Wrestling Looks to Capture Ninth Straight Ivy League Title

2/17/2011 5:45:05 AM

ITHACA, N.Y.—The No. 1 ranked Big Red wrestling team looks to capture its ninth-straight Ivy League title this weekend rounding out its dual season by facing Brown and Harvard. Cornell will travel to Brown for a 3 p.m. dual on Friday, before heading to Harvard for a 1 p.m. matchup on Saturday.

Probable Lineup
No. 1 Cornell
125: No. 10 Frank Perrelli
133: No. 5 Mike Grey
141: Corey Manson
149: No. 2 Kyle Dake
157: No. 11 DJ Meagher
165: No. 4 Justin Kerber
174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes
184: No. 6 Steve Bosak
197: No. 1 Cam Simaz
HWT: Stryker Lane

Brown
125: Billy Watterson/TJ Popolizio
133: Cort Choate
141: Grant Overcashier
149: Giuseppi Lanzi/Zack Kulczycki/CJ Howard
157: Patrick Labuz
165: David Foxen/Max Lewin
174: Jeff Lemmer/Seth Nolan
184: Ziad Kharbush
197: Brandon Shull
HWT:Tyler Cowman

Harvard
125: Steven Keith
133: Fermin Mendez
141: None
149: Joseph Marino
157: No. 8 Walter Peppelman
165: Erik Gobbo or Adam Hogue
174: Ian Roy
184: Cameron Croy
197: Bryan Panzano
HWT: Andrew Knapp

LAST YEAR'S DUALS
Cornell 46, Brown 4
125: No.2 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) Win By Fall, Greg Einfrank, 4:04 (Cornell 6, Brown 0)
133: No.10 Mike Grey (Cornell) Win By Fall, T.J. Popolizio, 1:56 (Cornell 12, Brown 0)
141: Cody Kelly (Cornell) Win by Forfeit (Cornell 18, Brown 0)
149: Corey Manson (Cornell) dec. Phil Marano, 6-2 (Cornell 21, Brown 0)
157: Derek Schreiner (Cornell) dec. Brian Tracy, 6-3 (Cornell 24, Brown 0)
165: Jeff Lemmer (Brown) Maj. Dec. Cody Hutcheson, 20-4 (Cornell 24, Brown 4)
174: No.1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) Win By Fall, Jack Roberts, 6:30 (Cornell 30, Brown 4)
184: Nate Holley (Cornell) Win By Forfeit (Cornell 36, Brown 4)
197: No.5 Cam Simaz (Cornell) Maj. Dec. Branden Stearns, 20-6 (Cornell 40, Brown 4)
HWT: Josh Arnone (Cornell) Win By Fall, Larry Otsuka, 5:50 (Cornell 46, Brown 4)

Cornell 44, Harvard 6
125: No. 2 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) Win By Fall, Steven Keith (Harvard), 1:20
133: No. 10 Mike Grey (Cornell) Win By Fall Chad Eason (Harvard), 1:45
141: Cody Kelly (Cornell) Win By Forfeit
149: Corey Manson (Cornell) Mej. Dec. Paul Liguori (Harvard), 10-2
157: No. 1 J.P. O'Connor (Harvard) Dec. Derek Schreiner (Cornell), 7-2
165: No. 16 Justin Kerber (Cornell) Win By Fall Michael Sadler (Harvard), 3:40
174: No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) Win By Fall David Lalo (Harvard), 2:59
184: No. 6 Louis Caputo (Harvard) dec. No. 16 Steve Bosak (Cornell), 5-0
197: No. 5 Cam Simaz (Cornell) Win By Fall, Sean Murphy (Harvard), 0:36
HWT: Josh Arnone (Cornell) Maj. Dec. Spencer DeSana (Harvard), 12-3

RECORD-SETTING PACE
Senior Mack Lewnes continues to march his way up the Cornell charts for career wins. Already the school's all-time leader in falls (52), Lewnes enters the dual meet against Brown with 141 career victories, including a 30-2 record this season. Standing atop Cornell's career chart is two-time national champion Travis Lee, who was 143-13 in his four seasons for the Big Red.

