No. 25 Harvard Wrestling Can't Complete Comeback in 24-17 Loss to ArmyPeppelman and Jantzen posted bonus points for the Crimson as it opened its home slate Saturday against Army (OAC).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The No. 25 Harvard wrestling team battled back from a 15-0 deficit and trailed by just one point as the heavyweights took to the mat, but could not complete its comeback as a pin by Army's Daniel Mills gave the Black Knights a 24-17 victory over the Crimson Saturday at the Malkin Athletic Center.
Injury and illness forced the Crimson (4-5, 1-3 EIWA) to forfeit 125 lbs. and 133 lbs., and after Patrick Hogan dropped a 6-2 decision to Casey smith at 141 lbs. the Crimson trailed by 15 points. No. 8 Corey Jantzen turned things around, however, with an 11-0 major decision over Ryan Bilyeau to put Harvard on the board. Jantzen's victory improved him to 7-2 on the year, and was his fourth win with bonus points.
No. 4 Walter Peppelman kept things going with a major decision of his own, posting a 12-0 shutout over Jimmy Rafferty at 157 lbs. Peppelman is 17-3 overall and a perfect 9-0 in duals this season, with 14 of his victories earning bonus points.
Army (6-5, 3-1 EIWA) took an 8-2 decision at 165 lbs. to move the score to 18-8, but the Crimson won the next three bouts to pull within one, 18-17. Josh Popple started the comeback with a 9-7 decision over Eric Gobin at 174 lbs., marking his fifth win in six matches. 184-pounder Cameron Croy followed up with an 8-2 decision over Michael Gorman, and 197-pounder James Fox pulled off a thrilling 1-0 decision over Derek Stanley to cap off the run. Fox, who wrestled through injury to post his 18th victory of the season, earned an escape point in the second period and made it hold up with excellent defense in the third.
Harvard was unable to steal the match, however, as Mills pinned David Ng to pull out the 24-17 win for the Black Knights.
The Crimson will return to action Saturday, Feb. 4 with a pair of matches at the MAC. Harvard will first host Penn at 10 a.m. before taking on Princeton at 2 p.m.
Army 24, No. 25 Harvard 17
125 - Scott Filbert (Army) win by forfeit, 6-0
133 - Jordan Thome (Army) win by forfeit, 12-0
141 - Casey Smith (Army) dec. Patrick Hogan (Harv), 6-2, 15-0
149 - No. 8 Cory Jantzen (Harv) major dec. Ryan Bilyeu (Army), 11-0, 15-4
157 - No. 4 Walter Peppelman (HAR) major dec. Jimmy Rafferty (Army), 12-0, 15-8
165 - Cole Gracey (Army) dec. Ian Roy (Harv), 8-2, 18-8
174 - Josh Popple (Harv) dec. Eric Gobin (Army), 9-7, 18-11
184 - Cameron Croy (Harv) dec. Michael Gorman (Army), 8-2, 18-14
197 - James Fox (Harv) dec. Derek Stanley (Army), 1-0, 18-17
HWT - Daniel Mills (Army) fall David Ng (Harv), 0:56, 24-17
No. 5 Peppelman, Osleeb Victorious For No. 24 Harvard Wrestling at No. 5 CornellPeppelman and Osleeb picked up a pair of victories as the No. 24 Crimson fell at No. 5 Cornell Friday evening (Gil Talbot).
ITHACA, N.Y. - The No. 24 Harvard wrestling team was in action Friday evening at No. 5 Cornell, where it suffered a 38-7 loss at the hands of the Big Red to fall to 4-4 overall, 0-2 in the EIWA and 0-1 in the Ivy League.
Cornell (6-0, 3-0 Ivy League) picked up a forfeit at 125 lbs. to open the match before Ryan Osleeb got the Crimson on the board with a 5-4 decision at 133 lbs. Wrestling in place of No. 13 Steven Keith, Osleeb and Cornell's Nick Pena went scoreless into the second period with Pena taking the first lead off a reversal 30 seconds in. Keith scored a reversal of his own to even the score, but an escape by Pena gave the Big Red a 3-2 advantage heading into the third. Osleeb chose the down position to begin the period and tied the match again at 3-3 with an escape, and scored on a strong double-leg takedown for a 5-3 lead. A late escape by Pena moved the score to 5-4, but Osleeb was able to defend against Pena's shot in the final seconds to hang on for the win.
Cornell earned a technical fall at 141 lbs. for an 11-3 lead, and the upset of the night at 149 lbs. put the Big Red in front 14-3. No. 7 Corey Jantzen and Chris Villalonga took a scoreless tie into the third period, with Jantzen choosing the down position to begin the frame. Jantzen was unable to escape, however, as Villalonga rode the senior out for the entire period to pick up the 1-0 decision by virtue of riding time advantage.
