No. 1 Cornell Wrestling Storms Past Princeton, 44-0
ITHACA, N.Y.-The Big Red wrestling team stormed past Princeton, 44-0, on Saturday afternoon. With the win, head coach Rob Koll has 204 career victories, more than any other wrestling coach in Cornell history. The Big Red notched bonus points in nine out of 10 weight classes, with DJ Meagher (157), Mack Lewnes (184), Cam Simaz (197) and Stryker Lane (HWT) pinning their opponents.
Before the start of the match, Cornell honored its eight seniors, Travis Dale, Mike Grey, Justin Kerber, George Kocher, Lewnes, Corey Manson, Colin McDonald and Jason Winckel. In an exhibition match, Mike Nevinger won by major decision, 11-0, over Robert Shephard.
The dual began at 125 pounds with No. 10 Frank Perrelli taking on No. 18 Garrett Frey. The two wrestlers traded shots throughout the first period, but Perrelli was able to convert for a takedown with 52 seconds left. Frey chose down to start the second and earned the only point of the period with an escape. Perrelli quickly escaped from his opening down position in the third. With 1:31 in riding time, Perrelli won a 3-1 decision.
At 133 pounds, No. 6 Grey wrestled his last match in the Friedman Wrestling Center. Grey held a 9-2 lead after the first period with three takedowns and three back points. Grey escaped from his opening down position in the second and added another takedown. The Big Red wrestler let his opponent up from his down position in the third. Grey notched three more takedowns in the third to win a 19-6 major decision.
Manson earned three takedowns in the first period at 141 pounds against Zach Bintliff. The Big Red senior added two more in the second. Manson grabbed another takedown in the third and with riding time, won a 14-6 major decision.
At 149 pounds, No. 3Kyle Dake hit the mat looking to score against Jason Ott. Dake scored within two seconds and continued to rack up points. With two takedowns and three near falls for nine points, Dake held a 13-2 lead after the first period. Dake won by a 19-2 nearfall in 5:00.
No. 11 Meagher took on Daniel Kolodzik at 157 pounds. At 1:20 into the first period, Meagher took down his opponent and worked to turn him. Meagher won by fall in 1:58.
At 165 pounds, freshman Jesse Shanaman took on Seth Hazleton. Shanaman had a takedown and a two-point nearfall in the first period. Shanaman escaped from his opening down position in the second period and added another takedown. With two more takedowns and riding time, Shanaman won a 12-2 major decision.
Senior Mack Lewnes received a forfeit at 174 pounds, but Cornell chose to forfeit the match as well and have Lewnes wrestle one last time in front of the home crowd moving up to 184 pounds. The Big Red wrestler earned two takedowns before turning Travis Erdman and winning by fall in 1:49.
No. 1 ranked Simaz made quick work of Dan Santoro at 197 pounds. Simaz grabbed four takedowns before winning by fall in 1:35.
At heavyweight, Lane held a 2-0 lead over Charles Fox after the first period with a takedown 35 seconds into the bout. Lane reversed his opponent to begin the second period and won by fall in 3:21.
The Big Red will wrap up its dual season next weekend wrestling at Brown on Friday at 7 p.m. before traveling to Harvard for a 1 p.m. match on Saturday.
#1 Cornell 44, Princeton 0
125: #10 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) dec.. #18 Garrett Frey (Princeton), 4-1
133: #6 Mike Grey (Cornell) maj. dec. Tony Comunale (Princeton), 19-6
141: Corey Manson (Cornell) maj. dec. Zach Bintliff (Princeton), 14-6
149: #3 Kyle Dake (Cornell) vs. Jason Ott (Princeton), 19-2 (5:00)
157: #11 DJ Meagher (Cornell) win by fall Daniel Kolodzik(Princeton), 1:58
165: Jesse Shanaman (Cornell) maj. dec. Seth Hazleton (Princeton), 12-2
174: Double Forfeit
184: #3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) win by fall Travis Erdman (Princeton), 1:49
197: #1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) win by fall Dan Santoro (Princeton), 1:35
HWT: Stryker Lane (Cornell) win by fall Charles Fox (Princeton), 3:21
No. 1 Cornel Wrestling Cruises Past No. 19 Penn, 28-9
ITHACA, N.Y.-The Big Red wrestling team continued its Ivy dominance on Friday evening cruising past No. 19 Penn, 28-9, at the Friedman Wrestling Center. No. 1 ranked Cornell won seven out of 10 bouts, with Kyle Dake (149) and DJ Meagher (157) pinning their opponents in their respective weight classes. With the victory, head coach Rob Koll ties Jimmy Miller for career wins with 203. Senior Mack Lewnes also picked up bonus points for Cornell with a win by major decision at 174 pounds.