CORNELL WRESTLING ON THE RADIO
WPIE-1160 ESPN will broadcast the team's remaining dual meets live on 1160AM throughout the Finger Lakes Region, and will stream broadcast the Big Red's remaining duals live. WPIE will also broadcast coverage of the EIWA semifinals and finals on March 6 and will provide live on-site updates from the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia from March 17-19. Streaming web audio is free, and can be accessed via the 1160 ESPN website, www.1160espn.com. Simply click on the link in the middle of the main page to be re-directed to the audio stream.

AT THE HELM
Rob Koll, the David R. Dunlop '59 Head Coach of Wrestling, is in his 18th season as mentor of the Cornell wrestling program. In that time, Koll has amassed a 204-74-5 overall record in duals and has led the Big Red to 11 Ivy League titles. Cornell has captured four EIWA team championships and earned 32 EIWA individual titles. This season he helped Cornell to its first ever National Duals title Jan. 8-9 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Koll, a four-time All-American and former NCAA champion, has helped Big Red wrestlers to capture six individual NCAA titles and 35 All-America honors.

At the Top
Head coach Rob Koll notched his 200th career win on Sunday, Jan. 30 with a 30-16 victory over No. 15 Iowa State. In his 18th season with Cornell, the Big Red's mentor has amassed a 204-74-5 record. Koll earned his record-breaking 204^th win with a 44-0 victory over Princeton Feb. 12^th. Koll now tops the Cornell wrestling record books for career wins. Jimmy Miller, who coached Cornell from 1947-74, previously held the top spot with a 203-135-7 record.

KOLL NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR
Rob Koll was named InterMat's 2010 Head Coach of the Year. Koll earned the honor after leading the Big Red to a program-best second-place finish at the 2010 NCAA tournament. The Cornell mentor also coached his sixth wrestler to win an NCAA championship with true-freshman Kyle Dake bringing home the title at 141 pounds. The Big Red's second-place finish was also a best performance of any Ivy League program, and the highest placing of an Eastern school since Penn State won the team title race in 1953.

REACHING 100
Junior Cam Simaz earned his 100th career victory March 5 after pinning Columbia's Mike Puhpak in 1:14. With a record of 102-20, Simaz ranks 15th on the Big Red's career wins list. Senior Justin Kerber notched his 100th win in Cornell's victory over Ohio State at the National Duals in January. Kerber has 104 career wins, while fellow senior Mike Grey has 106. Mack Lewnes is second in the record books with 141 victories.

NATIONAL DUALS
The Big Red won its first ever National Duals crown on Jan. 8-9 in Cedar Fall Iowa. Cornell opened with a 27-6 victory over Ohio State, before edging past No. 13 Missouri, 18-15. In the semifinals, No. 6 Minnesota and Cornell each won five bouts, but a win by medical default from DJ Meagher and major decisions from Kyle Dake and Mack Lewnes proved to be the bonus points in a 20-16 victory. The Big Red brought home the crown in an all East final, defeating No. 9 Virginia Tech, 25-10.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow the Big Red throughout the season by Twitter. Cornell coaches will keep fans updated match-by-match throughout the weekend at www.twitter.com/bigredwrestling

BECOME A FAN
Become a fan of the Big Red wrestling team on Facebook and help Cornell to total 10,000 fans by the NCAA tournament.

THE 2010-11 HALL OF DISTINGUISHED WRESTLING ALUMNI
The Hall of Distinguished Wrestling Alumni was created during the 2005-06 season to recognize former Cornell wrestlers who have contributed to the sport of wrestling and their communities both on and off the mats. This year's four inductees have done just that. After graduating from Cornell, these individuals have continued their dedication to their alma mater and Big Red wrestling. This year's class included two-time EIWA champion Mr. Donald New and two-time EIWA runner-up Mr. Dick Vincent, as well as former letter winners Dr. Richard Fox and Mr. John Murray.