No. 5 Walter Peppelman got the Crimson back on track with an 8-0 major decision over Ryan Dunphy at 157 lbs. Peppelman used an inside trip for a 2-0 lead just 10 seconds into the first period and rode Dunphy for the remainder of the frame to pick up 2:50 of riding time advantage. An escape and takedown in the second gave Peppelman a 5-0 margin, and the senior added a third takedown with riding time advantage in the third to pick up the victory, pulling Harvard back to within 14-7. The win improved Peppelman to 16-3 on the year, with 13 of those victories coming with bonus points.
Harvard was unable to pick up another win as Cornell ended the match with five straight victories for the final 38-7 margin.
The Crimson will open its home slate Saturday, Jan. 28 against Army at 2:30 p.m. in the Malkin Athletic Center.
No. 5 Cornell 38, No. 24 Harvard 7
125 - No. 6 Frank Perreilli (CU) forfeit Harvard, 6-0
133 - Ryan Osleeb (HAR) dec. Nick Pena (CU), 5-4, 6-3
141 - Mike Nevinger (CU) tech. fall Patrick Hogan (HAR), 16-0, 11-3
149 - Chris Villalonga (CU) dec. No. 7 Corey Jantzen (HAR), 1-0, 14-3
157 - No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HAR) major dec. Ryan Dunphy (CU), 8-0, 14-7
165 - Craig Eifert (CU) inj. default Paul Liguori (HAR), 20-7
174 - Billy George (CU) dec. Josh Popple (HAR), 8-5, 23-7
184 - No. 3 Steve Bosak (CU) fall Cameron Croy (HAR, 2:42, 29-7
197 - No. 1 Cam Simaz (CU) fall James Fox (HAR), 1:13, 35-7
HWT - Maciej Jochym (CU) dec. David Ng (HAR), 8-3, 38-7
Peppelman Wins 3 as Harvard Wrestling Goes 1-2 at Lone Star DualsPeppelman goes 3-0 to lead the Crimson at the Lone Star Duals Saturday (Gil Talbot).
GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - No. 5 Walter Peppelman went 3-0 and picked up a pair of falls to lead the Harvard wrestling team at the Lone Star Duals Saturday in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Crimson defeated Air Force 27-12 but fell to Appalachian State, 22-21, and No. 7 Oklahoma, 28-9, to move to 5-2 on the year.
Peppelman improved to 16-3 on the year at 157 lbs. with 10 falls, good for 10th on Harvard's single-season list. The junior co-captain has recorded 24 career falls and is now just one shy of tying Joey Killar '00 for third place on Harvard's all-time list. His lone decision on the day came against No. 14 Matt Lester of Oklahoma, 2-0, marking his first win over a ranked opponent on the season.
No. 12 Corey Jantzen went 2-1 on the day, including a 7-6 decision over Oklahoma's Nick Lester, the seventh-ranked 149-pounder in the nation. Jantzen is 6-1 on the season, with his lone loss coming today against No. 3 Cole Von Ohlen of Air Force, 11-5.
No. 13 Steven Keith also went 2-1 with a 9-0 major decision against Air Force's Tyler Untrauer. Keith, who is 22-7 at 133 lbs. in 2011-12, suffered a loss to No. 11 Jordan Keller of Oklahoma, 3-1.
James Fox and Josh Popple picked up a pair of wins for the Crimson, with Fox's 9-1 major of Paul Weiss from Appalachian State marking his fourth major decision of the year as he moved to 17-9 overall at 197 lbs. The 165 lbs. Popple recorded two technical falls in his only two bouts, winning 15-0 over Appalachian State's Carter Downs and 21-5 over Air Force's Colby Kluesner. Popple is 3-2 on the year.
Harvard fell by a single point to Appalachian State in its first dual after Peppelman pinned Chip Powell for a 12-10 lead. The Crimson led 17-15 after Popple's technical fall and 21-19 after Fox's major decision, but heavyweight David Ng came up on the wrong end of a 7-3 decision to give the Mountaineers the 22-21 victory.
Harvard won six bouts against Air Force, including three with bonus points, to pick up a 27-12 win. The Crimson struggled against Oklahoma in the nightcap, with Jantzen, Peppelman and Popple earning the team's only wins en route to a 28-9 defeat.
Despite the two losses, Harvard's 5-2 record marks the team's best start to a season since the 1995-96 campaign.
The Crimson will return to the mat Friday, Jan. 20 against No. 5 Cornell at 6:30 p.m. in Ithaca, N.Y.
