Cornell Knocked Sooners Out of National Duals
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – No. 7 Oklahoma (7-3, 0-1) dropped its consolation match to No. 12/13 Cornell, 23-15 on Saturday afternoon and are now out of the 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. The Sooners dropped their first round match to No. 9 Central Michigan, 21-15 on Saturday morning.
“It was a disappointing day for us but we had our work cut out for us in terms of guys sitting out due to injuries. We have to use this to our advantage and we need to get healthy and come back and battle hard next weekend,” head coach Jack Spates said.
No. 1 Sam Hazewinkel once again provided Oklahoma with a 125-pound victory to begin the dual. Hazewinkel defeated Luis Salinas by a technical fall, 17-2. The Pensacola, Fla. senior was one of three Sooners to win both of their matches. The other two were Shane Seibert and Joel Flaggert.
“We wrestled well even though we were missing a few guys and we came out and battled,” Hazewinkel said. “It is tough coming off of Christmas break, but we will use this as a building block for nationals.”
No. 14 Seibert recorded a shutout and a major decision by defeating John Testy-Bastings at 165-pounds, 13-0. Seibert is now on a four match winning streak.
No. 9 Joshua Weitzel picked up his only victory of the day as he defeated Joseph Hooker, 2-0.
No. 5 Flaggert defeated Carl Landers at 197-pounds by a decision of 6-2. Flaggert is now 19-2 on the season and has won his last four matches.
OU returns home for the first time in the new semester when it hosts Oregon on Jan. 20.
Weight-By-Weight Results: Oklahoma vs. Cornell
125: Sam Hazewinkel (OU) tech. fall Luis Salinas (CU), 17-2
133: Adam Frey (CU) tech. fall Brian Shelton (OU), 21-6
141: Hicks Manson (CU) dec.-sv Nolan Spring (OU), 8-6
149: Jordan Leen (CU) forfeit Kyle Terry (OU)
157: Drake Hovis (CU) dec. Chris DeVillbis (OU), 14-9
165: Shane Seibert (OU) maj. dec. John Tasty Bastings (CU), 13-0
174: Joshua Weitzel (OU) dec. Joseph Hooker (CU), 2-0
184: Luke Hogle (CU) dec. Josh Hinton (OU), 10-5
197: Joel Flaggert (OU) dec. Carl Landers (CU), 6-2
HWT: Zach Hammond (CU) dec. Brad farmer (OU), 6-
Cornell College opens season Nov. 12 at Northwestern
The 2006-07 wrestling season opens for Cornell on Sunday, Nov. 12, at the Northwestern Duals in Evanston, Ill. The Rams will face off against the University of Chicago at 9 a.m., Cumberland (Tenn.) University at 11 a.m. and the University of Indianapolis at 1 p.m.
The University of Indianapolis is rated No. 7 in the NCAA Division II preseason poll. Indianapolis was 2-6 in duals last season and placed 10th in Division II. Cumberland placed 21st in the NAIA tournament.
„We‚re excited to get started and see what our guys can do,‰ Cornell Coach Mike Duroe said. „We‚re tired of wrestling each other and we‚re ready for competition.
Cornell, which had a record-setting 15-9-1 dual season a year ago, is ranked No. 16 in Division III and junior 125-pounder Chris Heilman (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary‚s) is rated third. Heilman, one of eight returning starters for the Rams, was 33-9 last season, placing fourth in the Iowa Conference and seventh in the nation. Another national qualifier, sophomore 141-pounder Dave Paramski (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville), suffered a hand injury in the preseason and will not be available until January. He was 33-11 with seven falls last season, placing third in the IIAC.
Duroe said that „little injuries‰ to sophomore Drew Vickers (Coal City, Ill./Coal City) and junior Reuben Zacharakis-Jutz (Mount Vernon/Mount Vernon) will affect the team‚s lineup in the early going. The projected starters for the Northwestern Duals are Heilman at 125, freshman Nick Nothern (Salina, Kan./Salina) at 133, sophomore Aaron Bingham (Manhattan, Kan./Manhattan) or sophomore David Boussios (Hillsboro, Ore./Century) at 141, sophomore Aaron Kindelsperger (Port Byron, Ill./Riverdale) and freshman Alex Riniker (Winthrop/East Buchanan) at 149, junior Pat McAuley (Austin, Texas/Lanier) or sophomore Caleb Wilson (Benton, Ill./Benton) at 157, Vickers at 165, sophomore Kyle Kehrli (Winthrop/East Buchanan) or Zacharakis-Jutz at 174, sophomore Andrew Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary‚s) at 184, junior Josh Pastor (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) at 197 and freshman Jason Edlund (Goshen, Ind./Goshen) at 285.
„I‚m optimistic that our returning guys have another year of experience and should be improved, Duroe said. „I‚m cautiously optimistic about the prospects of these early-season matches.
McAuley won a team-high 38 matches last season, followed by Heilman and Paramski with 33 wins apiece. Bingham (23-10), Wilson (21-17) and Boussios (19-15) all had winning records and Vickers won 18 matches in 39 tries.
The Rams have 24 wrestlers on the preseason roster. There are six Iowa Conference teams ranked in the top 24 in the preseason ˜ defending national champion Wartburg (second), Luther (fourth), Buena Vista (11th), Coe (12th), Cornell (16th) and Loras (24th).