At 125 pounds, No. 10 Frank Perrelli opened the dual taking on No. 17 Mark Rappo. Perrelli demonstrated great defense in the first period fending off a few shots from the Quaker. Rappo escaped from his opening down position in the second to score the only point of the period. Perrelli immediately escaped to open the third, quickly getting to his feet and twisting away from his opponent. With 26 seconds left on the clock, Perrelli took down Rappo to take a 3-1 lead. Rappo would escape, but the Penn wrestler was hit with a technical violation for grabbing the headgear. Perrelli won a 4-2 decision.
Senior No. 6 Mike Grey faced off against No. 5 Rollie Peterkin at 133 pounds. Grey finished a shot for a takedown a little over a minute into the first period. The Big Red wrestler collected riding time before Peterkin was able to escape with 32 seconds left in the period. Grey immediately worked for a reversal from his starting down position in the second, and was rewarded, coming out on top after 20 seconds. Peterkin escaped, and came within a point with an escape to start the third period. Grey went right back on offense scoring another takedown. Peterkin would reverse Grey, but the Big Red wrestler escaped and scored another takedown before the period was over. With 2:55 in riding time, Grey won a 10-5 decision.
At 141 pounds, senior Corey Manson and No. 10 Zack Kemmerer were scoreless after the first period. Kemmerer notched the only point of the second with an escape from his opening down position. Manson tied the bout with an escape of his own in the third. With four seconds left in the deadlocked bout, the referee hit Manson with a penalty point for illegal contact. Kemmer won a 2-1 decision.
Dake hit the mat against Andrew Lenzi full of energy looking to score early. Dake countered a shot by Lenzi and pulled his opponent for an inside cradle winning by fall in 1:00.
At 157 pounds, No. 11 Meagher rode the momentum of Dake's pin and quickly took down Brad Wukie. After an escape by Wukie, Meagher took him down once again. The Big Red wrestler punished his opponent throughout the period looking for the fall. Meagher earned six points for his team winning by fall right before the buzzer at 2:59.
Once again wrestling up a weight class for Cornell, freshman Craig Eifert faced No. 18 Gabriel Burak at 165 pounds. Burak notched a takedown in the first period and rode Eifert for the rest of the period. Burak chose top for the second period looking to score back points, but Eifert worked hard defensively. Eifert chose neutral to start the third period. The Big Red wrestler continued to work hard looking to score, but with riding time, Burak won a 3-0 decision.
At 174 pounds, No. 3 Lewnes nearly pinned Canann Bethea at the end of the first period but time ran out on his attempt. Lewnes held a 5-0 lead after the first with a takedown and three back points. The Big Red wrestler took down his opponent from neutral in the second. Lewnes lengthened his lead with a reversal from his opening down position in the third. With riding time, Lewnes won a 10-0 major decision.
No. 6 Steve Bosak scored a takedown off a single leg midway through the first period over Erich Smith at 184 pounds. Bosak earned two back points as time ran out in the first period. Smith chose to start the second at neutral, but neither wrestler was able to score. Bosak chose top for the third looking to score back points. With 45 seconds left, Bosak increased his lead to 7-0 with a three-point nearfall. Smith earned his only two points of the bout with a reversal as time ran out. With riding time, Bosak won an 8-2 decision.
At 197 pounds, No. 1 Cam Simaz quickly took a 2-0 lead with a single leg on No. 5 Micah Burak, sweeping his opponent to the mat. Burak was not able to escape from Simaz for the remainder of the period. Simaz quickly escaped from his opening down position to start the second. With a low ankle pick, Simaz increased his lead to 5-0. Burak scored his only offense points of the bout midway through the third period with a throw. With 11 seconds left in the match, Simaz took down his opponent once again. With riding time, Simaz won a 9-3 decision.
At heavyweight, Stryker Lane took on Kyle Cowan. With 30 seconds left in the first period, Cowan took the lead with a takedown. Cowan chose top to start the second period, and rode out the entire two minutes. Lane started on top in the third period looking for back points. He almost earned them midway through the period, but could not turn his opponent. Lane erased Cowan's riding time, but the Penn wrestler won a 2-0 decision.
Cornell will wrestle its last home match of the season against Princeton on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at the Friedman Wrestling Center. Cornell will honor its seniors before the match begins.
