ITHACA, N.Y. – Sophomore Nahshon Garrett (125) and freshman Gabe Dean (184) won their respective weight classes at the 2013 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday afternoon at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The duo was among six Big Red wrestlers to finish in the top six and three to reach the finals. The Big Red finished fourth as a team with 115.5 points.

Garrett beat a pair of top 10 wrestlers on Sunday to capture the crown, outlasting seventh-ranked Dylan Peters of Northern Iowa 4-2 in the semis before knocking off fifth-ranked Jarrod Patterson for the second time with the spotlights on, earning the 6-1 decision. He earlier beat Patterson at the NWCA All-Star Classic to kick off the year.

Dean did most of the work on Saturday morning, earning a hard-fought 4-2 overtime victory over fifth-ranked Jake Swartz of Boise State before taking home the title with a 13-3 major decision win over Nebraska's Timothy Dudley in the final.

Another freshman, Brian Realbuto, had a strong showing on Saturday in reaching the finals at 157 pounds. He opened the day with an overtime fall over Virginia's Blaise Butler before dropping a narrow 6-5 decision to fourth-ranked James Green of Nebraska in the championship match.

At 149 pounds, Chris Villalonga had as good a tournament as anyone, coming back to take third place after dropping his first match of the season in the semifinals to top-ranked and top-seeded Kendric Maple of Oklahoma by a 6-1 score. He rebounded with a sudden victory win over Ian Paddock of Ohio State, then topped eighth-ranked Scott Sakaguchi of Oregon State for the second time in the tournament, this time 4-1 in the third place match.

Freshman Mark Grey took a strong fourth at 133 pounds, with his only two losses coming to wrestlers ranked in the top six nationally, including to No. 4 Joe Colon of Northern Iowa in the third-place match. He earned a decision over 18th-ranked Rossi Bruno of Michigan to advance in the wrestlebacks after falling 5-2 to sixth-ranked Cody Brewer in the semifinals.

Dylan Palacio closed out an outstanding tournament with a sixth-place effort at 165 pounds after upsetting 10th-ranked Joseph Booth of Hofstra in a high-scoring 13-12 decision in the wrestlebacks. He won a pair of matches against top 20 wrestlers and his three losses all came to top 20 guys.

Cornell's 115.5 points placed it behind only Oklahoma (154.5), Nebraska (130.5) and Ohio State (119.5) and ahead of Michigan (108.5).

---

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Big Red placed five wrestlers into tomorrow's semifinals after an excellent day one of the 2013 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday evening at the Las Vegas Convention Center. In addition, two others will stay alive in the wrestlebacks into Saturday.

125: Second-ranked and top-seeded sophomore Nahshon Garrett was dominant in his first two matches, scoring a 17-2 technical fall in the second period against Ares Carpio (Arizona State) and a pin of Bryden Lazaro (Cal-Bakersfield) in 2:28. Garrett continued to push the pace in his quarterfinal match against conference rival David Terao (American), forcing Terao to concede a rare first period stalling point as Garrett fought his way to a 5-0 win. He'll face Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) in Saturday's semifinals. The seventh-ranked Peters pinned all three of his Friday opponents.

149: No. 13 Chris Villalonga started the day strong with a 17-1 technical fall victory over Dalton Kelly (Cal-Bakersfield) and a solid 7-2 decision over Ken Theobold (Rutgers), but it was his quarterfinal match that  may loom large at NCAA tournament time. Thanks to an early takedown and a late escape, Villalonga toppled No. 8 Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon St) 3-2 to advance to the semifinals. Formerly Intermat's No. 1-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds, Sakaguchi dominated Villalonga in three previous meetings by scores of 9-3, 10-3 and 11-3. The only undefeated wrester left in the Big Red lineup, Villalonga will have a chance to cement his status as a national title contender in Saturday's semifinals when he faces top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Kendric Maple (Oklahoma).

Mark Grey (133), Brian Realbuto (157) and Gabe Dean (184) all advanced to the semifinals while Dylan Palacio (165) fell in the quarterfinals, continuing what has been an impressive start for Cornell's four starting freshmen. 

133: The tournament's No. 3 seed, Grey dominated his first two opponents, scoring a 17-2 technical fall in 4:10 over Tim Urenda (CSU-Pueblo) and a 16-2 major decision over Gregory Rinker (Air Force). Though Grey came up one point short of the tech fall, he nearly scored a pin late in the third period after turning his opponent with an arm bar and re-adjusting to fight for the fall. In the quarterfinals, Grey netted a hard-fought 2-0 decision over Colton Rasche (Navy) thanks to a second-period escape and a ride time point earned by riding his opponent for the entirety of the third period. The 14th-ranked Grey will face second-seeded and No. 6-ranked Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) in the semifinals.   

