Nine years ago, Jake Beistel brought home a flyer to his parents Stacey and Kurt Beistel about the Junior Olympic wrestling organization.
Mrs. Beistel said she knew very little about the sport because no one in her family ever wrestled.
“He handed the flyer to me and I looked at him and said, “’Wrestling? Really?”
Mrs. Beistel said her son was eager to participate.
“We knew nothing at all about wrestling,” she remembers. “My husband never wrestled. Nobody in the family ever wrestled. So we were surprised it was something he was interested in pursuing.”
At the time, 10-year-old Jake Beistel wasn’t the confident wrestler that he is today.
That would soon change, and years later, on March 12, 18-year-old Jake Beistel stood at the top of the state medal stand to receive a gold medal as the first Southmoreland wrestler in the 50-year history of the school to become a state champion.
Beistel and coach Ryan Shaw will remember what happened on that day for the rest of their lives. As finals came to a close for the Southmoreland senior, he reached the one goal that he has been dreaming of since he started wrestling at the age of 10: to be an undefeated state champion.
“I used to cry before my matches,” said Beistel.”The first match that I ever wrestled I won. I pinned the kid, and had a 10-match winning streak. But I didn’t like the sport.”
Fast forward to Beistel’s freshman year of high school. Wrestling wasn’t a priority for the future state wrestling champ, and he was about to strand coach Ryan Shaw without a heavyweight competitor.
“When I was a freshman I didn’t have a desire to wrestle,” said Beistel reflecting on his early years on high school.”I wanted to focus on football. If it wasn’t for Coach Shaw calling me the night he did, then I might not have stepped foot on the mats again.”
But he did decide to compete, and Beistel has achieved several impressive milestones. Shaw couldn’t be happier.
“If I hadn’t called Jake, then I wouldn’t have had anyone wrestling heavyweight,” said Shaw. “Not to mention the honor of coaching such a great kid.”
Beistel’s accomplishments include: freshman national champion; sophomore and junior all American; reaching 100 wins as a junior; breaking the school for most wins (137) set by Shane Datz with 151 victories.
“I’m in awe of him at times,” said Mrs.Beistel.”Along with all the hard work he continues to put in, the encouragement he receives from the community is just amazing.”
As the individual part of the season rolled around, tragedy nearly struck for the senior as injured his knee for the second time in his career. It occurred at the Westmoreland County Coaches Association match in January.
“The first thing that went through my mind was, ‘oh my goodness,’”said Shaw.”But I also had to think of his safety.”
After three to four weeks of rehabilitation, Beistel was back on the mats and making his way back, tournament by tournament, taking first place at each one.
“My passion for wrestling is strong,” said Beistel.” I enjoy wrestling and winning, and I get to control my destiny. I take that drive for winning and use it to my advantage.”
March 6, Beistel clenched his spot to states by becoming a Southwest Regional champion.
“It’s four straight weeks of wrestling,” Beistel told the Tam O’Shanter.” WPIAL is the hardest section in the state, so winning regionals kept me confident.”

So tough, in fact, the there were 12 state champions in the two divisions from the WPIAL, including Beistel, this year.
March 10, Beistel left for states, and that was the day that started the final leg of the long-awaited goal of becoming a state champion.
“I felt good walking into the Giant Center” in Hershey, said Beistel.” It was loud, intense, and the crowd was pumped up. People were everywhere.”

In the first round of the tournament, Beistel made his way into day two after defeating his first round opponent Ian Minnich of Williams Valley with a pin in just 28 seconds. In the quarterfinal match, Beistel once again pinned his opponent, Cameron Kates, this one coming even faster than the first one, 19 seconds after the opening whistle.

He then proceeded  into semifinals on Friday night against Brylee Shumaker of Redbank Valley where he won with a score of 5-3, giving him the shot at the title.

Beistel won his final match of the tournament in the title bout over Zach Stafford of Cambridge Springs, 3-2. Beistel scored a first period takedown and held on to become Southmoreland’s first state wrestling champion.
“I knew the wrestler I was wrestling against (Stafford) was good,” said Beistel.” Coach and I had a game plan, so I knew I just needed to execute that and I would be OK.”
The match was close and was suspenseful to watch for Beistel’s parents to watch, but they were obviously pleased with the result.
“Jake’s matches normally aren’t that close any more,” said Mrs. Beistel.”But he felt he needed to wrestle differently in that match. The takedown he had in the first period ultimately decided the match.”
Being the first state wrestling champion was something Beistel said he was chasing ever since he was “8 years old and watching the high school kids wrestle.”
“I’m glad it was me that was able to be the first champ,” said Beistel.”It allowed me to give something back to past wrestlers who have been waiting for this one.”
All the hard work and dedication paid off for Beistel as he was rewarded with his gold medal.
“Being a state champ is the most prestigious thing a wrestler can do,” Beistel said. “Especially in Pennsylvania. It’s one of the (most competitive) wrestling states.”
Past opponents reflected on what it was like to wrestle Beistel.
“He is pretty dominant in every position,” said Josh Lind of Mount Pleasant, Beistel’s “friendly” rival. “He doesn’t get tired like most heavyweights do. He never stops, and he deserved winning states more than anyone else in our weight class.”
Beistel and Lind squared off 10 times this season, with Beistel winning each one.

This was coach Shaw’s last year with the Southmoreland wrestling organization. He leaves the program that he built “thrilled to have coached a state champion.” Shaw said he had “the honor” to coach Beistel all four years of his high school wrestling career.

Shaw previously considered resigning but came back one more year to coach Beistel and hoped “to take him the whole way to states.”

Shaw’s tenure included all four of Beistel’s seasons, but the coach – known by his wrestlers as a man who deflects praise rather than accepting it – delayed stepping down in order to dedicate himself to helping Beistel achieve his goal of becoming the school’s first state wrestling champion.

“I knew coming into the season that Jake had a pretty good shot at being a state champion,” said Shaw.” I couldn’t leave him after previously coaching him for three years. That wouldn’t be fair to him. I already knew and understood that way he wrestled.”

Beistel said he couldn’t be more appreciative.

“Coach Shaw is the reason I’m so successful and dedicated,” said Beistel.” It was great to give back to him since he’s put so much hard work and effort into my career.”

Beistel has been invited to wrestle in the Dapper Dan on March 26 at the Fitzgerald Fieldhouse at the University of Pittsburgh. Beistel will be on Team Pennsylvania and will wrestle some of the best athletes in the country. His first match will be against the number two heavyweight wrestler in the country, Sean Strict of Indiana.
“The Dapper Dan is the Super Bowl of wrestling,” said coach Shaw.”It’s the best of the best wrestling each other.”
Once Beistel finishes up his wrestling season and graduates, he is looking forward to studying and playing football at Saint Francis University
I love wrestling,” said Beistel.” But I’ve loved football since I was 7 so I’m excited to see what my future hold for me there.”
But it wouldn’t have been quite the same without that telephone call from Ryan Shaw four years ago.