Appalachian State 22, Harvard 21
125 - Tony Gravely (AS) fall Joe Barbato (HAR), 1:26, 6-0
133 - No. 13 Steven Keith (HAR) dec. Brett Boston (AS), 9-5, 6-3
141 - Mike Kessler (AS) maj. dec. Patrick Hogan (HAR), 11-1, 10-3
149 - No. 12 Corey Jantzen (HAR) dec. Savva Kostis (AS), 4-1, 10-6
157 - No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HAR) fall Chip Powell (AS), 2:47, 12-10
165 - No. 13 Kyle Blevins (AS) tech. fall Ian Roy (HAR), 19-4, 15-12
174 - Josh Popple (HAR) tech. fall Carter Downs (AS), 15-0, 17-15
184 - No. 9 Austin Trotman (AS) major dec. Cameron Croy (HAR), 10-2, 19-17
197 - James Fox (HAR) major dec. Paul Weiss (AS), 9-1, 21-19
HWT - Joe Cummings (AS) dec. David Ng (HAR), 7-3, 22-21
Harvard 27, Air Force 12
125 - Greg Rinker (AF) fall Joe Barbato (HAR), 1:10, 6-0
133 - No. 13 Steve Keith (HAR) maj. dec. Tyler Untrauer (AF), 9-0, 6-4
141 - Patrick Hogan (HAR) dec. Carter McElhany (AF), 6-4, 7-6
149 - No. 3 Cole Von Ohlen (AF) dec. No. 12 Corey Jantzen (HAR), 11-5, 9-7
157 - No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HAR) fall Joshua Kreimier (AF), 0:29, 13-9
165 - Ian Roy (HAR) dec. Colby Kluesner (AF), 5-4, 16-9
174 - Josh Popple (HAR) tech. fall. Clayton Gable (AF), 21-5, 21-9
184 - Cameron Croy (HAR) dec. Robert Isley (AF), 11-8, 24-9
197 - James Fox (HAR) dec. Joshua Mohr (AF), 5-2, 27-9
HWT - Bently Alsup (AF) dec. David Ng (HAR), 6-3, 27-12
No. 7 Oklahoma 28, Harvard 9
125 - No. 8 Jarrod Patterson (OU) tech. fall Joe Barbato (HAR), 18-3, 5-0
133 - No. 11 Jordan Keller (OU) dec. No. 13 Steven Keith (HAR), 3-1, 8-0
141 - No. 1 Kendric Maple (OU) fall Patrick Hogan (HAR), 2:26, 14-0
149 - No. 12 Corey Jantzen (HAR) dec. No. 7 Nick Lester (OU), 7-6, 14-3
157 - No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HAR) dec. No. 14 Matt Lester (OU), 2-0, 14-6
165 - Bubby Graham (OU) major dec. <http://gocrimson.com/sports/wrest/2011-12/bios/Liguori%20Paul>Paul Liguori (HAR), 13-4, 18-6
174 - Josh Popple (HAR) dec. Marcus Armato (OU)10-3, 18-9
184 - No. 20 Erich Schmidtke (OU) dec. Cameron Croy (HAR), 6-1, 21-9
197 - Keldrick Hall (OU) dec. James Fox (HAR), 7-3, 24-9
HWT - Kyle Colling (OU) major dec. David Ng (HAR), 12-3, 28-9
Harvard's Corey Jantzen Named EIWA Wrestler of the WeekJantzen earned his second career EIWA Wrestler of the Week Honor after going 4-0 in his seasonal debut.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Senior co-captain Corey Jantzen has been named the EIWA Co-Wrestler of the Week after posting a 4-0 record and helping the Harvard wrestling team to a 3-1 mark over the weekend.
Jantzen earned bonus points in three of his victories, recording one fall and two major decisions while making his seasonal debut. His biggest win came via a 7-4 decision in tiebreakers, however, as he knocked off third-ranked and previously unbeaten Mario Mason of Rutgers.
Jansen trailed Mason 4-0 in the second period before an escape and takedown by the Crimson grappler moved the score to 4-3 heading into the third. Jantzen evened the score at four with a third-period escape, sending the match into overtime. Neither grappler scored in the sudden victory period, and Jantzen rode out Mason in the first portion of the tiebreaker. Jantzen scored an escape in the second portion of the tiebreaker, and sealed the victory with a takedown before time expired.
This is the second EIWA Wrestler of the Week honor of Jantzen's career. He shares the accolade this week with No. 4 Steve Bosak of Cornell.
The Crimson will return to action Saturday, Jan. 4 at the Lonestar Duals where it will meet Oklahoma, Appalachian State and Air Force.
Harvard Wrestling Shuts Out Millersville, Takes Out F&M to Improve to 3-1Seven Crimson went 2-0 on Saturday to lead Harvard to a pair of wins against Millersville and Franklin & Marshall (Gil Talbot).