157: Also the tournament's No. 3-seed, Realbuto continued his pin-happy ways in round one with a fall at 5:00 over Jarrett Jensen (Northern Iowa). After a tough 7-4 win over Thomas Gantt (NC State), Realbuto impressed in the quarters, catching sixth-seeded Justin DeAngelis (Oklahoma) with a Peterson in a third period scramble and ultimately turning a 4-3 lead into an 11-3 major decision. Realbuto locked in an armbar and a half nelson late, nearly pinning DeAngelis just as the buzzer sounded. He'll move on to face No. 7-seed Blaise Butler (Virginia) in the semifinals after Butler upset second-seeded RJ Pena (Oregon State) in the quarterfinals, 10-4. 

184: Fourth-seeded Gabe Dean rode two three-point back leg turks and four takedowns to an impressive 18-3 technical fall victory in 6:57 over Shayne Brady (NC State) in round one. In his second match, Dean's relentless style pressured Devin Hightower (Air Force) to concede a third period stall point, which combined with three takedowns, an escape and a riding time point gave Dean a 9-3 victory. A close 4-1 win over Ophir Bernstein (Brown) earned Dean a berth in Saturday's semifinals where he'll face top-seeded and fifth-ranked Jake Swartz (Boise State).

165: Unseeded Dylan Palacio announced his arrival on the national scene with upset victories of the tournament's No. 8 and No. 9 seeds before losing a close match to the tournament's top 1 seed in the quarterfinals. Palacio found success with his 2-on-1 tie in round 1, defeating No. 8-seed Alex Elder (Oregon State), 10-4. His second round match against Peyton Walsh (Navy) was much closer; Palacio needed a late reversal to eke out a 3-2 victory. In the quarterfinals, Palacio hung with top-seeded and fifth-ranked Michael Moreno (Iowa State) throughout, using some funky moves to keep Moreno off-balance. A late reversal and two near fall points for Moreno broke open a close 4-3 match and allowed the Iowa State wrestler to advance to the semifinals with a 9-4 win. Palacio drops into the wrestleback bracket and will face No. 14-seed Clark Glass (Oklahoma) on Saturday morning. A win would guarantee Palacio a top-eight finish in the tournament.

285: No. 9-seed Stryker Lane got off to an impressive start, pinning Spencer Empey (Cal Poly) in 5:20 in round one. After being pinned in 2:40 by rising Michigan star Adam Coon - a No. 8-seed who later defeated top-seeded heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) in overtime - Lane fought his way back in the consolation bracket, earning a 2-0 win over David Ng (Harvard) and a 2-1 overtime win over Nico Bogojevic (CSU-Pueblo). He'll face 11th-seeded Nick Tavanello (Ohio State) on Saturday morning and will guarantee himself a top-eight tournament finish with a victory.

Vegas was not kind to Cornell at 174 and 197 pounds, as both Jesse Shanaman and Jace Bennett were eliminated from the tournament on day one.

174: Unseeded Jesse Shanaman started the day with a 16-0 technical fall loss to third-seeded Stephen Doty (Virginia) before bouncing back with a strong 17-5 major decision over Konnor Witt (Air Force).  Shanaman was working his arm bars well, earning three three-point near falls in a row in the first period on his way to the resounding victory. His momentum wouldn't continue, however, as he fell 4-2 to Dominic Kastl (Cal Poly) in the next round, ending his tournament. Shanaman and sophomore Duke Pickett will continue to battle for the starting job at 174, though Pickett's strong performances against Maryland and Illinois and his dominant head-to-head win over Shanaman at the New York State Invitational Tournament likely put him in good position to re-enter the Cornell lineup after the holiday break.

197: Fifth-seeded Jace Bennett looked great in round one, pinning Air Force's Robert Isley in 4:12. Unfortunately for Bennett, he couldn't keep it going and was upset in round two by unseeded Paul Rands (Navy) 6-4. Bennett fought back with an 8-4 win over Spencer Johnson (Nebraska) in his first consolation bracket bout, but was eliminated from the tournament with a 5-1 loss to Zach Nye (Virginia).

Cornell's team chances took a big hit when senior 141-pounder Mike Nevinger was unable to compete due to injury. According to the tournament's pre-seeds, Nevinger would have been the No. 3-seed and could have contributed significant points to Cornell's team score.  With Nevinger out, Cornell has no entrant in the 141-pound bracket.    

The Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational continues Saturday at 12 p.m. EST. The semifinals are set to begin at 1 p.m. EST. Matches can be viewed live online at flowrestling.org with a paid subscription.