„Our conference will be as strong as ever,‰ Duroe said. „Wartburg is the defending national champion and Buena Vista and Coe had strong recruiting classes. The bar continues to be raised in the Iowa Conference.
The Rams scored 71 ∏ points and finished eighth at the Iowa Conference Championship last season. They tied for 39th in Division III with 5 ∏ points.
Cornell opens Iowa Conference action on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at the University of Dubuque, beginning at 7 p.m. The Rams defeated Dubuque 25-16 last season.
Cornell Wrestling Picked to Finish First in the EIWA
ITHACA, N.Y.--The Big Red wrestling team has been ranked first in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association 2006-07 preseason team rankings as based on a poll of all EIWA head coaches. Seven Cornell wrestlers were ranked in the top six of their respective weight classes, and Troy Nickerson and Steve Anceravage were named to the top spot.
At 125 pounds, it was not a surprise that Nickerson is picked to finish first in his weight class. Nickerson has been picked to finish first in the country by many
national preseason polls. In the No. 2 position is Lehigh's Matt Fisk. Nickerson had a tremendous freshman campaign earning Ivy League Wrestler of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. He went 4-0 at the EIWA Championships to capture first place. Nickerson led the Big Red in wins with 36 and only lost twice.
The EIWA only listed the top six rankings for each of the 10 weight classes. The Big Red was not ranked at 133, 141, or 157 pounds. By conference policy, freshmen are not eligible for ranking until they have begun competition.
Jordan Leen ranks fourth at 149 pounds. Leen is also ranked 15th in the country by W.I.N. Magazine. He did not compete for the Big Red last season, but during his freshman campaign, Leen was a NCAA qualifier, was named to the All-Ivy First Team, and was the Ivy League Rookie of the year. He went 25-16 for the season and
finished third at the EIWA Championships.
At 165 pounds, Steve Anceravage has been picked to top his weight class. Anceravage took second at the EIWA Championships last season. He went 25-10 for the season and was the No. 11 seed at the NCAA Championships.
Joey Hooker made the poll at 174 pounds. The senior is ranked in the fifth position. Hooker wrestled at both 165 and 174 pounds last season to combine for a 7-2 record. His sophomore year, he was a NCAA qualifier and was named to the All-Ivy second team.
At 184 pounds, Josh Arnone ranks fourth among the EIWA competition. Arnone took third place at the Body Bar Invitational during his rookie season only to be defeated by his then teammate Dan Miracola.
Jerry Rinaldi is in the second position at 197 pounds behind American's Josh Glenn. Rinaldi took second place at
last year's EIWA Championships losing only to Lehigh's Matt Cassidy. Cassidy is ranked third behind Rinaldi in the poll. During his junior campaign, Rinaldi had a 28-3 record and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships.
At 285 pounds, Zack Hammond has been ranked fourth. Hammond took fifth at the EIWA Championships last season and has an overall 8-8 record.
The Big Red will open its season on Nov. 18 when it will host the Body Bar Systems Invitational. Cornell will face EIWA opponent Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa. on Jan. 19.
Team Rankings:
1. Cornell
2.Lehigh
3.Penn
4.Columbia
5.Harvard
6.Navy
7. American
8.Brown
Nickerson and Rinaldi to Wrestle at the NWCA All-Star Classic
ITHACA, N.Y.--Cornell sophomore Troy Nickerson (Binghamton, N.Y.) and senior Jerry Rinaldi (Lodi, N.J.) have been invited to wrestle at the 41st annual National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic, as presented by the United States Marine Corps. This will be the first appearance for both wrestlers.
The All-Star Classic creates an opportunity for two of the top wrestlers in each weight class to compete. This year's Classic will be held on Nov. 20 at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.
At 125 pounds, Nickerson will take on Oklahoma's Sam Hazewinkel. Nickerson has been ranked first, in front of Hazewinkel, in the rankings from Wrestlingreport.com and W.I.N. Magazine poll. At the NCAA Tournament last year, Nickerson finished in second place while the Sooner took third. As a freshman, Nickerson was named Ivy League Wrestler and Rookie of the Year while also being part of the All-Ivy first team. He won the first 18 matches of his collegiate career taking titles at the Body Bar Invitational, Las Vegas Invitational, and Southern Scuffle. The Big Red sophomore will be looking to avenge his first collegiate loss that came at the hands of Hazewinkel at the National Duals last season. Hazewinkel has won at the All-Star Classic the last two years, a streak that Nickerson will be looking to end.
Rinaldi, ranked second by the NWCA, will square off against No. 1 ranked Phil Davis of Penn State at 197 pounds. Rinaldi, who qualified for the NCAA tournament during all three of his years at Cornell, finished fourth at the NCAA tournament last season. He was also named All-Ivy First Team in 2004, 2005, and 2006. As a sophomore, Davis finished second at the 2006 NCAA Championships and is the defending Big Ten Champion. Davis and Rinaldi met at last year's NCAA Championships in the semifinals with Davis winning the bout, 7-4.
Head coach Rob Koll sees the All-Star Classic as terrific outlet for his wrestlers to get top notch competition exposure.
"This is a great opportunity for Troy and Jerry to wrestle against top guys," Coach Koll said. "This could be the first of many visits for Troy at the All-Star Classic. For Jerry, as a senior, this is a great honor, and he will hopefully come out being the No. 1 ranked wrestler."