#1 Cornell 28, #19 Penn 6
125: #10 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) dec. #17 Mark Rappo (Penn), 4-2 (Cornell 3, Penn 0)
133: #6 Mike Grey (Cornell) dec. #5 Rollie Peterkin (Penn), 10-5 (Cornell 6, Penn 0)
141: #10 Zack Kemmerer (Penn) dec. Corey Manson (Cornell), 2-1 (Cornell 6, Penn 3)
149: #3 Kyle Dake (Cornell) win by fall Andrew Lenzi (Penn), 1:00 (Cornell 12, Penn 3)
157: #11 DJ Meagher (Cornell) win by fall Brad Wukie (Penn), 2:59 (Cornell 18, Penn 3)
165: #18 Gabriel Burak (Penn) dec. Craig Eifert (Cornell), 2-0 (Cornell 18, Penn 6)
174: #3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) maj dec. Canaan Bethea (Penn), 10-0 (Cornell 22, Penn 6)
184: #6 Steve Bosak (Cornell) dec. Erich Smith (Penn), 8-2 (Cornell 25, Penn 6)
197: #1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) dec. #5 Micah Burak (Penn), 9-3 (Cornell 28, Penn 6)
HWT: Kyle Cowan (Penn) dec. Stryker Lane (Cornell), 2-0 (Cornell 28, Penn 6)
No. 2 Cornell Wrestling Cruises Past Binghamton, 35-3
ITHACA, N.Y.-The No. 2 Big Red wrestling team stormed past Binghamton, 35-3, on Friday night at the Friedman Wrestling Center in front of a sold out crowd. Senior Mack Lewnes (174) and junior Cam Simaz (197) picked up first period pins in their respective weight classes. Also notching bonus points for Cornell were Frank Perrelli (125) and Mike Grey (133), who both won by major decision. The Big Red improves to 6-1 while Binghamton is now 11-4.
At 125 pounds, No. 10 Perrelli started the night off right against Derek Steely. Perrelli took a 4-1 lead with two takedowns, but with two escapes and a takedown of his own Steely tied the bout at 4-4 after the first period. Perrelli grabbed two more takedowns in the second period to hold a 9-5 advantage heading into the final two minutes. The Big Red wrestler continued to rack up points in the third period to win a 16-8 major decision.
Seventh ranked Grey hit the mat for the first time this season at 133 pounds and took on Dan Riggi. Grey came out strong and converted on a low double for a takedown with a little over 15 seconds off the clock. The Big Red wrestler racked up riding time, keeping control for the entire period. Grey escaped from his opening down position in the second period and had two more takedowns. The senior continued to rack up points in the third and with five additional takedowns won an 18-6 decision.
Freshman Mike Nevinger hit the mats against Anwar Goeres at 141 pounds. The two traded takedowns in the first period, but Goeres held a slight 3-2 advantage heading into the second period. Goeres chose down in the second period but was unable to escape from the Big Red wrestler. Nevinger chose to start the last period down on the mat and with 39 seconds left, the bout was tied 3-3 when Goeres was hit with a technical violation for locking his hands. Goeres let Nevinger up looking to score, which he did with a takedown with 15 seconds left in the bout. Nevinger had riding time locked up, and the match looked to be headed into overtime. With four seconds left on the clock, the crowd went wild when Nevinger twisted free for an escape to win a 6-5 decision.
At 149 pounds, No. 2 Kyle Dake took on No. 12 Donnie Vinson. Dake grabbed an early takedown, but Vinson escaped in the first period. Midway through the first period, Dake was hit with his first stalling warning . Dake chose to start the second down and immediately escaped. The Big Red wrestler was hit with his second stalling at the end of the second to give Vinson another point. Vinson chose to start the third at neutral and with 30 seconds left in the bout, the match was tied when Dake was hit with his third stalling call. Vinson took down Dake quickly after the call to win a 5-3 decision.
Freshman Craig Eifert faced Matt Kaylor at 157 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Eifert escaped from his opening down position in the second. Kaylor took down the Big Red wrestler, but Eifert escaped and with three seconds left in the period grabbed a takedown of his own. Kaylor escaped from his down position in the third, but Eifert demonstrated good defense and won a 4-3 decision.
After a 10 minute halftime break, No. 5 Justin Kerber squared off against Justin Lister at 165 pounds. Kerber notched the only takedown of the first to take a 2-0 lead. Kerber lengthened his lead to 4-0 with a reversal with a little under a minute left on the clock. Lister chose to start the third period down. Kerber held strong on top until with five second left in the bout, Lister earned a reversal. With 2:27 in riding time, Kerber won a 5-3 decision. Cornell held a 17-3 lead.
At 174 pounds, No. 3 Lewnes notched three takedowns over Binghamton's Ryan McGarity in the first period. With 44 seconds left on the clock, Lewnes worked to tilt his opponent and muscled his way to a pin in 2:30.
Seventh ranked Steve Bosak held a 2-0 lead over No. 10 Nate Schiedel at 184 pounds after the first period. Bosak chose to start the second period down and with only 10 seconds off the clocked reversed his opponent and immediately tilted him for two back points. Schiedel chose neutral for the third period, and neither wrestler scored again. With 3:12 in riding time, Bosak won a 7-0 decision.