LANCASTER, Pa. - The Harvard University wrestling team recorded its first shutout in 10 years en route to a pair of wins Saturday at Millersville and Franklin & Marshall. The Crimson (3-1, 1-1 EIWA) swept Millersville for a 43-0 victory before taking out EIWA foe F&M, 29-12.
Seven Crimson were a perfect 2-0 on the day, including No. 5 Walter Peppelman who recorded a pair of falls at 157 lbs. to improve to 13-3 overall. It took the junior co-captain all of 43 seconds to defeat Millersville's Zac Wawryniak and just 2:04 against F&M's Eric Norgard. Peppelman, who also posted two wins by fall yesterday, is now tied with Dawid Rechul '02 for fourth place on Harvard's career pins list with 22, including six this season and needs just 10 more victories to move into the school's all-time top 10 for wins.
149-pounder Corey Jantzen, who returned to the Harvard lineup yesterday, improved to 4-0 with a pin of Millersville's Daniel Calzarette (3:48) and an 11-0 major decision over Andrew Murano of F&M. No. 13 Steven Keith won his first match by forfeit and picked up a 10-2 major decision over Robert Ruiz of Franklin & Marshall. Keith is 20-6 on the year at 133 lbs. with seven majors.
Paul Liguori, Cameron Croy, James Fox and David Ng also went 2-0 on the day, with Liguori earning a 4-2 decision in his first bout at 165 lbs. and a fall at the 1:13 mark over F&M's Christopher Bacher in his second. Croy, the Crimson's 184-pounder, pinned Millersville's Miles Fischer just 1:23 into their match and took a 10-4 decision against F&M in the nightcap. Fox tallied a 12-3 major decision against Millersville at 197 lbs. and a 3-2 decision against F&M. Ng won both of his bouts by decision, 6-4 in sudden victory and 8-2, respectively.
Harvard's shutout of Millersville was its first since defeating Boston College 31-0 on Feb. 9, 2002 at the Malkin Athletic Center. The 43 points were the most scored since a 50-0 win over Columbia on Feb. 9, 2001 at the MAC.
The Crimson will return to action Saturday, Jan. 4 at the Lonestar Duals where it will meet Oklahoma, Appalachian State and Air Force.
Harvard 43, Millersville 0
125 - No match
133 - No. 13 Steven Keith (HU) forfeit Millersville, 6-0
141 - Patrick Hogan (HU) dec. Joshua Ruppert (MU), 8-7, 9-0
149 - Corey Jantzen (HU) fall Daniel Calzarette (MU), 3:48, 15-0
157 - No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HU) fall Zac Wawrzyniak-Bush (MU), 0:43, 21-0
165 - Paul Liguori (HU) dec. Brandon Vernalli (MU), 4-2, 24-0
174 - Josh Popple (HU) fall Shane Smith (MU), 4:38, 30-0
184 - Cameron Croy (HU) fall Miles Fischer (MU), 1:23, 36-0
197 - James Fox (HU) major dec. Joel Suter (MU), 12-3, 40-0
HWT - David Ng (HU) dec. Bradley Ladd (MU), 6-4 SV, 43-0
Harvard 29, Franklin & Marshall 12
125 - David Hershberger (F&M) forfeit Harvard, 6-0
133 - No. 13 Steven Keith (HU) major dec. Robert Ruiz(F&M), 10-2, 6-4
141 - Richard Durso(F&M) dec. Patrick Hogan (HU), 7-2, 9-4
149 - Corey Jantzen (HU) major dec. Andrew Murano(F&M), 11-0, 9-8
157 - No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HU) fall Eric Norgard(F&M), 2:04, 14-9
165 - Paul Liguori (HU) fall Christopher Bache(F&M), 1:13, 20-9
174 - Matt Fullowan(F&M) dec. Bryan Panzano (HU), 4-0, 20-12
185 - Cameron Croy (HU) dec. Matt Latessav, 10-4, 23-12
197 - James Fox (HU) dec. Colin Ely(F&M), 3-2, 26-12
HWT- David Ng (HU) dec. Alexander Henry(F&M), 8-2, 29-12
Harvard- Corey Jantzen Returns to Harvard Lineup As Crimson Open Dual Meet ScheduleJantzen returned to the Crimson lineup to post a 2-0 record, including a win over the third-ranked 149-pounder in the nation (Gil Talbot).
EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. - The Harvard University wrestling team welcomed the return of senior co-captain Corey Jantzen to its lineup as it opened the dual meet portion of its schedule Friday against Rider and Rutgers. The Crimson defeated Rider 22-15 in its first dual of the day before falling to No. 24 Rutgers, 33-12.