Nickerson and Rinaldi, along with the rest of the Big Red wrestlers, will kick off their season Nov. 18 by hosting the Body Bar Invitational.
Cornell Ranked Eighth in W.I.N. Magazine Rankings
ITHACA, N.Y.The Big Red wrestling team has been ranked eighth in the Wrestling International Newsmagazine's first NCAA Division I wrestling rankings for the 2006-07 season. Sophomore Troy Nickerson is ranked first at 125 pounds. In all, six Big Red wrestlers have been ranked in the top 20.
The magazine's rankings are developed based on the top teams and individuals on a tournament basis. Dual-meet power is not factored. W.I.N. completes its rankings after compiling feedback from collegiate coaches. The final rankings are determined by a committee that takes into account both the feedback and past performances. The Big Red also was ranked eighth by Wrestlingreport.com.
Nickerson has been ranked first above Oklahoma senior Sam Hazewinkle. Nickerson placed second last year in the NCAA tournament with Hazewinkle behind him in second. As a freshman, Nickerson was named to the All-Ivy first team, named Ivy League Wrestler and Rookie of the Year. He won the first 18 matches of his collegiate career. Nickerson won titles at the Body Bar Invitational, Las Vegas Invitational, and Southern Scuffle.
Adam Frey, who did not compete last season, is ranked nineteenth by W.I.N at 133 pounds. He was also ranked tenth by RevWrestling.com. Last year he was ranked the nation's top recruit at 130 pounds. Frey is a five-time freestyle and Greco-Roman All-American. In 2005, he was a freestyle and Greco-Roman national Champion.
At 141 pounds, Keith Dickey is ranked nineteenth by W.I.N. Dickey was an NCAA qualifier in 2006 and named to the All-Ivy Second Team. He was undefeated in Ivy duals last season. The senior finished in fourth place his junior year. He also earned a wild card berth to nationals at 149 pounds.
Ranked fifteenth at 149 pounds is junior Jordan Leen. Last season, Leen took the year off and did not compete for the Big Red. He has been ranked twelfth by RevWrestling.com and tenth by WrestlingReport.com. As a freshman, Leen qualified for the NCAA. He was named to the All-Ivy first team and was Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
Steve Anceravage is ranked eighth at 165 pounds. Last year, Anceravage was a NCAA qualifier and All-Ivy Second Team. He took second at the Body Bar Invitational and third at the Las Vegas Invitational. At the Southern Scuffle, he placed second and took second place at the EIWA tournament to earn an automatic bid to nationals.
At 197 pounds, senior Jerry Rinaldi is ranked third after taking fourth at the NCAA tournament last year. By WrestlingReport.com, Rinaldi has been ranked second behind Penn State's Phil Davis who placed second at the NCAA. Rinaldi has qualified for the NCAA tournament during all three years at Cornell. He was also named All-Ivy First Team in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
The Big Red will kick off its season on Nov. 18, when it will host the Body Bar Invitational.
Five Home Duals Highlight Cornell's Wrestling Schedule for 2006-07
ITHACA, N.Y.The Cornell University wrestling team announced its schedule for the 2006-07 season on Monday. The Big Red will host five home duals and the Body Bar Systems Invitational in its 99th season of wrestling. Last season, Cornell compiled a 10-4 dual record before placing second at the EIWA championships and fifth at the NCAA championships. In the preseason poll from Wrestlingreport.com, Cornell is ranked No. 8 in Division I wrestling.
The Big Red will kick off its season on Nov. 18 when it will serve as host for the Body Bar Systems Invitational. Teams competing will include Army, Drexel, Sacred Heart, Old Dominion, Maryland, Ithaca College, Kent State, No. 26 Pittsburgh and perennial powerhouse the No. 9 Michigan. Last year, Cornell took the team championship and won six individual titles.
On Nov. 26, the Big Red will hold its first home dual against No. 14 Ohio State. That match, along with the home duals against No. 7 Penn State (Jan. 7) and Arizona State (Jan. 21), will be held in Newman Arena at Bartels Hall. The three highly anticipated matches are likely to have sold-out crowds.
Cornell will travel to Las Vegas on Dec. 1-2 for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational where the team placed second overall last season. In 2005, then-freshman Troy Nickerson won an individual title at 125 pounds. The team also had five other place-winners.
After the Christmas break, the Big Red will travel to Greensboro, N.C., to the Southern Scuffle where Cornell took third place in 2005. The team also took three individual titles, including Nickerson at 125 and then-junior Jerry Rinaldi at 197 pounds.
On Jan. 13-14, the Big Red will head west to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the National Duals. Last January, the team went 1-2, defeating Northern Iowa but falling to Michigan and Oklahoma.
Assistant coach Cory Cooperman will head with the Big Red back to his Alma matter, No. 19 Lehigh on Jan. 21. Cornell won the match between the two schools last year at home, 19-14.
A premier match for Cornell will be against No. 10 Hofstra at the New York Athletic Club in New York City at 1 p.m. Later that night, the Big Red will wrestle Columbia for its first Ivy League matchup. Last year in the Ivy League, Cornell finished 5-0 to capture its fourth consecutive Ancient Eight crown.
Continuing with Ivy League matches, Cornell will face Penn on Feb. 9 and Princeton the next day both at home. The following weekend the Big Red will travel to No. 22 Harvard, then to Brown to wrestle the Bears and Delaware.