---

125
First Round: #2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) won by tech fall over Ares Carpio (Arizona State), 17-2
Second Round: #2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) won by fall over Bryden Lazaro (Cal Baptist), 2:28
Quarterfinal: #2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) won by decision over #20 David Terao (American), 5-0
Semifinal: #2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) won by decision over #7 Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa), 4-2
Final: #2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) won by decision over #5 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma), 6-1

133
First Round: #14 Mark Grey (Cornell) won by tech fall over Tim Urenda (Colorado-Pueblo), 17-2
Second Round: #14 Mark Grey (Cornell) won by major decision over Gregory Rinker (Air Force), 16-2
Quarterfinal: #14 Mark Grey (Cornell) won by decision over Colton Rasche (Navy), 2-0
Semifinal: #6 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) won by decision over #14 Mark Grey (Cornell), 5-2
Consolation Semifinal: #14 Mark Grey (Cornell) won by decision over #18 Rossi Bruno (Michigan), 3-2
Third Place Match: #4 Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) won by tech fall over #14 Mark Grey (Cornell), 16-0

149
First Round: #13 Chris Villalonga (Cornell) won by tech fall over Dalton Kelly (Cal-Bakersfield), 17-1
Second Round: #13 Chris Villalonga (Cornell) won by decision over Ken Theobold (Rutgers), 7-2
Quarterfinal: #13 Chris Villalonga (Cornell) won by decision over #8 Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State), 3-2
Semifinal: #1 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) won by decision over #13 Chris Villalonga (Cornell), 6-1
Consolation Semifinal: #13 Chris Villalonga (Cornell) won by decision over Ian Paddock (Ohio State), 3-1 (sv)
Third Place Match: #13 Chris Villalonga (Cornell) won by decision over #8 Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State), 4-1

157
First Round: #12 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) won by fall over Jarrett Jensen (Northern Iowa), 5:00
Second Round: #12 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) won by decision over Thomas Gantt (NC State), 7-4
Quarterfinal: #12 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) won by major decision over #20 Justin DeAngelis (Oklahoma), 11-3
Semifinal: #12 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) won by fall over Blaise Butler (Virginia), 7:19
Final: #4 James Green (Nebraska) won by decision over #12 Brian Realbuto (Cornell), 6-5

165
First Round: Dylan Palacio (Cornell) won by decision over #19 Alex Elder (Oregon State), 10-4
Second Round: Dylan Palacio (Cornell) won by decision over Peyton Walsh (Navy), 3-2
Quarterfinal: #5 Michael Moreno (Iowa State) won by decision over Dylan Palacio (Cornell), 8-4
Consolation Fourth Round: Dylan Palacio (Cornell) won by decision over Clark Glass (Oklahoma), 5-4
Consolation Quarterfinal: Dylan Palacio (Cornell) won by decision over #10 Joseph Booth (Hofstra), 13-12
Consolation Semifinal: #8 Daniel Yates (Michigan) won by decision over Dylan Palacio (Cornell), 11-4
Fifth Place Match: #18 Austin Wilson (Nebraska) won by decision over Dylan Palacio (Cornell), 9-8

174
First Round: #11 Stephen Doty (Virginia) won by tech fall over Jesse Shanaman (Cornell), 16-0
Consolation First Round: Jesse Shanaman (Cornell) won by major decision over Konner Witt (Air Force), 16-2
Consolation Second Round: Dominic Kastl (Cal Poly) won by decision over Jesse Shanaman (Cornell), 4-2

184
First Round: #12 Gabe Dean (Cornell) won by tech fall over Shayne Brady (NC State), 18-3
Second Round: #12 Gabe Dean (Cornell) won by decision over Devin Hightower (Air Force), 9-3
Quarterfinal: #12 Gabe Dean (Cornell) won by decision over #14 Ophir Bernstein, 4-1
Semifinal: #12 Gabe Dean (Cornell) won by decision over #5 Jake  Swartz (Boise State), 4-2 (OT)
Final: #12 Gabe Dean (Cornell) won by major decision over Timothy Dudley (Nebraska), 13-3

197
First Round: #14 Jace Bennett (Cornell) won by fall over Robert Isley (Air Force), 4:12
Second Round: Paul Rands (Navy) won by decision over #14 Jace Bennett (Cornell), 4-3
Consolation Second Round: #14 Jace Bennett (Cornell) won by decision over Spencer Johnson (Nebraska), 8-4
Consolation Third Round: Zach Nye (Virginia) won by decision over #14 Jace Bennett (Cornell), 4-1

HWT
First Round: Stryker Lane (Cornell) won by fall over Spencer Empey (Cal Poly), 5:20
Second Round: #19 Adam Coon (Michigan) won by fall over Styker Lane (Cornell), 2:40
Consolation Second Round: Stryker Lane (Cornell) won by decision over David Ng (Harvard), 2-0
Consolation Third Round: Stryker Lane (Cornell) won by decision over Niko Bogojevic (Colorado-Pueblo), 2-1 (OT)
Consolation Fourth Round: Nick Tavanello (Ohio State) won by decision over Stryker Lane (Cornell), 5-2