Jantzen, a two-time NCAA Qualifier, won both of his bouts at 149 lbs. after missing the last two semester's worth of competition due to injury. He cruised to a 10-0 major decision against Rider's Connor Brennan in his first match, scoring two takedowns in the first period and adding takedowns in the second and third periods, respectively. In the biggest upset of the day, Jantzen then took out previously unbeaten No. 3 Mario Mason of Rutgers by a score of 7-6 in tiebreakers.
After a scoreless first period, Mason jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a reversal and two back points in the second, but an escape and takedown by Jantzen moved the score to 4-3 heading into the third. Jantzen evened the score at four with a third-period escape, sending the match into overtime. Neither grappler could score in the sudden victory period, and Jantzen was able to ride out Mason in the first portion of the tiebreaker. Jantzen then scored an escape in the second portion of the tiebreaker, and sealed the victory with a takedown before time expired.
No. 5 Walter Peppelman and No. 13 Steven Keith also went 2-0 on the day. Peppelman earned both of his victories by pin fall at 157 lbs., defeating Rider's Ramon Santiago at the 1:09 mark and Rutger's Dave Seidenberg at 1:38. The junior improved to 11-3 on the year and now ranks seventh in program history with 20 career falls.
Keith moved his season record to 18-6 at 133 lbs. with a 4-1 decision over Jimmy Morris of Rutgers and a 2-0 decision over Michael DeMarco of Rutgers.
The Crimson found itself in a 6-0 hole against Rider after a forfeit at 125 lbs. Trailing 9-3, the victories by Jantzen and Peppelman put Harvard ahead 13-9 but the Broncs bounced back with wins at 165 lbs. and 174 lbs. for a 15-13 edge. Cameron Croy, James Fox and David Ng won three straight decisions to end the match, however, giving the Crimson the 22-15 victory.
Wins by Keith, Jantzen and Peppelman helped Harvard keep pace with Rutgers midway through the second dual, but the Scarlet Knights won five straight bouts to take the win, 33-12.
Harvard will wrestle two more duals tomorrow, Jan. 7. The Crimson will first visit Millersville at 12 p.m. before traveling to EIWA foe Franklin & Marshall at 3 p.m.
Harvard 22, Rider 15
125 - Chuck Zeisloft (RU) forfeit Harvard, 6-0
133 - No. 13 Steve Keith (HU) dec. Jimmy Morris (RU), 4-1, 6-3
141 - Jimmy Kirchner (RU) dec. Patrick Hogan (HU), 5-3, 9-3
149 - Corey Jantzen (HU) major dec. Connor Brennan, 10-0, 9-7
157 - No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HU) fall Ramon Santiago, 1:09, 13-9
165 - James Brundage (RU) dec. Ian Roy (HU), 4-2, 13-12
174 - No. 13 Jim Resnick (RU) dec. Josh Popple (HU), 9-2, 15-13
184 - Cameron Croy (HU) dec. Brandon Lintner (RU), 10-4, 16-15
197 - James Fox (HU) dec. Donald McNeil 4-0, 19-15
HWT - David Ng (HU) dec. Evan Craig (RU), 3-2, 22-15
No. 24 Rutgers 33, Harvard 12
125 - Vincent Dellefave (RU) forfeit Harvard, 6-0
133 - No. 13 Steve Keith (HU) dec. Michael DeMarco (RU), 2-0, 6-3
141 - Billy Ashnault (RU) fall Patrick Hogan (HU), 0:46, 12-3
149 - Corey Jantzen (HU) dec. No. 3 Mario Mason (RU), 7-4 TB1, 12-6
157 - No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HU) fall Dave Seidenberg (RU), 1:38, 12-12
165 - No. 11 Scott Winston (RU) fall Ian Roy (HU), 4:50, 18-12
174 - No. 16 Greg Zannetti (Ru) fall Josh Popple (HU), 5:33, 24-12
184 - Dan Seidenberg (RU) dec. Cameron Croy (HU), 4-1, 27-12
197 - Dan Rinaldi (RU) dec. James Fox (HU), 8-2, 30-12
HWT - Dan Hopkins (RU) dec. David Ng (HU), 6-3, 33-12
Keith Places 8th to Lead Harvard Wrestling at Midlands ChampionshipsKeith placed eighth at the Midlands Championships to earn a spot atop the podium for the first time in his career.
EVANSTON, Ill. - No. 9 Steven Keith placed eighth and finished atop the podium for the first time in his career to lead a contingent of four Crimson wrestlers at the 2011 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships.
Keith entered the tournament as the sixth seed at 133 lbs., and handily won his first two bouts of the tournament to advance to the quarterfinals. The junior opened with a 12-4 major decision over Dalton Bullard of Elmhurst and took out 11th seeded Thomas Kelliher from Wisconsin, 10-0, in his second match. Keith fell to Edinboro's A.J. Schoop, ranked eighth in the nation and seeded third in the tournament, by fall to end day one of the competition.