The EIWA championships will be March 2-3 in East Stroudsburg, Pa. Last season, the Big Red took second. During his rookie campaign, Nickerson took the 125-pound title. Cornell also had four second-place finishers, including Rinaldi and Steve Anceravage.
This year's NCAA championship is being held in Detroit, Mich. from March 16-18. In Oklahoma City last year, Cornell placed fifth as a team and Nickerson placed second and Rinaldi fourth in their weight classes.
Cornell Wrestling
2006-07 Schedule
11/18/06 Body Bar Systems Invitational (Michigan, Army, Drexel, Sacred Heart, Old Dominion, Maryland, Ithaca College, Kent State, Pittsburgh,
Cornell)
11/26/06 Ohio State 2:00
12/1-2/06 @ Las Vegas Open
12/29-30/07 @ Southern Scuffle, Greensboro, NC
1/7/07 Penn State 1:00
1/13-14/07 @ National Duals, Cedar Falls, IA
1/19/07 @ Lehigh 7:00
1/21/07 Arizona State
2:00
2/3/07 @ Hofstra 1:00
@ Columbia 7:00
2/9/07 Penn 7:00
2/10/07 Princeton 1:00
2/16/07 @ Harvard 7:00
2/17/07
@ Brown, Delaware 12:00
3/2-3/07 @ EIWA Championships, E. Stroudsburg, PA, Fri-Sat
3/16, 17, 18/07 @ NCAA Championships, Detroit, MI
Cornell
Sweeps NYS End of the Year Honors
2005 - 2006 New York State Collegiate Wrestling Coaches Association End of the Year Awards Announced
The following individuals have been voted this year's recipients of the New York State Collegiate Wrestling Coaches Association Wrestler of the Year, Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Congratulations go out to these fine performances during the 2005-2006 wrestling season.
2006 New York State Wrestler of the Year & Freshman of the Year: Troy Nickerson (Cornell University)
Troy Nickerson of Cornell University has been voted the 2006 New York State Collegiate Wrestler of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Nickerson, a native of Binghamton, NY took the mat by storm in his rookie campaign for the Big Red. The freshman advanced to the finals of the NCAA Division I Championships at 125 pounds before losing to defending champion Joe Dubuque of Indiana. Nickerson captured first place honors at four other events during his first collegiate season. He earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships by winning the title at 125 pounds at the EIWA Championships last month. He also claimed tournament titles at the Cornell Body Bar Invitational as well as the Las Vegas Invite and the Southern Scuffle.
2006 New York State Coach of the Year: Rob Koll (Cornell University)
Rob Koll, the head wrestling coach at the Cornell University has once again been voted the recipient of the New York State Collegiate Coach of the Year Award. Koll, guided the Big Red to a fifth place finish at the 2006 NCAA Division I Championships last month in Oklahoma City. Cornell finished second in the EIWA Championships and at the Las Vegas Invitational. The Big Red won the Cornell Body Bar Invitational and finished third at the Southern Scuffle this past season. Cornell finished the year with a 9 - 4 overall dual meet record. This marks the fifth time that Koll has been named NYS Coach of the Year as he was also honored in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2005.
Wrestling
Dominates Princeton, 47-0
PRINCETON, N.J. Behind pins from Dustin Manotti, Steve Anceravage, Dan Miracola and Matt Pollock, the Big Red wrestling team improved to 2-0 in Ivy competition with a 47-0 win over the Tigers on Saturday afternoon. Cornell also got five-point technical falls from Troy Nickerson and Mike Mormile as the Big Red improved its overall record to 7-4. With the loss, Princeton falls to 6-8 overall and 0-4 in the Ancient Eight.
The match started at 141 pounds, where sophomore Nick Bridge defeated Eric Marcotulli, 6-4. Junior Keith Dickey followed that up with a 15-1 major decision over Andrew Iannuzzi at 149 pounds.
Senior tri-captain Dustin Manotti moved the Big Red lead to 13-0 when he pinned Matthew Piselli 2:29 into the bout. Not to be outdone, Anceravage pinned Marty Everin in just 1:24.
With a 19-0 lead, Mike Mackie took the 174 pound bout with a 6-1 decision over Matthew DeNichilo.
Dan Miracola took to the mat for the Big Red at 184 pounds, moving up from 174 where he has been wrestling for most of the dual season. The bump up in weight didnt play a factor as Miracola picked up a first period pin of Logan Lowe.
Taylor Moore defeated Gordon Scharf 6-3 at 197 pounds and heavyweight Matt Pollock picked up his first dual victory of the season, pinning Kirstopher Berr in 1:48. The Big Red had a commanding 37-0 lead, with two of its strongest wrestlers still to come.
Troy Nickerson took the 125 pound bout, scoring a technical fall, 17-0 over Robert Benitez and Mike Mormile got a tech fall over Danny Scotton by a score of 20-3.
The Big Red will take the short drive to Lawrenceville, N.J.,
to take on Rider later this afternoon.
Wrestling
Wins Third Match of Weekend, Defeats Rider 23-12
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. The No. 14 Big Red wrestling team made it a perfect weekend by defeating Rider 23-12 on Saturday night. Cornell downed Penn on Friday night and blanked Princeton earlier today to go 3-0 on the weekend. Steve Anceravage picked up a technical fall while Troy Nickerson, Dustin Manotti and Matt Pollock each recorded major decisions. The Big Red improves to 8-4 with the win.
