Early Honors graduate and Chugiak High School wrestler Cayle Byers has won the Big 12 Conference Championship title at 197 pounds for national powerhouse Oklahoma State University and went on to place third in the Division 1 NCAA tournament.
Byers’ NCAA win is the best-ever finish for an Alaskan.
Mark Faller, APU associate professor of philosophy and Byers’ middle school and club coach, said the win helps raise the visibility of all Alaska wrestlers. The tournament was held March 15-17 in St. Louis, Mo.
Byers is an OSU senior who completed the season with a 28-4 record. His plans include going to medical school.