Keith bounced back in the wrestleback bracket with a 5-3 sudden victory decision over fifth seeded Bryan Ortenzio of Penn, ranked 13th in the nation. His tournament was ended, however, with a pair of falls to seventh seed Ryan Mango of Stanford, ranked 10th, and Northern Iowa's Joe Colon.
Keith has placed in each tournament the Crimson has competed in this season, including a third-place finish at the Binghamton Open, a second-place finish at the Keystone Classic, and a third-place showing at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The junior is 16-6 on the year with five major decisions and one fall.
Also competing at the Midlands Championships were 11th seeded Cameron Croy, James Fox and Ryan Osleeb. Fox posted a 1-2 record in his first appearance at Midlands, including an 11-9 decision over Iowa's Thomas Lira, while both Croy and Osleeb went 0-2.
Harvard will now turn its attention to the dual meet portion of its schedule, beginning Jan. 6 with a double header against Rider and Rutgers in New Brunswick, N.J.
Harvard- Peppelman Wins, 7 Crimson Finish on Podium to Lead Harvard Wrestling at Keystone ClassicPeppelman won his first tournament title to lead seven Crimson placewinners (Gil Talbot).
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Walter Peppelman won the first tournament title of his career as the Harvard wrestling team finished fifth at the Keystone Classic.
Peppelman, the top seed and seventh ranked wrestler at 157 lbs., earned the tournament title with a 4-0 decision over third-seedd Daniel Kolodzik from Princeton. Peppelman began with a fall over VMI's Ted Gottwald just 0:08 seconds into their match and followed that up with a 4-1 decision over fifth-seeded Chip Powell from Appalachian State to reach the finals.
The Crimson also crowned a pair of second-place finishers in No. 20 Steven Keith and Cameron Croy. Keith earned a 9-0 major decision over Northwestern's Jameson Oliver to begin his tournament at 133 lbs. and took an 8-6 decision over third-seeded Brandon Gambucci from Duke to reach the finals. Keith, the second seed, fell 6-5 to Penn's Bryan Ortenzio, the top seed, in the finals.
Croy was also seeded second at 184 lbs. and took a 10-4 decision over Appalachian State's Jon Hartley in his first match. A 12-4 decision over sixth-seeded Daniel Santoro from Princeton earned Croy a trip to the finals where he was defeated 7-5 by top seed Austin Trotman from Appalachian State.
A total of seven Crimson finished on the podium as James Fox, Paul Liguori, David Ng and Joe Barbato joined Peppelman, Keith and Croy. Fox entered the tournament as the third seed at 197 lbs. and finished third with a 3-1 record. The freshman was defeated in his first bout, by fifth-seeded Alex Polizzi but rebounded with an 8-0 major decision over Duke's Brian Self in his first wrestleback match. Fox followed that up with a 7-1 decision over second-seeded John Schoen from Northwestern and defeated Northwestern's Alex Polizzi, the fifth seed, 8-5, to claim third.
Liquori earned a fifth-place finish at 149 lbs. as the tournament's third seed. A 13-0 major decision over Appalachian State's Russ Benner and a 13-1 major over Princeton's Luis Ramos began Liguori's day before he was defeated, 7-5, by sixth-seeded Kevin Tao of American. The junior returned in the wrestlebacks with a 17-0 tech-fall over VMI's David Yost, the seventh seed, but was taken down, 10-5, by top-seeded Kaleb Friedley from Northwestern in the consolation semifinals. He rebounded with a 6-1 decision over fifth-seeded Savva Kostis from Appalachian State for fifth.
Ng also took fifth after beginning the day as the fourth seed at heavyweight. Ng was defeated 2-1 in his first bout by fifth-seeded Evan Craigh of Rider to drop to the consolation bracket. The freshman earned a 12-3 major decision over Princeton's Robert Grogan in his first wrestleback match and won 9-4 over Andrew Embree of VMI to reach the consolation semifinals. Second-seeded Blake Herrin of American advanced passed Ng, 3-1, but the Crimson won by medical forfeit over Penn's Steven Graziano to place fifth.
Barbato rounded out Harvard's place winners with a sixth-place showing at 125 lbs. Barbato entered unseeeded but won an 8-3 decision against fifth-seeded Billy Watterson from Brown in his first match. The freshman took a 9-7 decision over Penn's Geoffrey Bostany to reach the semifinals before being pinned by top-seeded Levi Mele of Northwestern. American's Thomas Williams, the third seed, pinned Barbato to knock him to the fifth-place match where he was pinned by Appalachian State's Tony Gravely to place him sixth.
