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Wrestling Update - 2
Photo courtesy of Cornell Athletic Communications
PRINCETON, N.J. -- Two months into the 2011-12
season, Cornell still finds itself in the top-five of the National
Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)/USA Today Poll, coming in tied
at No. 4 in the latest rankings. The Big Red is joined in the poll
by Penn, which is in the receiving votes category.
Intermat has Cornell listed as the No. 5 team, while Harvard comes
tied at No. 29, Penn is No. 32 and Columbia and Princeton are among
seven teams tied at No. 54. The Ivy League features 12 wrestlers
ranked individually across six weight classes, including
Cornell’s Kyle Dake (No. 1 at 157) and
Cam Simaz (No. 1 at 197).
NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll as of Jan.
3
Here is a team-by-team look at the Ivy League squads this
season:
Brown (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League)
Team Results: Brown competed in the 30th annual
Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas. The Bears tied for 28th out
of 34 teams in the event, recording one placewinner. Brown opens
its duals action with a tri-meet at Rutgers, where the Bears will
face Rider and the No. 20/24 Scarlet Knights.
Individual Highlights: Freshman Ophir
Bernstein placed seventh at 184-pounds in the Cliff Keen
Invitational to lead the Bears, defeating the No. 9 seed
Timothy McCall of Wisconsin in the process. Fellow
classmate Ricky McDonald wrestled at 174 and gave
No. 6 seed Ethan Headlee of Pittsburgh all he
could handle, eventually falling, 2-0.
Brown’s Return to the Mats: Jan. 6 at No.
20/24 Rutgers; vs. Rider
Columbia (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League)
Team Results: Columbia competed in two
tournaments in December, wrestling in the Nittany Lion Open in
State College, Pa., and the Mat Town Invitational in Lock Haven,
Pa. No team scores were recorded in the Nittany Lion Open but five
Lions placed in the event. Columbia took fifth out of 11 teams in
the Mat Town Invitational, placing six wrestlers.
Individual Highlights: Senior Kyle
Gilchrest led Columbia in the Nittany Lion Open with a
third-place showing at 133-pounds. Junior Steve
Santos took fourth at 149, sophomore Adam
Fondale won seventh at 165, junior Stephen
West finished in sixth-place at 174 and senior
Kevin Lester placed sixth in the heavyweight
class. In the Mat Town Invitational, junior Jake
O’Hara finished a career-best second in the
157-pound division while West and Lester each placed third at 174
and 285, respectively. Senior Eren Civan made his
season debut with a strong showing, taking fourth at 165. Sophomore
Matt Bystol was fifth at 141 and junior
Robert Dyar was sixth at 125. O’Hara is
ranked No. 20 at 157 in the latest Intermat poll.
Columbia’s Return to the Mats: Jan. 7 at
the Pitt Duals
Cornell (1-0, 0-0 Ivy League)
Team Results: Cornell is ranked tied for No. 4 in
the country in the latest NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll
and No. 5 by Intermat. The Big Red took part in the Cliff Keen
Invitational in Las Vegas, taking sixth out of 34 teams. Cornell
placed four wrestlers, including one champion and two second-place
finishers.
Individual Highlights: Junior Kyle
Dake won the individual title at 157-pounds, defeating the
No. 4 and No. 7 seeds en route to the championship. Seniors
Steve Bosak (184) and Frank
Perrelli (125) each took second in their respective weight
classes and sophomore Mike Nevinger took eighth at
141. Five wrestlers are ranked in the latest Intermat individual
poll, including Dake (No. 1 at 157) and senior Cam
Simaz (No. 1 at 197). Bosak is ranked No. 4 at 184,
Perrelli is No. 6 at 125 and Nevinger is No. 19 at 141.
Cornell’s Return to the Mats: Jan. 8 vs.
No. 12/8 Lehigh
Harvard (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League)
Team Results: Harvard wrestled in two tournaments
in December, the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas and the
Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill. The Crimson finished in a
tie for 15th-place out of 34 teams with a score of 34.5, placing
two. In the Midlands Championships, Harvard placed 32nd out of 43
teams.
Individual Highlights: Junior Steven
Keith placed third at 133 in the Cliff Keen Invitational,
upsetting the No. 2 and No. 5 seeds en route to the consolation
championship. Freshman James Fox was a placewinner
for the third time this season with a seventh-place finish at 197.
Keith then took eighth in the Midlands Championships, recording a
pair of major decision victories in the process. Keith is ranked
No. 13 at 133 in the latest Intermat poll, while junior
Walter Peppelman comes in at No. 5 at 157.
Harvard’s Return To The Mats: Jan. 6 at No.
20/24 Rutgers; vs. Rider
Penn (3-3, 0-0 Ivy League)
Team Results: Penn is ranked No. 30 in the
NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll and No. 32 by Intermat. The Quakers
competed in three dual events and one tournament in December,
defeating Bloomsburg, 26-12, before falling to No. 12/8 Lehigh,
21-15, and No. 13/13 Maryland, 21-15. In the Midlands Championships
in Evanston, Ill., Penn placed 15th out of 43 teams.
Individual Highlights: Senior Zack
Kemmerer, ranked No. 4 at 141-pounds, earned his 100th
career victory in the Quakers’ win over Bloomsburg. Freshman
165-pounder Lorenzo Thomas pinned his opponent in
6:17, sophomore Erich Smith won at 184,
Micah Burak earned a decision at 197 and freshman
Anthony DiLonardo was victorious in the
heavyweight class. In the Quakers’ loss to Lehigh, senior
Bryan Ortenzio (133), Kemmerer and freshmen
Steve Robertson (149) and Ian
Korb (174) all recorded victories. Against the Terrapins,
Penn’s winners were Ortenzio, Kemmerer, Robertson and Burak.
Two Quakers placed in the Midlands Championships. Burak became
Penn's first Midlands finalist since 2004 with a second-place
showing while Kemmerer took seventh.
Penn’s Return To The Mats: Jan. 8 vs.
Rider
Princeton (2-6, 0-0 Ivy League)
Team Results: Princeton competed in three duals
events and one tournament in December and is ranked tied at No. 54
by Intermat. The Tigers hosted a tri-meet at Dillon Gym, defeating
Old Dominion, 18-14, but coming up short against Binghamton, 33-15.
The Tigers then faced in-state rival Rutgers, ranked No. 20/24 in
the country, and fell, 29-7. Princeton traveled to Lewisburg, Pa.,
to take part in the Bucknell quad-meet. The Tigers dropped their
first two matches to Bucknell, 27-9, and Central Michigan, 28-9,
before bouncing back with a shutout of Sacred Heart, 51-0.
Princeton then competed in the Midlands Championships in Evanston,
Ill., placing 19th out of 43 teams.
Individual Highlights: Senior Daniel
Kolodzik (157) led the way with five victories in the six
duals events while junior Garrett Frey (125),
freshman Chris Perez (133) and sophomore
Adam Krop (141) each earned four victories apiece
in Princeton’s duals action. In the Midlands Championships,
Krop upset the No. 6 seed en route to a third-place finish at
141-pounds. His only loss was a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the
top-seed, Iowa’s Montell Marion. Krop is ranked No. 20 at
141-pounds in the latest Intermat poll. Kolodzik was
Princeton’s other placewinner in the event, taking eighth at
157.
Princeton’s Return To The Mats: Jan. 7 at
Pitt Duals