Top ranked Simaz took on Cody Reed at 197 pounds. Simaz hit the mat fast and grabbed an early takedown, from which Reed escaped 20 seconds later. Simaz took down his opponent once again and won by fall in 2:48.
At heavyweight, Stryker Lane hit the mat against Lance Moore. With 18 seconds left in the first period, Lane took down Moore. Moore escaped from his opening down position in the second period for the only point of the two minutes. Lane chose to start the third period down and within five seconds reversed his opponent. Moore would escape, but Lane took him down once again to win a 6-2 decision.
The Big Red will play host to No. 15 Iowa State on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in Newman Arena. The bout will serve as Cornell's annual fundraiser for the Adam Frey Foundation. A donation will be made for every fan in attendance.
#2 Cornell vs. Binghamton
125: No. 10 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) maj. dec. Derek Steely (Binghamton), 16-8 (Cornell, 4-0)
133: No. 7 Mike Grey (Cornell) maj. dec. Dan Riggi (Binghamton), 18-6 (Cornell, 8-0)
141: Mike Nevinger (Cornell) dec. Anwar Goeres (Binghamton), 6-5 (Cornell, 11-0)
149: No. 12 Donnie Vinson (Binghamton) dec. No. 2 Kyle Dake (Cornell), 5-3 (Cornell, 11-3)
157: Craig Eifert (Cornell) dec. Matt Kaylor (Binghamton), 4-3 (Cornell, 14-3)
165: No. 5 Justin Kerber (Cornell) dec. Justin Lister (Binghamton), 5-3 (Cornell, 17-3)
174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) win by fall. Ryan McGarity (Binghamton), 2:30 (Cornell, 23-3)
184: No. 7 Steve Bosak (Cornell) dec. No. 10 Nate Schiedel (Binghamton), 7-0 (Cornell, 26-3)
197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) win by fall Cody Reed (Binghamton), 2:48 (Cornell, 32-3)
HWT: Stryker Lane (Cornell) dec. Lance Moore (Binghamton), 6-2 (Cornell, 35-3)
#14 Lehigh Edges Out #1 Cornell Wrestling, 17-15
BETHLEHEM, Pa.-The No. 1 Cornell wrestling team was edged out by Lehigh, 17-15, on Thursday night at Stabler Arena in front of a crowd of 3,274. Each team won five bouts, but two wins by major decision provided Lehigh with the advantage. Cornell moves to 5-1 for the season, while Lehigh is 10-5. The Big Red picked up wins by Frank Perrelli (125), Kyle Dake (149), DJ Meagher (157), Mack Lewnes (174) and Cam Simaz (197).
At 125 pounds, No. 10 Perrelli faced off against Mitch Berger. Perrelli got a hold of Berger's ankle early in the bout, but the Mountain Hawk wound a minute off the clock trying to make it out of bounds. The Big Red wrestler worked to pull him back in bounds and was awarded with a takedown when he was able to control his opponent's other leg. Perrelli let him up looking to score again, but time ran out in the period. Perrelli increased his advantage to 3-1 when he quickly escaped from his opening down position in the second. The Big Red wrestler notched two more takedowns before the period finished. Berger chose to start the third period down, and Perrelli cut him loose looking for a major decision. Berger was able to evade Perrelli for the remainder of the match to avoid giving Perrelli bonus points. Perrelli gave the Big Red an early 3-0 lead, winning a 9-3 decision.
Joe Stanzione took on No. 20 Frank Cagnina at 133 pounds. Cagnina notched a bonus point for Lehigh winning a 13-4 major decision.
Senior Corey Manson wrestled against Stephen Dutton in the 141 pound weight class. The two wrestlers traded takedowns in the first period to take a 3-3 tie into the second. Dutton chose to start the second down on the mat and quickly escaped. The two wrestlers were tied up late in the bout, and Manson worked his way to a takedown as time ran out. Manson chose to start the third period down on the mat looking for an escape. The Big Red wrestler was not able to get away from Dutton, and the Lehigh grappler notched three back points at the end of the period to win a 7-5 decision.
No. 2 Kyle Dake squared off against Joey Napoli at 149. Dake converted on a low double midway through the period to take a 2-0 lead. The Big Red wrestler cut his opponent looking for another takedown, but Napoli evaded him. Dake chose to start down in the second and grabbed the only point of the period with an escape. Napoli escaped from his opening bottom position in the third period after Dake had secured riding time. The bout was tied 3-3 after Dake was hit with his second stalling call, but with 1:11 in riding time Dake won a 4-3 decision.