The Crimson finished fifth in the team competition with 90 points, just shy of Princeton which finished fourth with 90.5 points. No. 24 Northwestern took the team title with 140 points while Appalachian State (97) and Rider (92.5) rounded out the top five. Boston University (76.5), No. 7 American (75.0), Brown (56), Duke (33) and VMI (24.5) also competed at the Keystone Classic.
Harvard will return to action Dec. 2-3 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
Harvard Wrestling Puts Six on Podium at Binghamton OpenJunior co-captain Walter Peppelman paced the Crimson with a third-place finish at 157 lbs. He opened the day with a 6-2 win over Jesse Shanaman, who was wrestling unattached, before earning a 12-0 major decision against Hofstra's Tyler Banks. Peppelman lost a close 6-5 decision to 11th-ranked Justin Lister from Binghamton in the semifinals, but returned in the wrestlebacks to pin Rider's Ramon Santiago just 37 seconds into the match. The 2011 NCAA All-American took out Jonny Greisheimer from Edinboro, 9-7, in the third-place match.
Junior Steven Keith also earned a third-place finish, recording five victories at 133 lbs. including a 12-1 major decision over Penn's C.J. Cobb in the third-place match. Keith began the tournament with a 5-2 win over Cobb, then dispatched Hofstra's Joe Gosinski, 8-5, and Binghamton's Dan Riggi, 6-0, to advance to the semifinals. He was beaten by Justis Flamio, wrestling for the New York Athletic Club, in the semi's by a 4-2 score in overtime, before taking out Jamie Franco of Hofstra, 7-0, to earn the chance to wrestle for third.
Sophomore Cameron Croy nearly kept pace with Peppelman and Keith but dropped 5-3 decision to Binghamton's Nate Schiedel in the third-place match to take fourth. Croy made easy work of John McArdle from Middlesex County College in his first match with a 20-4 major decision. He and Schiedel met up in the next round, with the Bearcat taking a 4-2 victory. Croy's run in the wrestlebacks included a 14-3 major decision over Princeton's Dan Santoro, a pin of Brown's Ophir Bernstein at the 1:20 mark, and a 6-3 decision against Ryan Callahan from Princeton to move to the third-place match.
Three Crimson wrestling unattached also reached the podium highlighted by 149-pounder Paul Ligouri's second-place finish. The junior was dominate in his run to the finals, pinning Edinboro's Sensation LaRocca at the 2:19 mark in the first round before taking out Brown's Kenny Staub with an 11-1 major decision. Ligouri earned his second fall of the day just 1:40 into his match against Ben Price of Binghamton and then defeated Brown's Zack Kulczychi by major decision, 12-4. Ligouri dropped an 8-4 decision to Cornell's Craig Eifert in the finals to finish second.
Freshman James Fox took fourth at 197 lbs. Fox defeated Donald McNeil of Rider, 6-1, in the first round and Tim Murphy of Hofstra, 11-5, in the second. He was knocked from championship contention via a 9-4 decision by Binghamton's Cody Reed but rebounded in the wrestlebacks with a 4-1 win over McNeil. Brown's Sterling Hecox defeated Fox in the third-place match by a score of 15-8.
Heavyweight David Ng rounded out Harvard's placewinners by taking sixth. Ng opened his day with a 3-2 win over Penn's Stephen Graziano and advanced to the semifinals with a 3-2 win in the first set of tiebreakers over Evan Craig of Rider. Ng was bounced from the championship race by Binghamton's Nick Gwiazdowski, 8-2, before dropping a 2-1 decision to Hofstra's Paul Snyder in his first round of wrestlebacks. In the fifth-place match, Ng was defeated by major decision, 8-0, by Stryker Lane of Cornell.
Harvard will return to action Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia, Pa.
Harvard Wrestling Opens Season Sunday at Binghamton OpenThe Crimson will compete at the Binghamton Open in the team's first competition of the year (Gil Talbot).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Harvard wrestling team will open its 2011-12 schedule at the Binghamton Open on Sunday, November 13.
2011 NCAA All-American and first team All-Ivy selection Walter Peppelman will lead the Crimson into action. Peppelman begins the year ranked No. 5 in the nation at 157 lbs. after posting a 33-9 record. The junior co-captain owns a 63-26 career mark and is 23 wins shy of entering the school's all-time top 10. His 16 career falls rank 11th in program annals.
Junior Steven Keith earned his second straight trip to the NCAA Championships in 2011 after placing fourth at the EIWA Championships. Keith, a 133-pounder, finished his year 23-17 overall with one fall, three tech falls and six major decisions. Sophomore Cameron Croy, who earned All-Ivy League honorable mention accolades as a freshman, returns at 184 lbs. after posted a 16-19 overall record with two falls and five major decisions.