Nickerson got the 17-6 major decision over Ryan Smith in the opening bout to give the Big Red a 4-0 lead, but Riders Zach Cunliffe pulled of an upset in the 133 pound bout, defeating Mike Mormile, 3-2.
Rider then took the lead when Mike Palma defeated Nick Bridge by a score of 6-4 at 141 pounds. The Broncs extended the lead with a win in the 149 pound bout, where Mike Kessler defeated Keith Dickey, 5-2.
Down 9-4, the Big Red got a 14-3 major decision from Dustin Manotti over Ryan Cunningham and Anceravage scored a tech fall over Dan Silberman at 165 pounds.
The Broncs pulled to within 13-12 when Doug Umbehauer defeated Mike Mackie, 7-1.
That would be the last bout Rider would win, as Dan Miracola and Jerry Rinaldi each recorded decisions in the 184 and 197 pound bouts, respectively. Pollock would cap the day with a 12-4 major decision over Peter Reid, giving Cornell the 23-12 win.
Cornell will be in action again next weekend when it takes on Harvard on Friday night and Brown on Saturday afternoon at the Friedman Wrestling Center. The Big Red will be looking to clinch its fourth straight Ivy title.
Wrestling
Perfect in Two-Match Weekend, Upends No. 21 Hofstra 24-13
ITHACA, N.Y. On the heels of a 38-0 blanking of Columbia in its Ivy League opener a day before, the Big Red wrestling team disposed of No. 21 Hofstra 24-13 on Sunday afternoon at the Friedman Wrestling Center. The Big Red won six of the ten bouts, improving its dual record to 5-4. With the loss, Hofstra falls to 10-5-1.
The match started at 125, where Cornell sends impressive freshman Troy Nickerson to the mat. Hofstra, struggling with injuries, forfeited the 125 pound bout and also the 133 pound match, where Cornell senior Mike Mormile was scheduled to wrestle.
Armed with a quick 12-0 lead, the Big Red sent junior Matt Easter to the mat for the 141 pound match, where he would face No. 12 Charles Griffin. Griffin scored a takedown in the first period to take the 2-0 lead. Griffin chose bottom to start the second and escaped 25 seconds in. After two penalty points against Easter, one for unsportsmanlike conduct and one for unnecessary roughness, Griffin scored a late takedown. With the riding time point, Griffin took the 8-0 major decision.
At 149 pounds, Keith Dickey faced No. 4 Jon Masa. There was no scoring in either of the first two periods, as neither wrestler could score a takedown in the first and Masa rode out Dickey in the second. Masa chose bottom to start the third and eventually escaped to grab the 1-0 lead. Dickey would continue to take shots, but was unable to control Masa, who eventually scored a takedown with under one minute remaining. After Dickey escaped, he tried for the reversal, but Masa retreated out of bounds and was hit with a penalty point, bringing Dickey within 3-2. However, Dickey could not score the final takedown in the last 49 seconds of the bout and, with the riding time point, Masa won 4-2.
No. 5 Dustin Manotti took on No. 15 James Strouse in the 157 pound match. Just over two minutes into the first period, Manotti got what would prove to be the only takedown of the match. Strouse got to within 2-1 with an escape in the second period, but Manotti took back the two-point lead with an escape of his own to open the third. With time winding down in the match, Manotti was hit with a penalty point for stalling, but it wouldnt matter as the Cornell senior tri-captain held on for a 3-2 win.
Through five bouts, the Big Red held a 15-7 lead.
In the 165 pound bout, Cornells 13th-ranked Steve Anceravage took on Chris Vondruska. Anceravage got a takedown in the first and an escape in the second to go up 3-1. There was no scoring in the third and the Cornell sophomore got the riding time point for a 4-1 win.
Cornell senior Dan Miracola faced off against No. 5 Mike Patrovich at 174 pounds and would give the Hofstra senior a tough test. Patrovich took a 2-0 lead with an early takedown in the first and extended the lead to 4-0 lead with a takedown halfway through the second period. Miracola scored an escape late in the second and, after choosing bottom to start the third, he got to within 4-2 with another escape. Miracola needed a takedown in the last 1:53 of the match and took quality shots that came close to controlling Patrovich. However, Patrovich warded off Miracolas offense and held on for a 4-2 win.
At 184 pounds, No. 5 Joe Mazzurco faced Hofstras 19th-ranked Joe Rovelli in a matchup of two top-20 wrestlers. Mazzurco got two first period takedowns and led 4-1 after one. After Rovelli deferred the decision to start the second, Mazzurco chose neutral, but neither wrestler could record a point. The third period saw Rovelli choose top as he would ride Mazzurco for the entire period without being able to turn the Cornell All-American for back points and the match ended at 4-1 in favor of Mazzurco.
Seventh-ranked Jerry Rinaldi took to the mat for the 197 pound match against Chris Weidman in what proved to be a tough, closely contested match. Rinaldi got a takedown in the final 30 seconds of the first period and Weidman scored a takedown of his own in the final 20 seconds of the second period to tie it up at 2-2. With time winding down in the period, Weidman was unable to ride Rinaldi to the end of the second, as the Cornell junior escaped to regain the lead. Rinaldi chose down to start the third, escaped and would eventually hold on for the win, 4-3.