THE ADAM FREY FOUNDATION
The Big Red's bout against Iowa State served as Cornell's annual fundraiser for the Adam Frey Foundation. The Big Red raised funds by accepting pledges based on how many people attended the match. Head coach Rob Koll and assistant coach Damion Hahn presented the foundation with a $5,000 check at halftime. The Adam Frey Foundation is a non-profit organization formed by Adam Frey to give comfort to and provide enjoyment for those receiving treatment for cancer. During an aggressive bout of chemo, about a month before Adam passed away, he wrote in his blog, “Hopefully life out-side of chemo and the sickness will be comfortable.” The purpose of The Adam Frey Foundation is to make this hope come true for people fighting cancer. For more information or to make a donation, please visit ...
http://adamfrey.us/

AT THE SCUFFLE
The Big Red wrestling team tied for first place as a team at the Southern Scuffle Dec. 29-30. Cornell totaled 151.5 points to finish deadlocked with Penn State. Kyle Dake (149), Justin Kerber (165) and Cam Simaz (197) all earned individual titles. Steve Bosak finished in second place at 184 pounds, while Mack Lewnes places third at 174 and Frank Perrelli took fifth at 125. Cornell held a one and half point lead over Penn State heading into the finals. The Big Red and the Nittany Lions each crowned three champions, but Penn State's technical fall by David Taylor at 157 pounds tied the team score.

CORNELL IN SIN CITY
Big Red wrestling team finished in first place at the Las Vegas Invitational. Mack Lewnes (174), Steve Bosak (184) and Cam Simaz (197) all won individual titles in their respective weight classes. At 165 pounds, Justin Kerber placed second. Also placing for Cornell was Frank Perrelli (fifth, 125), Chris Villalonga (eighth, 141) and DJ Meagher (sixth, 157). The Big Red finished with 140 team points and was trailed by Wisconsin (101.5), Boise State (100), Oklahoma (99) and Illinois (91).

BINGHAMTON OPEN
Cornell had 32 wrestlers competing unattached last weekend at the Binghamton Open, and the Big Red captured the title at eight weight classes. Winning the championship in their respective weight classes were Tyler Biscaha (125), Joe Stanzione (133), Kyle Dake (149), DJ Meager (157), Justin Kerber (165), Steve Bosak (184) and Cam Simaz (197). Seven other wrestlers also placed for the Big Red including Frank Perrelli (fourth, 125), Mike Nevinger (sixth, 141), Jesse Shanaman (third, 157), Craig Eifert (fifth, 157), Marshall Peppelman (fifth, 165), Oney Snyer (third, HWT), Stryker Lane (fifth, HWT). Big Red wrestlers won 94 matches and picked up bonus points in 43. Cornell grapplers recorded 19 wins by fall, eight tech falls and 16 major decisions.

BODY BAR INVITATIONAL
The Big Red crowned three champions on its way to winning the team title at the Body Bar Invitational on Nov. 20. Cornell finished with 134 points and was followed by Kent State (92), Central Michigan (83.5), Clarion (75.5), and Buffalo (74). Justin Kerber (165), Mack Lewnes (174) and Steve Bosak (184) all finished first in their respective weight classes. Lewnes is a four-time Body Bar Champion.

MAT TOWN OPEN
Cornell had nine wrestlers place in the top four at the Mat Town Open at Lock Haven on Nov. 27. Freshman Jesse Shanaman took first place at 157 pounds, while junior Oney Snyder earned the top spot at heavyweight. Corey Manson was the runner-up at 141 pounds, and sophomore Stryker Lane was second at heavyweight.

COUNTDOWN TO NATIONALS
The Big Red wrestling team enters the weekend ranked number one in the nation by the InterMat Wrestling Division I poll. Cornell has eight wrestlers ranked individually with two-time All-American Cam Simaz leading the country at 197 pounds. Returning NCAA champion Kyle Dake is second at 149 pounds, while NCAA runner-up Mack Lewnes is third at 174 pounds. Also in the top-20 of their respective weight classes are Frank Perrelli (10th, 125), Mike Grey (fifth, 133), DJ Meagher (11th, 157), Justin Kerber (fourth, 165) and Steve Bosak (sixth, 184). The Big Red returns four All-Americans and seven NCAA qualifiers.

THE FALL GUYS
With 12 falls already this season, senior Mack Lewnes has earned 52 career pins. Lewnes holds the top spot in the Cornell record books after breaking his former teammate Steve Anceravage's '09 record of 37. With 14 falls last season, Lewnes ranks second in pins in a season. Anceravage's 2008 mark of 17 holds the top spot. Junior Cam Simaz also makes the all-time falls list with 29 career pins good for fourth place.

UNIVERSITY NATIONALS
Frank Perrelli won his weight class at the ASICS Freestyle University Nationals in April at the Stile Athletics Field House at the University of Akron. Mike Grey placed fourth, while Joe Stanzione took seventh. Corey Manson, Colin McDonald and Cam Simaz also wrestled in the tournament. With Perrelli winning his final's match at 55 kg/121 pounds, he qualified for a bye to the finals for the University World Team Trials. His victory also qualified him to compete at the US World Team Trials.

