By Jeremiah Bartz
Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

PALMER, Alaska - Famed public address announcer Sandy Stevens, known across the nation as the “voice of wrestling,” spent her day Friday with her microphone at the scorer’s table on the upper level of the Palmer High School gymnasium, keeping a watchful eye on the action on multiple mats below.

Stevens, a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, called takedowns and falls, announced victories and teased upcoming matches, just as she has done during 34 NCAA Division I championship tournaments, Olympic events, and too many national youth championship meets to count. With her partner for the weekend, longtime Valley voice Michael Janecek, the duo supplied the audio for what has become the premiere prep wrestling event in Alaska, the Lancer Smith Memorial.

Stevens is in Alaska for the first time after accepting a Palmer High wrestling booster club member’s spur of the moment invitation to attend the tournament. But despite not spending a day in the 49th state prior to this trip, Stevens seems to have an uncanny connection to Alaska.

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