At 157 pounds, No. 9 DJ Meagher hit the mat with high energy against Sean Bilodeau. The Big Red wrestler notched a takedown and immediately started trying to turn his opponent. Meagher was awarded two back points for an impending nearfall when Bilodeau yelled out while being turned. Meagher dominated his opponent in the second period never letting him escape from his starting bottom position. Meagher chose to start the third period on top looking for back points. Late in the period Bilodeau was able to escape. With 5:32 in riding time, Meagher won a 5-1 decision to give the Big Red a 9-7 team lead heading into the halftime break.
No. 3 Justin Kerber took on Brandon Hatchett at 165 pounds. Hatchett took down Kerber in the first period from which Kerber escaped. Hatchett chose down in the second period and earned the only point of the period with an escape. Kerber quickly escaped from his opening down position in the third, but was unable to score again and lost a 3-2 decision.
After a scoreless first period at 174 pounds, No. 3 Mack Lewnes escaped from No. 13 Austin Meys to start the second period. Meys escaped from his opening bottom position in the third, but Lewnes would take him down. With 1:17 in riding time, Lewnes won a 4-1 decision.
At 184 pounds, No. 3 Steve Bosak took down No. 9 Robert Hamlin a minute into the match. After 45 seconds, Hamlin escaped. Bosak started the second period down on the mat and escaped. Hamlin countered a shot by Bosak and took down the Big Red wrestler with 13 seconds left in the period. Hamlin chose neutral to start the third period. Hamlin took down Bosak to take a 5-3 lead. Bosak would escape but could not score against an evading Hamlin and lost a 5-4 decision.
No. 1 Cam Simaz was scoreless in the first period at 197 pounds against No. 14 Joe Kennedy. Kennedy chose down to start the second period but was unable to escape Simaz. Simaz quickly escaped to start the third period and with 1:47 in riding time won a 2-0 decision.
At heavyweight, No. 1 Zach Rey won an 8-0 major decision over Oney Snyder giving Lehigh the final 17-15 lead.
The Big Red will return home for the first time in the new year to play host to Binghamton on Friday, Jan. 28 and Iowa State on Sunday, Jan. 30.
Match-By-Match Results
125: No. 10 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) dec. Mitch Berger (Lehigh), 9-3 (Cornell 3, Lehigh 0)
133: No. 20 Frank Cagnina (Lehigh) maj. dec. Joe Stanzione (Cornell), 13-4 (Lehigh 4, Cornell 3)
141: Stephen Dutton (Lehigh) dec. Corey Manson (Cornell), 8-5 (Lehigh 7, Cornell 3)
149: No. 2 Kyle Dake (Cornell) dec. Joey Napoli (Lehigh), 4-3 (Lehigh 7, Cornell 6)
157: No. 9 DJ Meagher (Cornell) dec. Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh), 5-1 (Cornell 9, Lehigh 7)
165: Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. No. 3 Justin Kerber (Cornell), 3-2 (Lehigh 10, Cornell 9)
174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) dec. No. 13 Austin Meys (Lehigh), 4-1 (Cornell 12, Lehigh 10)
184: No. 9 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) dec. No. 3 Steve Bosak (Cornell), 5-4 (Lehigh 13, Cornell 12)
197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) dec. No. 14 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh), 2-0 (Cornell 15, Lehigh 13)
HWT: No. 1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) maj. dec. Oney Snyder (Cornell), 8-0 (Lehigh 17, Cornell 15)Wrestling Pendulum Swings Farther East Cornell University
By BILL PENNINGTON
Coach Rob Koll took over 17 years ago and said, "Everyone told me that it can't be done at Cornell."
Some things never change in Iowa, do they?
But this is not Iowa.
Then it must be Oklahoma. Or perhaps Minnesota?
It is central New York State. The campus is Cornell University, one of eight Ivy League institutions.
Although every N.C.A.A. wrestling championship since 1989 has been won by teams from Iowa, Oklahoma or Minnesota - with only 4 of 80 N.C.A.A. championships won from outside those states in history - this season, Cornell is the unanimous preseason No. 1.
It is the first time a team from the Ivy League, which prohibits athletic scholarships, has had the top ranking in wrestling and is one of the rare times an Ivy team has been ranked No. 1 outside sports like lacrosse, fencing, squash, and ice or field hockey.
But Cornell is carrying a flag for more than the Ivys. Cornell, which finished second to Iowa in last season's N.C.A.A. championships, is seeking to become just the second Eastern-based team to win the national wrestling title. Penn State won it in 1953.
"I've been saying for years, 'Why not us?' " Cornell Coach Rob Koll said. "I've always believed a national championship was possible."
When Koll took over the Cornell program 17 years ago, he frequently said the same thing to his coaching peers.
"They would laugh at me," Koll said after a practice last week. "Everyone told me that it can't be done at Cornell. They said: 'It's too expensive, you have no scholarships, you won't get recruits in, and if you do, the academics there will wear them out.'