UNIVERSITY WORLD TEAM TRIALS
Mack Lewnes finished second at University World Team Trials in June. Lewnes won the mini-tournament but lost to University Nationals' champion Quinton Wright of Penn State in a best of three series. Joe Stanzione also wrestled in the tournament, but lost to two NCAA All-Americans.

FRESHMEN STREAKING
Kyle Dake was the fourth Cornell wrestler in the last five years to win the EIWA Freshman of the Year award and follows Troy Nickerson (2006), Mack Lewnes (2008) and Cam Simaz (2009). Harvard's JP O'Connor was named the EIWA Wrestler of the Year after winning the NCAA title at 157 pounds.

DAKE'S HONORS
After being the first true freshmen to win the NCAA title in five years, Kyle Dake raked in the honors following his championship. He ended his rookie season with a 34-2 mark that saw him ride a 24-match winstreak that began with winning the title at the Southern Scuffle. With his title at 141 pounds, Dake was named Intermat Freshman of the Year, Amateur Wrestling News Rookie of the Year, and EIWA Freshman of the Year.

SMARTY PANTS
Justin Kerber and Cam Simaz were named to the 2009-10 NWCA All-Academic Team. Kerber ranked fourth individually on the list with a 3.85 grade point average in applied economics and management. The Big Red ranked 14th as a team with a 3.0812 GPA. Kerber made the team for the third-straight year in a row. Simaz was named to the list for the first time with a 3.34 cumulative GPA in economics. The 2009-10 All-Academic individual team included 61 NCAA qualifiers, 23 NCAA All-Americans, seven NCAA finalists and five NCAA champions. In all, 74 individuals representing 45 schools were honored on the All-Academic Team.To qualify for the All-Academic team, a wrestler must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, and have 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.

IN PRINT
The Cornell wrestling team was featured in the MomentumMedia book, “Making History: March 18-21, 2010” which highlights the record-setting performances and game-changing moments for the four Cornell winter sports teams. During the third weekend in March, 2010, Cornell University was at the pinnacle of the college sports world, competing for national championships and making headlines along the way. The Big Red wrestling team placed second at the NCAA Championships in Omaha - Cornell's highest finish ever, and the best ever for an Ivy League team. Four Big Red wrestlers earned All-American status for the sixth straight year.

HALL OF FAMER
Wrestling great Dave Auble was inducted as a member of the 2010 class of inductees into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in June as part of the 34th anniversary class. One of the wrestlers in Cornell history, Auble won three straight Eastern tournaments in the 123-pound weight class and was voted by Eastern coaches as the outstanding wrestler two of those years (1959 and 1960). He won two NCAA titles in the same weight class and was voted the outstanding wrestler of the national tournament his senior year. His collegiate record from 1958-60 was a sparkling 51-1. The only loss came in the opening round of the National Intercollegiates in his sophomore year. His combined record in collegiate and AAU competition between 1958-60 was an incredible 75-2 with the other loss coming in the 1959 National AAU final round in the 125.5 class. He won the 1959 Pan American championship. In the Olympic year of 1960, Auble pinned the nine of 11 opponents and won all bouts in Olympic regional competition but just missed out on making the U.S. team by virtue of his second close loss at the hands of Terry McCann. In 1962 he placed fourth in the world championships in the 125.5-pound class. Auble made the Olympic team in 1964, finishing fourth in his weight class. He is a former head wrestling coach at UCLA and Campbell.

ALL THINGS IVY
With another 5-0 season against Ancient Eight foes, the Big Red won its eighth-straight Ivy League title last season. Cornell had nine wrestlers earn All-Ivy honors. Mack Lewnes was named Ivy League Wrestler of the Year, while Kyle Dake earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors. Lewnes and Dake were joined by Troy Nickerson '10, Mike Grey, Corey Manson, Justin Kerber, Cam Simaz and Josh Arnone '10 on the first-team. Steve Bosak earned a second-team nod.

NEXT TIME OUT
The Big Red will be off next weekend, and will resume action March 5-6 for the EIWA tournament at Bucknell University.

Print Friendly Version