From growing up in Monroeville, Ohio, to wrestling together at Ohio State, brothers Logan and Hunter Stieber have been inseparable.
“We’re 18 months apart and we hung out basically every single day for our whole lives,” Hunter Stieber said. “We’re drill partners in practice. We’ve been best friends ever since our childhood and we still are in college.”
The Stieber brothers have excelled in their time at OSU, amassing impressive numbers and racking up numerous accolades.
Logan Stieber, a redshirt sophomore, is the defending 133-pound NCAA Champion and possesses a career record of 56-5. His younger brother, Hunter Stieber, a true sophomore, wrestles in the 141-pound weight class and holds a career record of 54-7. Both siblings were named All-Americans last year.
It’s why OSU coach Tom Ryan dreams of more than two Stiebers.
“I wish they were octuplets,” he said.”They’re a pleasure. They’re respectful. They’re disciplined. They win at a very high level and they’re eager to learn and get better. So we are very fortunate to have both of them.”
However, without each other’s help, the brothers said they would be nowhere near as successful as they have been up to this point.
“I’m able to have a workout partner whenever I want,” Logan Stieber said. “He’s my size. We push each other. I want him to be the best, and if he does really good, I want to match him, you know what I mean? So we both motivate each other in certain ways like that.”
Hunter Stieber agreed that always having his brother around greatly benefits his performance on the mats.
“It’s great just having him there to push me, help me out,” he said. “He’s an amazing wrestler. He’s an amazing coach and he sees all the little things that I need to work on. So after all my matches and practices, he can give me little hints and tips about what to improve on. He’s just a great asset that I have to help me get better.”
It seems as though the Stiebers have been particularly beneficial to one another this season, as they both went undefeated in the regular season. Logan, despite missing most of January with a leg muscle strain, is 18-0 while Hunter has gone 26-0.
The two have set their goals high for this season as both aspire to reach the pinnacle of NCAA wrestling. Logan wants to be named a national champion again while Hunter is seeking to win it for the first time.
“I want to win a national title,” Hunter Stieber said. “I’m ranked second right now so it’s definitely in my reach. I just have to keep improving, working hard and working out with my brother and coach and I could definitely win a Big Ten and national title. Then we can push for a team title, but everyone has to do their job, including me and Logan. We have to perform to our best.”
Both of them still have a few years left in their college careers no matter what happens this year.
“Their potential is limitless,” Ryan said. “It’s whatever they want it to be. They understand hard work. They have the foundation that, if you want something in life, you have to work for it. So with that mentality, anything is possible.”
The Stieber brothers will be back in action when OSU heads to the NWCA National Duals meet on Friday in Minneapolis, Minn.