CrankMat Podcast

In this episode, Ryan Hayes sits down with Davis Motyka to discuss his incredible journey through the sport of wrestling.

From struggling to find success early in his career and battling the challenges of being undersized in high school to becoming a two-time Prep National Champion at Wyoming Seminary and an NCAA qualifier at the University of Pennsylvania, Davis shares the adversity, hard work, and perseverance that shaped him into the wrestler and person he is today.

Davis opens up about the mental side of wrestling, overcoming pre-match nerves, dealing with setbacks, and learning to believe in himself even when things weren't going his way.

Now, he's using those experiences to give back to the next generation of wrestlers through Mat Mentors, a business he co-founded to help athletes strengthen their mental approach, build confidence, and navigate the challenges of the sport.

This is a conversation about resilience, mindset, faith, and never giving up on yourself, even when the odds are stacked against you.

CrankMat Wrestling Media

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Ryan Hayes sits down with three-time Iowa state champion and Southeast Polk standout Nico DeSalvo for an in-depth conversation about his wrestling journey, his move to Arizona State, and what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Nico reflects on his journey from Louisiana to Pennsylvania and eventually Iowa, the coaches and training partners who helped shape his career, and his eighth-place finish at Fargo despite competing with a broken wrist. He also discusses his transition to Mission Wrestling Club, his training regimen, his upcoming Super 32 appearance, and his goals for his senior season and beyond.

Beyond wrestling, Nico opens up about his faith, overcoming injuries and difficult times, and learning that his identity and worth extend far beyond the sport. He shares his hopes of becoming a college coach or opening his own wrestling club one day, along with his mindset on competition, confidence, patience, and trusting God's plan.

Topics covered:

• Three-time Iowa state champion at Southeast Polk
• His journey from Louisiana to Pennsylvania to Iowa
• Committing to Arizona State and his future in college wrestling
• Fargo All-American performance and battling through injury
• Hand fighting, development, and preparing for Super 32
• Training, recovery, and avoiding overtraining
• Wrestling culture, rankings, and seeking out tough competition
• Faith, mental toughness, and finding your identity beyond wrestling
• Future goals in coaching and growing the sport

Nico's message is simple: Be patient, trust the process, and focus on getting one percent better every day.

Watch the full conversation and get to know one of the nation's top high school wrestlers beyond the mat.

Like, comment, and subscribe to CrankMat Wrestling Media for more interviews, wrestling stories, and conversations with athletes and coaches from across the sport.

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In this episode, Ryan Hayes sits down with University of Maryland freshman wrestler Jackson Butler to talk about his journey from Georgia to Pennsylvania, his development at Bishop McCort, and the experiences that shaped him into the wrestler and person he is today.

Jackson shares how he first got into wrestling through jiu-jitsu, the decision to move his family across the country for better training, and what it was like competing in one of the toughest high school wrestling environments in the country. He opens up about the lessons he learned from tough losses, including losing a wrestle-off to longtime friend Sam Herring, and how overcoming confidence issues helped take his wrestling to another level.

The conversation also dives into Jackson's wild college recruitment journey. After committing to Cal Baptist, he suddenly found himself back on the recruiting market when the school discontinued its wrestling program. Jackson discusses the stress of that situation, how quickly Maryland stepped in, and why he ultimately knew Maryland was the right place for him.

Now preparing for his first season of Big Ten wrestling, Jackson talks about adjusting to college life, training with Maryland's talented room, balancing academics and athletics, his plans to pursue a career in real estate, and the importance of staying disciplined when no one is around to hold you accountable.

Jackson also talks about his faith, the influence of his parents and brother, the friendships he built at Bishop McCort, life away from the wrestling room, and what he hopes to accomplish at the next level.

A great conversation with a young wrestler whose journey is just beginning.

Fresh off his Who’s Number One victory, Jayden O’Farrill joins the CrankMat Podcast to talk about his wrestling journey, overcoming injuries and setbacks, his faith, the mental side of competing at the highest level, and what’s next in his career.

