NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Cornell men's wrestling team split a pair of duals Sunday at the Journeyman Collegiate Wrestling Duals, falling to No. 10 Illinois before closing the day with a decisive win over Little Rock.
Cornell opened the event with a hard-fought 21–14 loss to the 10th-ranked Illinios, highlighted by key victories from Vince Cornella, Jaxon Joy and Meyer Shapiro in their returns to the lineup. The Big Red rebounded in the evening session, rolling past Little Rock, 31–10, to cap the day with momentum.
Against Illinois, Cornell claimed five bouts, including three wins over ranked opponents. Cornella earned an 8–2 decision over No. 16 Danny Pucino at 141, while Joy delivered a dominant technical fall at 149, overwhelming Will Baysinger, 17–2, in 5:37. Shapiro followed with a gritty 2–1 decision over No. 7 Kannon Webster at 157 in a pivotal middleweight bout.
Christian Hansen added another ranked win for the Big Red at 184, knocking off No. 20 Chris Moore, 7–3. Illinois secured the dual with bonus-point wins at 125, 174 and 285, edging Cornell despite several tightly contested matches throughout the lineup.
Cornell responded emphatically in the nightcap against Little Rock, winning eight of 10 bouts and recording four bonus-point victories. Marcello Milani set the tone with a 12–3 major decision at 125, followed by a technical fall from No. 16 Tyler Ferrara at 133.
Cornella and Joy continued their strong days with back-to-back wins at 141 and 149, while Shapiro added another technical fall at 157, defeating No. 19 Jaivon Jones, 20–3. Hansen remained perfect on the day with an 8–0 major decision at 184, and Aiden Hanning sealed the dual with a third-period fall at 197.
The Journeyman Collegiate Wrestling Duals marked an encouraging step forward for the Big Red, who showcased lineup depth, returning firepower and resilience against ranked competition.
Dual-by-Dual Scoring Summary
Round 1 — No. 10 Illinois 21, Cornell 14
125: #15 Spencer Moore (ILL) dec. Marcello Milani (CORN), 8–2
133: #1 Lucas Byrd (ILL) dec. Brett Ungar (CORN), 7–1
141: #12 Vince Cornella (CORN) dec. #16 Danny Pucino (ILL), 8–2
149: #2 Jaxon Joy (CORN) TF Will Baysinger (ILL), 17–2 (5:37)
157: Meyer Shapiro (CORN) dec. #7 Kannon Webster (ILL), 2–1
165: #9 Braeden Scoles (ILL) dec. Louie Cerchio (CORN), 11–6
174: #25 Colin Kelly (ILL) TF Kaleb Williams (CORN), 19–3 (7:00)
184: #26 Christian Hansen (CORN) dec. #20 Chris Moore (ILL), 7–3
197: Dylan Connell (ILL) dec. Aiden Hanning (CORN), 3–1
285: #13 Luke Luffman (ILL) MD Ashton Davis (CORN), 14–4
Round 3 — Cornell 31, Little Rock 10
125: Marcello Milani (CORN) MD Tyson Roach (LR), 12–3
133: #16 Tyler Ferrara (CORN) TF Dillon Cooper (LR), 17–2 (4:04)
141: #12 Vince Cornella (CORN) dec. Brennan Van Hoecke (LR), 8–5
149: #2 Jaxon Joy (CORN) MD Carter McCallister (LR), 14–5
157: Meyer Shapiro (CORN) TF #19 Jaivon Jones (LR), 20–3 (6:54)
165: #6 Matty Bianchi (LR) dec. Benny Rogers (CORN), 5–1
174: Gunner Holland (LR) MD Kaleb Williams (CORN), 15–6
184: #26 Christian Hansen (CORN) MD Bronson Baxter (LR), 8–0
197: Aiden Hanning (CORN) fall Landon Jobber-Spencer (LR), 5:32
285: Michael Gasper (LR) dec. Ashton Davis (CORN), 4–3
