ITHACA, N.Y.—The No. 3 Big Red wrestling team earned its 36th straight Ivy League victory on Sunday afternoon after dominating Penn on its way to a 24-9 win. Cornell won seven out of 10 matches, with freshman Cam Simaz picking up bonus points for the Big Red with a pin at 197 pounds. The team improves to 10-2 for the season and is 3-0 against the Ancient Eight.
From the opening whistle, No. 1 ranked Troy Nickerson was in offensive control of his match at 125 pounds over No. 14 Rollie Peterkin. Nickerson had a hold of Peterkin's leg and was looking to make the sweep early in the period, but the referee called the wrestlers back to neutral for a potential dangerous move. With a minute off the clock, the Penn wrestler countered a shot by Nickerson and was awarded a takedown. Before the points could even be put up on the scoreboard, Nickerson had reversed his opponent to tie the match. The Cornell wrestler started to turn Peterkin onto his back with 1:30 left in the match. The Penn grappler struggled against Nickerson for the remainder of the period to only allow the Big Red wrestler three back points. Nickerson chose to start the second down on the mat. Nickerson worked his way to his feet and Peterkin tried to throw him back down to the mat. The Cornell wrestler rolled out of the throw to turn for a reversal rode him for the remainder of period. Peterkin chose to start the third at neutral and evaded the Big Red grappler until Nickerson took a shot with a minute left and was looking for points towards a major decision. Peterkin countered the move to earn a takedown. With 2:09 in riding time, Nickerson won a 7-4 decision.
At 133 pounds, No. 11 Mike Grey faced off against Bryan Orenzio. Grey went up by two with a takedown with 30 seconds off the clock. Orenzio escaped, but with 19 seconds left in the period, Grey grabbed another takedown on the edge of the mat. Grey started the second period down on the mat and immediately spun out for an escape. With 1:13 left in the period, Orenzio took a shot, but Grey countered and grabbed his leg and flipped him to the mat for two points. Grey cut Orenzio loose from his starting down position in the third looking to score points. Grey grabbed another takedown with a minute left and cut Orenzio loose again, but could not score another point for the major. With 1:45 in riding time, Grey won a 10-3 decision. With the victory, Cornell went up 6-0
Sophomore Corey Manson faced Rick Rappo at 141 pounds. Manson took a 2-1 lead after the first period with a takedown, from which Rappo escaped. In the second, Rappo chose down and earned a reversal within 14 seconds. Manson and Rappo then traded back to back reversals before the period was over. Manson chose to start the third period at neutral looking to pick up points. Rappo stayed away from Manson throughout the period and was hit with a stall warning, but time ran out before Manson could score. Rappo won a 5-4 decision.
At 149 pounds, sophomore DJ Meagher took on No. 10 Cesar Grajales. Meagher earned the only points of the first period with a takedown. Meagher escaped from his opening down position in the second, but with 41 seconds left Grajales earned his first points with a takedown. Grajales escaped from his opening down position in the third to tie the match, and the Penn wrestler edged out Meagher with a takedown with 37 seconds left. Meagher fought to break free of Grajales but could not get away before time ran out, and the Penn wrestler tied the team match at 6-6- with a 5-3 decision.
In the last match before the halftime break, No. 3 Jordan Leen took on No. 9 Matt Dragon at 157 pounds. Leen earned a takedown midway through the period and rode out his opponent for the remainder. Leen chose to start the second period down on the mat, and Leen exploded into action from the opening whistle. Leen almost had a reversal, but the two were out of bounds and the Big Red wrestler was only awarded a one-point escape. Dragon chose to start the third period down and quickly escaped. Leen looked to score again throughout the rest of the period, but Dragon evaded his attacks. With 1:22 in riding time, Leen won a 4-1 decision to give Cornell back the team lead.
At 165 pounds, No. 1 ranked Mack Lewnes faced No. 19 Zack Shanaman. Lewnes earned a takedown midway through the first period to go up, 2-0, but the Penn wrestler escaped to come within a point. With 16 seconds left, Shanaman countered a move by Lewnes and was awarded a takedown at the edge of the mat. Lewnes quickly escaped within four seconds to tie the match. Shanaman escaped from his opening down position after 52 seconds in the second period. The Penn wrestler was hit with a stall warning as time ran out in the match. Lewnes tied the match back up in the third escaping from his opening down position. The Big Red wrestler continued to shoot at Shanaman throughout the third period, but the Penn wrestler evaded his attacks. The match went into sudden victory, and Lewnes won a 6-4 decision with a takedown after 30 seconds.
No. 6 Steve Anceravage took on Scott Giffin at 174 pounds. Anceravage and Giffin scrambled throughout the period, and Anceravage was on the edge of a takedown throughout the period but Giffin held on to one leg to keep him from scoring. With four seconds left in the period, Anceravage grabbed hold and threw him to the mat and on to his back for four points with a takedown and back points. Anceravage chose to start the second period down, and Giffin was hit with a stall warning. Anceravage took a 5-0 lead after escaping. Giffin chose to start the third period at neutral looking to score, and not allow Anceravage to muscle his way to more back points. Giffin countered a move by Anceravage midway through the third to earn his first two points, but Anceravage quickly escaped and with time running out and earned another takedown. With 1:11 in riding time, Anceravage won an 8-3 decision to give Cornell a 15-6 lead.
At 184 pounds, No. 16 Justin Kerber wrestled Colin Hitschler. Hitschler took the lead with a takedown after two minutes, but Kerber tied the match with a reversal. The Penn wrestler earned the only point of the second with an escape from his opening down position. Kerber quickly escaped from his down position in the third and grabbed the lead with a takedown. Hitschler caught Kerber for a reversal, but Kerber quickly escaped. With 30 seconds left, Kerber lengthened his lead with a takedown to win an 8-5 decision.
Freshman Cam Simaz squared off against Thomas Shovlin at 197 pounds. The two were scrambling, and Shovlin came out on top grab two points with a takedown. Simaz quickly escaped and took the lead with a takedown with 20 seconds left in the period. Simaz immediately escaped from his opening down position in the second period and within 10 seconds had two more points with a takedown. Simaz looked to rack up points and cut his opponent loose to notch another takedown. The Big Red wrestler cut Shovlin loose from his opening down position in the third period and grabbed hold for a takedown with 38 seconds left. Simaz turned his opponent to his back and picked up his second pin of the weekend, winning by fall in 6:25.
At heavyweight, senior Zach Hammond took a 4-1 lead into the second period over No. 19 Trey McLean after a takedown and two back points. In the second, McLean chose to start the second down and quickly reversed Hammond. Hammond chose start the third down but was unable to escape. With 2:45 in riding time, McLean tied the match at 4-4. McLean won, 5-4, with a takedown six seconds into sudden victory.
Cornell will round out its dual schedule next weekend on the road at Brown and Harvard.
