year old through that?

Speaker 3 (01:09:36):
Well, think about like, what who are the guys that
in your life have the best interest for you within
what your dreams are.

Speaker 2 (01:09:45):
For me? That was Bill Coley.

Speaker 3 (01:09:48):
He really pushed me into doing this grecl thing, thinking
I could do something that I didn't even believe myself.
If you can find someone in your life that do
you think think you can trust in, who really believes
in you and sets you on the right path, uh.

Speaker 2 (01:10:07):
Take a leap of faith and commit full time. It's
only gonna only even think yourself.

Speaker 3 (01:10:15):
I mean, it's a definitely not an easy road, but
it's a I think it's been worth it for me.
I wouldn't change anything. And if you're gonna do it,
have no regrets about it, do it no looking back.
It's well foot four.

Speaker 2 (01:10:32):
That's uh.

Speaker 3 (01:10:33):
That's the number one thing that Kelly and Tony Benji's
parents told me. It's like, as soon as you commit
to it, there's there's really no looking back. It's make
the commitment and have no regrets about.

Speaker 1 (01:10:44):
It, all right. And that was Peyton Jacobson. And one
takeaway you should have after listening to him is that
he's always learned. He was totally forced right with regards
to matters that maybe not everyone would share. He talked
about certain times during last year's training cycle for the Olympics,

(01:11:08):
about instances in which he did not necessarily love his mentality.
And then after the Olympics, when it came time to
decide what he was going to do about the U
twenty three Worlds, you know, he was honest pertaining to
his thought process and where his motivation was at. He
obviously switched it back on for the U twenty three Worlds,

(01:11:30):
but the point is he was unafraid to be transparent
about how he was feeling beforehand. And this is all
very important. A whole lot of young wrestlers who are
around high school age and even younger. They read and
listen to what senior athletes have to say, especially guys
like Jacobson who are making Olympic teams. And Jacobson's always learning.

(01:11:52):
You can tell that by his answers, plus the younger
people who absorbed stuff from this platform that I mean
they're learning too. They're learning from people like Jacobson, Alex Sancho,
Camal Bay, Ray, Von Ellis, roberts Ildar, Max Black and
so on. So you know, like while I hope everyone
is and was entertained by this segment, please understand that,

(01:12:15):
like with five point, there's an educational component attached to
and it bears reminding, by the way, just not to
get off the rails too much. That Jacobson's would out
a doubt like a hardcore, very mentally tough individual, you
don't go and find yourself at an Olympics at twenty
one years old based on talent alone. Certainly not in Greco,

(01:12:40):
especially not in Greco. I mean, you heard him say
that he thinks he's the best in the world. Maybe
he is, but even if he is, you also heard
him talk about times when he had doubts in his
mind or took for granted some moments leading to Paris.
And that's mental toughness too, And it's also awareness. Peyton

(01:13:00):
understands what he was thinking and why he was so
again learning, He's constantly learning. And those who have, you know,
those who listen or have listened to his segment, you know,
they're hopefully learning as well. All right, as far as
news items go, there's not much to cover right yet.

(01:13:20):
The new year's just started. As reported the last Monday piece,
the latest Monday piece, four or five prominent Greco countries
have changed national coaches, either in the late fall or
in time for this month. Let me see. In the
last Monday piece it was reported that Nano Jovanovich has

(01:13:43):
taken over for Sweden. Sweden's a close ally to the
US in this sport. Sweden has a strong staff. They
have a strong staff. They also have Johann Jurin, who
is you know, heavyweight Olympic bronze in twenty twelve, Jim
Peterson World bronze in twenty fourteen, and Daniel Sueni And
for those you know what, For those by the way,

(01:14:04):
who have not caught the latest Monday piece, there was
a trivia item regarding Peterson. Peterson, as difficult as this
might be to believe for those who follow this website,
was the very first athlete interviewed on five Point Move.
So it was not an American who was the first interview,

(01:14:26):
but a Swede. And if you'd like, you can go
back and find that in the interview section of the
website and catch a glimpse at the early writing style
for five Points, some of the crudeness, and also check
out what still is a very interesting interview with a
guy who was a terrific international competitor. As far as

(01:14:48):
the US goes, you already know the drill. Later this
month January camp at the Olympic Training Center, along with
an Athlete and Leader summit, both of which I'm sure
or we will be talking about as this goes on.
There's also an age group trip to Sim's Vall, Sweden,
and then early next month is of course the senior

(01:15:11):
trip to Zagreb for the Ranking Series tournament and accompanying camp.
All of this plus more it's coming up. Social media concerns.
Social media concerns. To follow Peyton Jacobsen, you can do
so on Twitter x. We have to say X right
at Peyton Jacobson. That's it, just his full name without

(01:15:32):
a space, and you can of course find him on
Instagram at Peyton Underscore Jacobsen thirty four and that thirty four,
mind you is for Walter Payton, sweetness, the greatest running
back in NFL history. To follow Denisaul on X, you
can do so at Denisall WGW and on Instagram you

(01:15:56):
can find Hall at Dennis Hall Underscore You. And for
USA Greco Roman news and athlete perspectives, please go to
five point move dot com and as always, follow along
on X at five the number five pt Move. That's
it for episode sixty three. Everybody, thanks for listening and
we'll see you soon.