Senior Matt Pollock made his dual meet debut for the Big Red in the heavyweight contest. The Big Red senior, who also plays on the defensive line for the Cornell football team faced Jon Andriac in the final bout of the afternoon. There was no scoring in the first, but Andriac escaped once in the second and third to take a 2-0 lead. With time winding down, Pollock shot at Andriacs legs, getting Andriac on his heels, but they tumbled out of bounds before Pollock could gain control. That would turn out to be Pollocks best shot at scoring, as he dropped a 2-0 decision.
The Big Red will be in action again next weekend, when it takes on No. 22 Penn, Princeton and Rider. The Penn match, the winner of which will have the inside track on the Ivy League title, is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m., in Philadelphia, Pa. On Saturday, Feb. 11, the Big Red will take on Princeton in Princeton, N.J., before heading to Lawrenceville, N.J. to face Rider.
No. 21 Hofstra at No. 13 Cornell
125: No. 6 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) win by forfeit; C: 6, H: 0
133: No. 14 Mike Mormile (Cornell) win by forfeit; C: 12, H: 0
141: No. 12 Charles Griffin (Hofstra) defeated Matt Easter (Cornell), 8-0 (md); C: 12, H: 4
149: No. 4 Jon Masa (Hofstra) defeated Keith Dickey (Cornell), 4-2; C: 12, H: 7
157: No. 5 Dustin Manotti (Cornell) defeated No. 15 James Strouse (Hofstra), 3-2; C: 15, H: 7
165: No. 13 Steve Anceravage (Cornell) defeated Chris Vondruska (Hofstra), 4-1; C: 18, H: 7
174: No. 5 Mike Patrovich (Hofstra) defeated Dan Miracola (Cornell), 4-2; C: 18, H: 10
184: No. 5 Joe Mazzurco (Cornell) defeated No. 19 Joe Rovelli (Hofstra), 4-1; C: 21, H: 10
197: No. 7 Jerry Rinaldi (Cornell) defeated Chris Weidman (Hofstra), 4-3; C: 24, H: 10
285: Jon Andriac (Hofstra) defeated Matt Pollock (Cornell),
2-0; C: 24, H: 13
Wrestling
Makes Statement in Front of Packed House, Beats Lehigh 19-14
ITHACA, N.Y. In front of a record-setting crowd of 4,425, the Big Red wrestling team staked its claim as the top squad in the EIWA and a player in the national picture with a 19-14 victory over Lehigh on Sunday afternoon. Held in Newman Arena to accommodate the large crowd, the win capped an eventful weekend as Cornells six national champion wrestlers David Auble 60, Frank Bettucci 53, Donald Dickason 53, David Hirsch 94, Travis Lee 05 and Glenn Stafford 30 were inducted into the Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni. The Big Red is now 3-4 in dual meets and Lehigh falls to 8-5-1. It was Cornells first victory over Lehigh in its last five tries, dating back to the 1996-97 season.
The match started at 125 where Cornell freshman Troy Nickerson faced Matt Fisk. Nickerson, 20-1 on the year and ranked No. 5, recorded a pair of takedowns in the final minute of the first period to go up 4-1. Nickerson got another takedown late in the second, going up 6-1 and looking for a major decision. After Nickerson let Fisk escape to start the third, a penalty point was awarded to Nickerson for Fisks stalling, and the Cornell freshman followed that up with a takedown with 18 seconds remaining in the period. With 1:52 of riding time, the final score was 10-2, giving Nickerson the major decision.
Senior Mike Mormile (No. 13) was up next in the 133 pound bout where he took on John Stout. Like Nickerson, Mormile got two takedowns in the first and began the second up 4-1. The second started off with Stout being let free after choosing down. Thirteen seconds later Mormile scored his third takedown of the match followed by a quick Stout escape. The second finished with another Mormile takedown and Stout escape. There was no scoring in the third and Mormile finished the bout with nearly three minutes of riding time to take the 9-4 decision.
In the 141 pound match, Nick Bridge took to the mat against No. 3 Cory Cooperman. Cooperman dominated the first, getting two takedowns and six near fall points to jump out to an early 10-1 lead. Bridge scored a three-point near fall to open the second but Cooperman escaped and followed up with a takedown with 39 seconds to go in the second. Cooperman got a takedown and another near fall plus the riding time point to win the match by technical fall, 19-3. Coopermans win brought Lehigh within two points in the team score, 7-5.
Cornell faced another top-20 wrestler at 149 pounds in Lehighs No. 15 Matt Ciasulli. Junior Keith Dickey got the starting nod for the Big Red. After a Ciasulli takedown in the first period, the Lehigh junior also scored a reversal in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Dickey escaped to start the third and scored a takedown with a minute to go to make it a one-point match, but Ciasulli escaped and, after a penalty point and the riding time point, held on for a 7-3 decision. Ciasullis victory gave Lehigh its first lead, 8-7.
Trailing for the first time on the afternoon, the Big Red sent senior Dustin Manotti, ranked No. 4, to the mat for the 157 pound match against No. 10 Derek Zinck. The first period was slow-paced, but Manotti scored a takedown with a minute to go and finished the first up 2-1. The only scoring in the second period was a penalty point awarded to Zinck after the referee called Manotti for stalling. Tied heading into the third, Manotti chose down and escaped quickly, getting to his feet where he would eventually take Zinck down one more time. With 2:14 of riding time, Manotti took a 6-2 win and regained the lead for the Big Red, 10-8.
