OT: Wrestling

[ugarte]

Is NWCA National Duals this weekend a "tournament" set up? The Cornell site seems to indicate that we don't know who our opponents are going to be after the first round, but it does list seedings.

[Edit] Nevermind.  Answered my own question.  It is a tournament set up. Double-elimination. Cornell, the #4 team in the country, is also the #4 seed in the tournament.  #1 Oklahoma State, #2 Iowa and #3 Minnesota are all participating.

[Al DeFlorio]

Apparently this tournament was set up 10-15 years ago to determine a national "dual meet" champion, as opposed to the NCAAs, which determine individual champions by weight class and then a team champion by adding up points based on finishes in each weight class.  It was subsequently taken over by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).

The pairings are here:  http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/osu/sports/m-wrestl/auto_pdf/011403.pdf

It really isn't a true "double elimination."  If you lose a dual meet, you go into the consolation bracket where you then compete for third place.  Our second round opponent is likely to be Ohio State, which is ranked fifth in the country to our fourth.  This will be a tough match, as OSU also has a number of ranked wrestlers, primarily in weights other than those at which Lee, Manotti, and Wattenberg wrestle.  Should we get by OSU, we draw the "real" OSU, #1 Oklahoma State, which has ranked wrestlers just about everywhere.  To get very far we'll need big performances from Baier, Roth, and Greenberg, in addition to the "big three."

It is the biggest of big time to be invited to this meet, and especially to be seeded where we are.  We will miss the New York State championships as a result, but perhaps will send a JV team to compete for the experience.

I was able to watch the taped broadcast of the Midland Duals.  Lee was simply amazing wrestling against the then-top-ranked wrestler, Luke Eustice of Iowa.  He took Eustice down three times and got another two points for a near-fall, or whatever the official term is--and was never taken down himself.  The color announcer, a Midlands champion from the 70s, was commenting late in the bout how he never expected to see a score like it was at the time (7-2 Lee) but cautioned that Lee had better get himself into good shape for the NCAA tournament's seven minute matches (as opposed to Midlands six)  because Iowa wrestlers are always in superb shape.  Just as he said that, Lee took Eustice down for the final time and may in fact have pinned him, but, as the color guy pointed out, the ref was slow getting into position to see Eustice's shoulders and therefore couldn't call the pin.  Final was 9-3, with all of Eustice's points coming on escapes.  No question he was the Midlands' outstanding wrestler.

[Al DeFlorio]

Why the Cape Cod Potato Chips Classic is held in Newark, DE, instead of Hyannis is a mystery to me, but here are the matchups if you live down that way.

2003 Cape Cod Potato Chips/NWCA All-Star Classic Lineup, Newark, Del.,
Feb. 3, 2003

125 - #1Chris Fleeger (Purdue) vs. #2Travis Lee (Cornell)
133 - #3Witt Durden (Oklahoma) vs. TBA
141 - #3Mike Maney (Lock Haven) vs. #6Dylan Long (Northern Iowa)
149 - #4Jake Percival (Ohio) vs. #5Dustin Manotti (Cornell)
157 - #2Scott Owen (Northern Illinois) vs. #3Keaton Anderson (Ohio State)
165 - #4Troy Letters (Lehigh) vs. TBA
174 - #1Greg Jones (West Virginia) vs. #2Chris Pendleton (Oklahoma State)
184 - #1Jessman Smith (Iowa) vs. #2Clint Wattenberg (Cornell)
197 - #1Jon Trenge (Lehigh) vs. #4Muhammad Lawal (Oklahoma State)
285 - #7John Testa (Clarion) vs. #13Matt Feast (Pennsylvania)
285 - #1Steve Mocco (Iowa) vs. #2Tommy Rowlands (Ohio State)

[Al DeFlorio]

According to a posting today on the wrestlingreport.com EIWA forum, Cornell's dual meet against Lehigh (Feb and the EIWA finals (March will be telecast on Fox Sports Pittsburgh.  Can't find whether these will be broadcast live or tape-delayed.

[Al DeFlorio]

Disappointing start to the NWCA Duals, as Michigan State upset the wrestlers 16-16, with Cornell losing on tiebreaking criteria #8 "most near-falls."

[Al DeFlorio]

In the wrestleback bracket, Cornell has beaten Ohio U. (21-16) and Iowa State (25-16) and faces Michigan tonight at 8:30.  Super-soph Travis Lee forfeited his match against Iowa State this afternoon.  Don't know the reason.  Michigan has five top-ten ranked wrestlers.

[atb9]

Pretty sweet win over #10 Michigan tonight.  Travis Lee had to forfeit due to injury according to the Cornell athletics article.  Hope to see a lot of people at the home matches coming up!

[Al DeFlorio]

Fall 2003 recruits are listed at:

http://themat.com/pressbox/pressdetail.asp?aid=5873

Commentary from a seemingly knowledgable poster at thewrestlingreport.com forum:

"Wrestling USA Magazine mid-season seniors ranking just out has:

@130 Ryan Bridge #2
Matt Easter #11
@140 Charlie Agozzino #5
@145 Joey Hooker #7
@171 Luke Hogle #3
Keith O'Donnell #7
@189 Jerry Rinaldi #19

Hogle former Cadet 1st, Jr. Nat. 5th freestyle and 3rd Greco-Roman
Hooker 7th Jr. Nat. freestyle
and watch O'Donnell and Rinaldi.........crushing people.
Sounds like great balance to me."

[bigred apple]

Recruits from NJ, OH, WV, AZ, OR and a school that is apparently a jurisdiction unto itself.  Great job scouting the country.

[Al DeFlorio]

bigred apple wrote:

Recruits from NJ, OH, WV, AZ, OR and a school that is apparently a jurisdiction unto itself.  Great job scouting the country.

Peddie probably soft-pedaling the fact it's in New Jersey.;-)

[ACM]

http://www.theithacajournal.com/news/stories/20030124/localsports/840483.html

Article in today's Ithaca Journal about the new Friedman Wrestling Center, and its effect on the wrestling program.

[Al DeFlorio]

Cornell 23, Penn 10 final

[Ben Doyle 03]

Big win for the Red over the reining Ivy Champs.:-))

[Josh '99]

Al DeFlorio wrote:

Cornell 23, Penn 10 final

PENN SUCKS.

[Adam \'04]

We are wrestling Princeton at 6:00 tonight. You guys should go before the hockey game.