"I heard it everywhere. I just didn't listen."
As he spoke, Koll stood inside Cornell's $4.5 million Friedman Wrestling Center, which opened in 2002 as the first stand-alone facility devoted to collegiate wrestling. He was drenched in sweat, having just spent nearly an hour grappling with three of his four all-Americans and several of their teammates. Koll, who turns 45 on Wednesday, was an N.C.A.A. champion at North Carolina and can coach the old-school way - battling on the mat.
It may be Koll's only old-school method.
He runs the team's Facebook page, www.facebook.com/cornellwrestling, where he publishes viral videos featuring an anonymous Lycra-clad Cornell wrestling superhero of sorts named Red Man, who is caught dancing and performing around campus. Watching "The Oprah Winfrey Show" one day, Koll saw an appearance by Cornell's celebrated sleep-deprivation professor, James Maas, and after consulting Maas, he decided to eliminate early-morning practices. The new training regimen encourages sleeping in or even - gasp! - a day off.
For years, Koll has sold season tickets throughout the Ithaca, N.Y., community, sitting up nights calling prospective fans. It has helped lead to a long streak of sellouts at the 1,000-seat Friedman Center. For featured matches, the team moves into the basketball arena to accommodate crowds of more than 4,000.
Koll also regularly works his way through a black book listing 800 alumni, most with wrestling connections. More than half have become donors, paying for 75 percent of the team's annual $500,000 budget. And those alumni serve as recruiting tools, not just benefactors.
Asked how he entices so many elite high school wrestlers to come to the Cornell campus - the current team collectively has won 45 state championships - Koll pulls out his laptop and shows another video posted on the team's Facebook page. About 25 athletes from the 2010 team appear in rapid succession describing the summer and off-season professional internships they have served at the offices, laboratories and hospitals of influential Cornell alumni. The video concludes with this detail: 100 percent of recent Cornell wrestlers have secured a full-time job offer or postgraduate school acceptance before they graduate.
Selling recruits on these kind of rewards, rather than a four-year athletic scholarship, has helped Koll lure top wrestlers from far and wide. An early noteworthy recruit, Travis Lee of Hawaii, became a two-time N.C.A.A. champion. In recent years, Cornell has gone head-to-head in recruiting with all the wrestling powers, including Iowa, a 23-time national team champion.
The father and an uncle of the Cornell senior Justin Kerber wrestled for Iowa.
"I grew up a huge Hawkeye fan, and it never occurred to me that I would wrestle anywhere else," said Kerber, who has twice advanced to the N.C.A.A. championship tournament. "Then I visited Cornell and realized I could have a great education experience and a great wrestling experience. It is hard to turn away scholarship money, but if you look at the big picture, it can mean a bigger payout in the end."
Kyle Dake, a sophomore who won the N.C.A.A. championship at 141 pounds last season, said of his decision to attend Cornell, "For a lot of us, if you can get in, it becomes a no-brainer."
Koll has come to view the lack of athletic scholarships as an advantage.
"We have a tighter group of guys because there's no resentment over who is getting a full ride and who isn't," said Koll, whose athletes can qualify for need-based financial aid, which can be significant. (Three of his 10 starters are paying the entire cost to attend Cornell, which is more than $50,000.)
"Scholarships can also make the coach-athlete connection feel more like an owner-athlete relationship," Koll said. "That's when guys start thinking of their sport as a job."
Indeed, each of the Cornell wrestlers could quit at any time. But Koll said he could not remember the last time one of his wrestlers left the team.
"Certainly not in the last 10 or 12 years," he said.
For all of Cornell's ascendancy, which has included six top-10 finishes in the national championships in the last eight years, the competition on the way to an N.C.A.A. title will be fierce and battle-tested. In the preseason poll, Boise State, Oklahoma State and Minnesota were ranked second, third and fourth. Wisconsin is fifth, Penn State sixth and Iowa seventh.
"Everyone has seen the pendulum swinging Cornell's way, so their No. 1 ranking is well-deserved," said Mike Moyer, the executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, which oversees the national rankings. "But among the coaches I've spoken to, it's also widely known that there is a lot of parity. There are a lot of national-championship contenders."
Cornell's wrestlers would not disagree.
"The No. 1 ranking is nice and all that, but it's being No. 1 at the end of the season that matters," said Mack Lewnes, an all-American and two-time Eastern champion. "I still have people come up to me and say, 'Hey, you guys are doing pretty well for an Ivy League school.'
"I know what they mean, but it's not what I want to hear. I want people to say that Cornell wrestling is doing well - period."