Sophomore Steve Anceravage, ranked No. 13, kept the Big Red on the winning track against Dave Nakasone. With a considerable height advantage, Anceravage took Nakasone down two minutes into the first period but the period ended tied at 2-2 after Nakasone got two points on a reversal as time was winding down. Anceravage got three points in the second after an escape and a takedown to go up 5-2. Nakasone wouldnt give in and, after choosing down to start the period, he escaped to pull to within two points. He then scored a takedown with 17 seconds left in the match to tie it up at 5-5 as time ran out. However, Anceravage had accrued 1:43 of riding time and took the win, 6-5.
Senior Dan Miracola, who has spent time at 184 pounds this season while teammate Joe Mazzurco was out with an injury, took on No. 19 Travis Frick. Miracola entered the third down 5-1 and pulled to within three points with an escape. Frick was able to hold off Miracolas shots for the 5-2 win, getting the Mountain Hawks to within two points, 13-11.
Cornell took control of the match in the next two bouts as senior Joe Mazzurco and Jerry Rinaldi each picked up decisions at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively.
Mazzurco, ranked No. 7, went down 1-0 early in the second after Lehighs David Helfrich chose down and escaped 10 seconds into the period. Mazzurco took the lead with a takedown with one minute remaining in the second period. The Cornell senior chose down to start the third and got the escape point to go up 3-1. Neither wrestler could score the rest of the way and with the riding time point Mazzurco took the 4-1 win.
At 197 pounds, No. 8 Rinaldi faced a tough test in No. 16 Matt Cassidy. After no scoring in the first period, Rinaldi escaped to start the second and scored a takedown with 10 seconds to go in the period. Cassidy was able to escape before the period ended, making the score 3-1 heading into the third. Cassidy chose down to start the final period and was able to escape 30 seconds in. With Rinaldi and Cassidy on their feet, Rinaldi was able to hang on for the final 1:30 for the 3-2 win.
Rinaldis win gave the Big Red a 19-11 lead, cementing the victory for Cornell.
In the final bout of the afternoon, sophomore Zach Hammond faced Paul Weibel. The first period ended with a flurry of action at the edge of the circle but neither wrestler could score. Weibel went up 3-0 after an escape and a takedown in the second period. Hammond was able to record an escape in the third but no more, as Weibel won 3-1, making the final score 19-14 in favor of the Big Red.
The Big Red will have a week off before hosting Columbia at the Friedman Wrestling Center on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 1 p.m.
No. 5 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) def. Matt Fisk (Lehigh), 10-2 (md) C: 4 L: 0
No. 13 Mike Mormile (Cornell) def. John Stout (Lehigh), 9-4 C: 7 L: 0
No. 3 Cory Cooperman (Lehigh) def. Nick Bridge (Cornell), TF: 19-3 C: 7 L: 5
No. 15 Matt Ciasulli (Lehigh) def. Keith Dickey (Cornell), 7-3 C: 7 L: 8
No. 4 Dustin Manotti (Cornell) def. No. 10 Derek Zinck (Lehigh), 6-2 C: 10 L: 8
No. 13 Steve Anceravage (Cornell) def. Dave Nakasone (Lehigh), 6-4 C: 13 L: 8
No. 19 Travis Frick (Lehigh) def. Dan Miracola (Cornell), 5-2 C: 13 L: 11
No. 7 Joe Mazzurco (Cornell) def. David Helfrich (Lehigh), 4-1 C: 16 L: 11
No. 8 Jerry Rinaldi (Cornell) def. No. 16 Matt Cassidy (Lehigh), 3-2 C: 19 L: 11
Paul Weibel (Lehigh) def. Zach Hammond (Cornell), 3-1 C: 19
L: 14
Big
Red Places Second At Las Vegas Invite, Nickerson Wins Individual
Title
LAS VEGAS, Nev. Cornell freshman Troy Nickerson won his second
tournament title of the year, taking the championship in the 125
pound
bracket at the 2005 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday
night in
Las Vegas, Nev. Overall, the Big Red placed second with 116 points.
No. 3
(USA Today/NWCA Poll) placed first with 145 points. Cornell had
six
place-winners in all, including senior Mike Mormile (seventh,
133 pounds),
senior Dustin Manotti (fifth, 157 pounds), sophomore Steve Anceravage
(third, 165 pounds), Joe Mazzurco (third, 184 pounds) and junior
Jerry
Rinaldi
(second, 197 pounds).
Nickerson, the fourth seed at 125 pounds, breezed through his
first three
bouts of the tournament, pinning Penn,s Andrew Gold in the pigtails
and
then beating Kellan McKeon (Duke) and Marcos Orozco (Cal-Davis),
each by
way of fall. He then beat Dave Tomasette of Hofstra 13-8 in the
quarterfinals. In the semis, he faced the top seed, Cal-Poly,s
Chad
Mendes. Nickerson upset Mendes, 9-4, earning a spot in the finals
against
the second seed, Arizona State,s Jeremy Mendoza. The Cornell freshman
completed his run through the 125 pound bracket with a 7-4 win,
taking the
title.