From Florida to Pennsylvania, Jayden has taken a unique path to becoming one of the nation’s top high school wrestlers.

Check out the full conversation on this episode of the CrankMat Podcast.

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In this episode of the CrankMat Podcast, the Topsail High School standout joins Ryan Hayes to talk about the work, mindset, and support system behind his growth on and off the mat. Jake breaks down his 11-day wrestling trip to Bulgaria, what he learned from competing with European wrestlers, and how international freestyle wrestling has changed his approach to parerre, defense, leg laces, recovery, and scoring opportunities.

Jake also reflects on becoming a Fargo All-American, including the ups and downs of his tournament run, battling through an ankle injury, winning his blood-round match, and learning an important lesson about continuing to compete after reaching a major goal. He shares how setbacks at the North Carolina state tournament helped push him to wrestle with more freedom, confidence, and focus throughout the offseason.

In this episode of the CrankMat Podcast, Ryan Hayes sits down with accomplished wrestler and coach Josh Kindig for an honest conversation about wrestling, coaching, mental health, self-care, and the relationships that shape young athletes.

Josh reflects on his path from PIAA state champion and Oklahoma State standout to coaching high-level wrestlers, while sharing his perspective on helping kids develop confidence, accountability, resilience, and—most importantly—a real love for the sport. The conversation also tackles the role parents play in youth wrestling, handling losses and frustration, trusting coaches, and why growth matters more than clout or short-term results.

They also share stories from the wrestling world, including coaching standouts such as Jax Forrest, Noah Nininger, Joe Sealey, and others, while discussing adversity, personal growth, and protecting your peace both on and off the mat.

Aeoden Sinclair and Dominic Bambinelli join CrankMat Wrestling Media for an in-depth conversation about their journeys to the University of Missouri, the lessons they have learned through wrestling, and the faith that keeps their identities grounded beyond the mat.

Sinclair and Bambinelli explain what attracted them to the Mizzou wrestling program and the culture of Tiger Style. Bambinelli opens up about the mental toll of his ACL injury, how that difficult season led him closer to the Lord, and why he learned not to place his entire identity in a sport. Sinclair shares a similar perspective on being a Christian wrestler, emphasizing that wrestling is important but cannot define who he is.

Fresh off winning the UWW U20 World Championship, Sinclair also discusses competing internationally, the differences in wrestling overseas, experiencing new cultures, and what it means to represent the United States on the world stage.

Both wrestlers also reflect honestly on matches and performances they wish they could have back. They break down what went wrong, how they responded to disappointment, and the lessons they took from those moments to become better competitors and people.

This episode is about high-level wrestling, Mizzou culture, overcoming adversity, learning from losses, faith, and keeping the right perspective through every stage of the journey.

In this episode, we sit down with Nelson Villafane of the Mat Assassins Wrestling Club to talk about his journey, his goals, and the work he is putting in to reach the highest level of the sport.

Nelson reflects on the pride of winning a world title for Puerto Rico at the United World Wrestling U17 World Championships, formerly referred to as the Cadet division. He shares what that championship experience meant to him, especially having Mat Assassins head coach Van Dobish in his corner during one of the biggest moments of his wrestling career.

On this episode of the CrankMat Podcast, Ryan Hayes sits down with newly named Topsail High School head wrestling coach Dave Baumgarten.

Baumgarten discusses his move from Long Island to North Carolina, the welcoming wrestling community he has found in the Topsail area, and his vision for building a strong, family-centered program. He explains why he believes North Carolina has the talent to become an even bigger wrestling hotbed—and why challenging the system, including conversations around the state’s classifications, can help push the sport forward.

Coach Baumgarten also breaks down the foundation already in place at Topsail, highlights returning and incoming wrestlers and also explains his approach to scheduling. Rather than chasing dual-meet records, he emphasizes tournament development, giving athletes opportunities to battle back through brackets, and building a complete team capable of competing at the highest level.