Senior co-captain Corey Jantzen is slated to return from injury at the conclusion of the fall semester. Jantzen is a two-time NCAA Qualifier and All-Ivy second team selection.
Joining Harvard's strong returning core this season are seven freshman who will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact. James Fox and David Ng are expected to appear in the starting lineup at 197 lbs. and heavyweight, respectively, with Joe Barbato and Max Mejia competing for the starting nod at 125 lbs.
Jay Weiss, the David G. Bunning '88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling, Peppelman, Keith, Croy and Bryan Panzano recently took fans inside the Harvard wrestling program with a series of season previews.
Harvard Wrestling's Steven Keith Preseason InterviewCheck out the video at Harvard Athletics' YouTube page here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_lJ7MwvSq8
Harvard Wrestling's Cameron Croy Preseason InterviewCheck out the video at Harvard Athletics' YouTube page here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BESu-FDrI0U
Former National Champ O'Connor '10 Joins Harvard Wrestling Coaching StaffThree time all-American and 2010 NCAA Champion J.P. O'Connor joins the Harvard coaching staff (Tabitha Wilson).
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The David G. Bunning '88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling Jay Weiss has announced the addition of 2010 NCAA Champion J.P. O'Connor '10 to his coaching staff. O'Connor, who is currently training for a spot on the 2012 summer Olympic team, rejoins the Crimson after enjoying one of the most decorated careers in program history.
"I am extremely delighted and fortunate to have J.P. joining our coaching staff, he has meant so much to our program" Weiss commented. "Not only has he won on the biggest stage, he's also a tremendous leader. Our student-athletes will be able to learn more than just wrestling from J.P. He brings a passion for the sport but also for the Harvard program. "
O'Connor became Harvard's third national champion in 2010 when he claimed the 157 lbs. title with a 6-4 win over Cal Poly's Chase Pami. O'Connor finished his senior campaign with a perfect 35-0 record and was named both the EIWA and Ivy League Wrestler of the year. He is the only Crimson grappler to ever complete an undefeated season while his 35 wins that year rank as the fourth most in program history.
O'Connor completed his career at Harvard with a record of 132-16, ranking him first in career wins and second in career winning percentage (.892). He is one of only two wrestlers in Harvard history to earn all-America status three times and became the first Harvard freshman to do so in 2007 with his fifth-place finish at nationals. O'Connor is also the only two-time Ivy League Wrestler of the Year in Crimson annals and was a two-time team captain. His other accolades include being a four time All-Ivy League selection, being named the 2007 EIWA and Ivy League Rookie of the Year and taking home the 2010 William J. Bingham Award as Harvard's outstanding male athlete.
As impressive as his career was on the mat, O'Connor's career away from the mat was just as impressive. A three-time NWCA All-Academic and Academic All-Ivy honoree, O'Connor was also named to the 2010 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team. He helped the Crimson to four consecutive NWCA Div. I All-Academic Team honors and following his senior campaign Harvard was recognized as having the highest GPA among all Div. I wrestling programs.
A native of Oxford, N.Y., O'Connor was a highly touted recruit out of high school. He is one of only three individuals in New York history to win four state championships and was a five-time sectional champion. He completed his high school career with a 238-12 record, was named first team all-America, was a member of the Amateur Wrestling News Dream Team and was a recipient of the 2006 Dave Schultz Athletic Excellence Award.
O'Connor earned his degree from Harvard in May of 2010 as a human evolutionary biology concentrator.
Harvard Wrestling Releases 2011-12 ScheduleHarvard Wrestling Adds Two-Time All-American Darrell Vasquez to StaffTwo-time All-American Darrell Vasquez joins Harvard wrestling staff as the coaching assistant for 2007-08 season.
Vasquez was a three-time PAC-10 place winner, three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time top-six finisher at the NCAA Championships for Cal Poly. After red shirting his freshman season, Vasquez compiled a 30-7 overall record, finished as the runner-up at 133 pounds at the PAC 10 tournament and took sixth at the NCAAs in St. Louis, Mo., in 2004. After a breakout first-year performance, Vasquez earned a No. 2 preseason ranking before illness sidelined him for the 2004-05 season.
In 2005-06, Vasquez returned to the mat where he placed third at the PAC-10 tournament and qualified for his second NCAA Championships. In 2006-07, the senior compiled a 28-3 mark en route to an undefeated conference record and a PAC 10 championship. He went on to finish fifth at the NCAA Championships.
The native of Bakersfield, Calif., was the first four-time high school state champion in California history. He received the Dave Schultz Award as Champion of Champions in 2001 and 2002.
Vasquez is currently finishing his degree in business from Cal Poly.