Cornell Wrestling's Kerber and Simaz Named to NWCA All-Academic Team
ITHACA,N.Y.-Cornell wrestling's Justin Kerber and Cam Simaz were named to the 2009-10 NWCA All-Academic Team it was announced on Wednesday. Kerber ranks fourth individually on the list with a 3.85 grade point average in applied economics and management. The Big Red ranks 14th as a team with a 3.0812 GPA.
Kerber makes the team for the third-straight year in a row. He is a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Big Red and had a 3-2 mark at the 2010 NCAA championships. Kerber received his second first-team All-Ivy honor after having a 4-0 record against the Ancient Eight. With a 21-11 overall mark, the Emmetsburg, Iowa native placed fifth at the Southern Scuffle, second at the New York State Championships and third at the EIWA tournament to qualify for the NCAAs.
Simaz was named to the list for the first time with a 3.34 cumulative GPA in Economics. The Big Red sophomore finished third at the NCAA tournament to earn his second All-America honor. Simaz recently earned the James Meldrim '63 Memorial Award, which is given to the wrestler that demonstrates outstanding character, sportsmanship and overall contribution to Cornell Wrestling. Simaz led the team in wins with 42 this season and was second on the team in falls with 11. Simaz is a two-time first-team All-Ivy honoree.
"The student-athletes on this All-Academic Team are a great example of the hard work and dedication that the sport of wrestling teaches these young men," said NWCA President Jim Beichner. "Not only are they achieving winning a National Championship, but they are also showing that they are champions in the classroom as well."
The 2009-10 All-Academic individual team includes 61 NCAA qualifiers, 23 NCAA All-Americans, seven NCAA finalists and the five NCAA champions. In all, 74 individuals representing 45 schools are being honored on this year's All-Academic Team.
To qualify for the All-Academic team, a wrestler must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, and either been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule - and must have competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. The other way to qualify for the All-Academic team is to have a 3.0 GPA and been an NCAA All-American.
Topping the individual list was Nicholas Amuchastegui of Stanford, who holds a 3.949 in Mechanical Engineering. Harvard was the top team for the first time with a 3.3098 GPA.
Cornell finished second at the NCAA tournament this season for a school-best finish. The Big Red crowned four All-Americans and will return seven NCAA qualifiers next season. With a 5-0 mark, Cornell won its eighth-straight Ivy League title and won its fourth-straight EIWA team title.
Cornell Wrestling's Perrelli Wins Title as Grey and Stanzione Place at University Nationals
AKRON, Ohio-Cornell wrestling's Frank Perrelli won his weight class at the ASICS Freestyle University Nationals this weekend at the Stile Athletics Field House at the University of Akron. Junior Mike Grey placed fourth, while Joe Stanzione took seventh. Juniors Corey Manson, Colin McDonald and sophomore Cam Simaz also wrestled in the tournament.
With Perrelli winning his final's match at 55 kg/121 pounds, he qualifies for a bye to the finals for the University World Team Trials. His victory also qualifies him to compete at the US World Team Trials. Perrelli opened his weekend by shutting out his first opponent Carl DeLuca (UW Oshkosh), 8-0, 6-0. He picked up two more two-period wins before facing Oklahoma's Greg Cannon in the semifinals where he won 3-1, 6-0. In the finals Perrelli faced Oklahoma State's Jon Morrison. Morrison edged Perrelli out, 2-1, in the first period, but the Big Red wrestler bounced back to pick up the victory with a 1-0 and 3-1 score in the remaining periods.
Grey wrestled at 60 KG/132.25 pounds. With four wins Grey advanced to the semifinals where he faced Kyle Hutter (Monarch Wrestling Club). Hutter edged out Grey, 3-2, 0-7, 4-1. Grey notched another victory in the wrestlebacks and placed fourth after dropping a 4-0, 2-1 decision to Steve Mytych (Drexel).
At 63 KG/138.75 pounds, Stanzione shutout his first opponent, 6-0, 6-0, before picking up two wins by fall. In the quarterfinals, he lost to Lou Ruggirello to move to the consolation brackets. Stanzione went 2-1 in the wrestlebacks to finish in seventh.
UNIVERSITY NATIONALS FREESTYLE - FINALS RESULTS
55 kg/121 lbs.
Frank Perrelli (Cornell) dec. Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State), 1-2, 1-0, 3-1
60 kg/132 lbs.
Tyler Graff (NYAC) dec. Kyle Hutter (Monarch Wrestling Club), 4-0, 3-0
63 kg/138.75 lbs.
Dan White (Unattached) dec. Mark Ballweg (Hawkeye WC), 1-0, 1-0
66 kg/145.5 lbs.
Bubba Jenkins (Sunkist Kids) dec. Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh WC), 3-1, 0-1, 3-0
70 kg/154 lbs.
David Taylor (Nittany Lion WC) dec. Matt Lester (Oklahoma), 3-0, 5-1
74 kg/163 lbs.
Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) dec. Ethen Lofthouse (Hawkeye WC), 0-1, 1-0, 4-0
79 kg/174 lbs.
Luke Manuel (Purdue Unattached) dec. Austin Meys (Lehigh Valley AC), 2-0, 1-0
84 kg/185 lbs.
Quentin Wright (Nittany Lion WC) pinned Doug Umbehauer (Unattached), 0:22
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Sonny Yohn (Minnesota Storm) dec. Jared Platt (Nittany Lion WC), 1-0, 4-0
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Jarod Trice (CMRTC) dec. Kevin Lester (Columbia) 0-1,2-0,4-1
TRUE SECOND-PLACE MATCHES
60 kg/132 lbs.
Kyle Hutter (Monarch WC) dec. Steve Mytych (Drexel), 7-4, 3-3
84 kg/185 lbs.
Jordan Blanton (Illinois) dec. Doug Umbehauer (unattached), 7-0, 5-1
96 kg/211.5 lbs.
Jared Platt (Nittany Lion WC) dec. Brent Jones (Cavalier WC), 2-0, 6-0
120 kg/264.5 lbs.
Kevin Lester (Columbia) pinned Ryan Tomei (Pittsburgh WC), 0:21
Matt Azevedo Joins Cornell Wrestling Staff for 2009-10 Season
ITHACA, N.Y.--Three-time NCAA qualifier Matt Azevedo joins the Cornell Wrestling staff for his first season as a volunteer assistant coach, after spending the last seven campaigns as an assistant coach for Cal Poly.
Azevedo opened his collegiate career competing for two years for Arizona State, where he advanced to the NCAA tournament. For his final two seasons, Azevedo wrestled for Iowa State and qualified for the NCAAs each campaign.
ìWe are very excited to add Matt to our coaching staff,î Rob Koll the David R. Dunlop í59 Head Coach of Wrestling said. ìHe will bring a wealth of knowledge to our entire team, and Matt adds a great deal of experience from both national and international levels.î
After graduating with a bachelorís degree in education from Iowa State in 2002, Azevedo continued his wrestling career and went on to be a seven-time US National place winner. He won the 2008 U.S. Open National Championship, where he beat out eventual Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo and was selected Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. The Las Vegas native took second at the U.S. Freestyle World Team Trials in the summer of 2007. He finished second at the U.S. Freestyle Nationals in 2005 and 2006, and Azevedo also placed third at the World Team Trials in 2006.
Azevedo and his wife Brooke reside in Ithaca. He is the nephew of Cal Poly head coach John Azevedo.
____________________________________
Lindsey M. Mechalik
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
Cornell University
Ithaca, N.Y. 14853
office: 607.255.3753
cell/home: 607.229.4879
fax: 607.255.9791
http://www.cornellbigred.com
Cornell Wrestling to Send Nine Wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament After Receving Two At-Large Bids
ITHACA, N.Y.˜The Big Red wrestling team received two at-large bids to the
NCAA Championships it was announced on Thursday. At 149 pounds sophomore
DJ Meagher will wrestle at his first national tournament, while at
heavyweight, senior Zach Hammond will compete in his second NCAAs. With
the addition of the two bids, the Big Red will send nine wrestlers to St.
Louis.
Hammond and Meagher will join Troy Nickerson (125), Mike Grey (133),
Jordan Leen (157), Mack Lewnes (165), Steve Anceravage (174), Justin
Kerber (184) and Cam Simaz (197) as the Big Red‚s qualifiers for the NCAA
tournament. This marks the third time in school history that the Big Red
has sent nine wrestlers to the championships.
Six schools have qualified nine wrestlers for the tournament, while Iowa
State is sending a grappler at all 10 weight classes.
There were 52 at-large selections for the 2009 NCAA wrestling
championships to make up a total field of 330 wrestlers. The EIWA received
11 at large bids. The at-large selections were made by the NCAA Division I
Wrestling Committee using the selection criteria without priority order,
which consists of head-to-head competition, qualifying event placement,
quality wins, results against common opponents, winning percentage, rating
percentage index, coaches ranking and number of matches contested at that
weight class.
Meagher went 1-2 at the EIWA Tournament and is 14-10 overall this season.
At the 2008 EIWAs, he placed sixth and narrowly missed qualifying as a
rookie. Meagher was named second-team All-Ivy this season, and was
honorable mention as a freshman.
Hammond placed fifth at the EIWAs last weekend when he pinned Penn‚s Trey
McLean in 1:54. The Big Red senior went 4-2 in the tournament and has an
18-12 overall record. In 2007 Hammond placed second at the conference
championships to qualify for his first NCAA tournament.
The Big Red will wrestle at the NCAA championships on March 19-21 in St.
Louis, Mo. at the ScottTrade Center.