Rinaldi got off to a fast start, winning by technical fall
over Ohio
State,s Corey Morrison, 16-0. In the round of 16, he beat Casey
Woodall
of Adams State by major decision, 14-5, sending him to the quarterfinals,
where he pulled out a 1-0
win over Illinois, Tyrone Byrd. Daren
Burns
(UNC-Greensboro) was up next for Rinaldi in the semis. The Cornell
junior
beat Burns 7-4, earning him a spot in the finals against second
seed Kyle
Cerminara of Buffalo. Cerminara edged Rinaldi 5-3 in the championship
match, giving Rinaldi second-place.
At 133, Mormile kicked off the tournament with a major decision
over Nick
Mamalis of Western Wyoming. He rattled off two more wins for a
spot in the
quarterfinals where he fell to Penn,s Matt Valenti, 6-2. He went
2-1 in
the wrestlebacks, taking seventh place.
Manotti cruised into the quarterfinals, posting a major decision
and a
technical fall before beating Zach Lee (Western State) 8-3 to
earn a spot
in the round of eight. Manotti ground out a 3-2 win over James
Strouse
(Hofstra) in the quarters before falling to Michigan,s Steve Luke
3-2
in
the semis. He then fell to Craig Henning (Wisconsin) and beat
Gene Zanetti
(Penn) to take fifth place.
Anceravage had a busy tournament, wrestling eight matches,
en route to
third place at 165 pounds. He started by pinning Dickinson State,s
Stanton
Schlecht in 59 seconds and then won two more matches, reaching
the
quarterfinals. He dropped an 18-6 major decision to the second
seed,
Missouri,s Matt Pell and went on to the wrestlebacks. Anceravage
won three
consecutive matches, putting him in the third-place match against
Pat
Pitsch (Arizona State), where he won 8-6.
Staying in the 184 pound bracket where he saw his first action
in the
season-opening Body Bar Invitational, Mazzurco won his first three
matches, before falling to second seed Ben Wissel (Purdue). It
was a tight
match that went into two overtimes, before Wissel
could pull out
the 3-1
win. Mazzurco then cruised past Joe Rovelli (Hofstra), 6-3 for
a spot in
the third-place match. He beat Harvard,s Louis Caputo 7-2 for
third.
The Big Red will have a three-week layoff before heading to
the campus of
UNC-Greensboro, to participate in the Southern Scuffle on Dec.
29-30.
2005 Las Vegas Invitational
1 145.0 Michigan
2 116.0 Cornell
3 102.5 Missouri
4 101.0 Edinboro
5 92.0 Arizona St
6 88.5 Illinois
7 76.0 Cal Poly
8 74.5 West Virginia
9 69.5 Purdue
10 69.0 Penn
Big
Red Takes Body Bar Championship, Six Individual Titles
ITHACA, N.Y.
The Big Red wrestling team kicked off the season
by playing
host to the Body Bar Invitational at Newman Arena on Saturday.
Cornell
took the team championship, outscoring second-place Oregon State
by 42.5
points, finishing at 138. Troy Nickerson (125), Mike Mormile (133),
Dustin
Manotti (157), Luke Hogle (174), Joe Mazzurco (184) and Jerry
Rinaldi
(197) all took the title in their respective weight brackets.
Cornell was
the only squad to have multiple first-place finishers.
Steve Anceravage had an impressive run through the 165 pound
bracket,
advancing to the championship bout before falling to Pitt,s Justin
Nestor.
Joey Hooker, the fourth seed in the same bracket, took third place
after
losing to Nestor in the semi-finals and then defeating Slippery
Rock,s
Jason Cardillo. Josh Arnone also took home a third-place finish
in the 184
pound
bracket. In all, the Big Red had 11 wrestlers finish in
the top five
of their brackets.
Oregon State finished second in the 11-team field with a final
score of
95.5. The Beavers finished with three runners-up and two third-place
finishers. Kent State, Purdue and Pitt rounded out the top five.
The Big Red will take a short break from competition before
heading to Las
Vegas, Nev., to compete in the Las Vegas Invitational. At last
year,s Las
Vegas Invite, the Big Red took fifth place with two individual
titles..
Sch TEAM SCORE
1 Cornell 138.00
2 Oregon St 95.50
3 Kent State 92.00
4 Purdue 89.50
5 Pitt 89.00
6 Army 68.50
7 Drexel 62.50
8 Sacred Heart 47.50
9 Maryland 40.50
10 Slippery Rock 32.00
11 Ithaca 14.00
Travis
Lee Named EIWA Wrestler of the Year
Cornell wrestler Travis Lee completed a spectacular career by winning his second NCAA championship, and has been named EIWA Wrestler of the Year by the coaches of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association.
Lee, who has competed at 133 pounds for the past two seasons, won his first NCAA title two years ago at 125 pounds, and becomes the first wrestler from Cornell and from the Ivy League to become a four-time All-American
He avenged his only loss of the year, to Shawn Bunch of Edinboro, in the finals by defeating him 6-3. Lee won five bouts at the NCAA tournament, including two falls, and improved his record on the season to 37-1.
Two weeks earlier, Lee won his fourth title at the EIWA Championships,
becoming the first Cornell wrestler to accomplish the feat.
Josh Glenn Named EIWA Freshman of the Year
American University wrestler Josh Glenn has been named EIWA Freshman of the Year, following a season in which he placed second at the EIWA Championships, and went on to win two bouts at the NCAA Championships in St Louis.
Glenn, who competes at 184 pounds, completed his season with a record of 29-8, including ten falls and 21 wins which earned bonus points (fall, major decision or technical fall).