Wrestling 21-22

[ugarte]

Big weekend. Cornell faces Princeton (Saturday @1pm) and Penn (Sunday @1pm) on the road with the goal of taking back the Ivy League trophy we *barely* lost to Princeton in 2020 when half our team was taking a year off. We also have a dual at 5pm on Sunday. The Ivy matches will stream on ESPN; Drexel will stream on Flo.

Interesting from the match notes is the first appearance by Ben Darmstadt at 197. He's been out all year with a back injury, which has plagued him since late in his freshman year. In his place, Jacob Cardenas has wrestled very well and is in the top 20 but Darmstadt is a 2x All-American and sui generis. If he's in form, that would be incredible. Is he in form? Probably not. Cardenas remains the likely starter for the rest of the year.

So is Ben going to wrestle at Pton this Sat? I hope Cornell wins this time

if i were a betting man, i would say that he will not wrestle in the dual but that cornell will still win it.


Penn has really returned to being a competitive team. They don't have anyone at the top of the rankings but they have 9 of 10 *in* the rankings between 15-33, which is cool to see. Princeton has fewer ranked guys but a couple of elite wrestlers in Glory (#2 at 125) and Monday (#11 at 157).

For comparison, Cornell has five in the top 15 (Yianni, Arujau, Ramirez, Foca, Loew), two more 15-20 (Cardenas, Fernandes) and 2 more in the top 33 (Richard and LaJoie).

[billhoward]

Interesting from the match notes is the first appearance by Ben Darmstadt at 197. He's been out all year with a back injury, which has plagued him since late in his freshman year. In his place, Jacob Cardenas has wrestled very well and is in the top 20 but Darmstadt is a 2x All-American and sui generis. If he's in form, that would be incredible. Is he in form? Probably not. Cardenas remains the likely starter for the rest of the year.

They can't, like, tag-team?

[mountainred]

Penn has really returned to being a competitive team. They don't have anyone at the top of the rankings but they have 9 of 10 *in* the rankings between 15-33, which is cool to see. Princeton has fewer ranked guys but a couple of elite wrestlers in Glory (#2 at 125) and Monday (#11 at 157).

And the Quakers just embarrassed Lehigh 24-7.

[ugarte]

Penn has really returned to being a competitive team. They don't have anyone at the top of the rankings but they have 9 of 10 *in* the rankings between 15-33, which is cool to see. Princeton has fewer ranked guys but a couple of elite wrestlers in Glory (#2 at 125) and Monday (#11 at 157).

And the Quakers just embarrassed Lehigh 24-7.

I think we match up much better with Penn than Lehigh does, and Foca and Loew both losing was a weird abberation.

As for Princeton... the dual started at 165. Closes with the second best match of the day: #25 Richard v #11 Monday.

[Al DeFlorio]

Ramirez still showing effects of last weekend's medical forfeit loss.

[ugarte]

Ramirez still showing effects of last weekend's medical forfeit loss.

Rough. 5-1 lead and loses 7-6.

[Al DeFlorio]

Ramirez still showing effects of last weekend's medical forfeit loss.

Rough. 5-1 lead and loses 7-6.

He was still weakened.  No energy last half of match.  Game that he tried to go.

[ugarte]

Princeton notes as I watch:

165: #8 Ramirez jumped out to an early 5-1 lead but, possibly showing the aftereffects of getting his bell rung against Columbia, clearly tired and fell 7-6 to an unranked opponent. [PU 3-0]

174: #12 Foca with a comfortable 10-4 win. [3-3]

184: #15 Loew with a solid win over #10 Stefanik. Loew's loss to Stefanik in 2020 were the deciding points that clinched the dual for Princeton and ended Cornell's 17 year reign atop the Ivies. He's beaten Stefanik twice since (2020 EIWAs and today). [CU 6-3]

197: #19 Cardenas with a slow and tense 3-1 SV win over #18 Stout. Cardenas nearly scored off a knee-pull with ~20 seconds left in regulation but Stout was able to get the action out of bounds. In SV, Cardenas got in on a blast double and Stout tried to drag the attempt off the mat again, but Cardenas adjusted and got the takedown at the edge for the win. Really solid, and clutch for conference seeding. [CU 9-3]

285: #_ Fernandes with a 13-4 win. He got himself in trouble a couple of times and it looked like he was vulnerable to a fall but got two nearfalls for 6 points and rode hard in the third period to get the major. [CU 13-3]

125: #3 Arujau got in trouble early and wasn't able to come all the way back. Arujau got a pair of reversals and a pair of takedowns but lost 11-9. After two quick TDs that made a comeback seem inevitable, Arujau's last two good takedown attempts were defended well by Glory and ended in scrambles which Glory converted to a TD and a stalemate. Glory spent the last 15 seconds or so running away but not getting called for stalling. Arujau will get him back at EIWA, imo. [CU 13-6]

133: #30 Dom LaJoie with a tight match comes through with a good ride and a late takedown to win 4-1. [CU 16-6]

141: JJ Wilson got the start and came close to a couple of takedowns but couldn't pull it off and loses 8-5. [CU 16-9]

149; Disappointing result from #1 Yianni as he got a quick takedown, a 4NF, a 4NF a 4NF and a 2NF to win by technical fall 16-0 in 2:04 but it breaks his streak of 4 straight wins by fall. [CU 21-9] - clinches the dual; tomorrow's match v. Penn for the Ivy title

157: #25 Hunter Richard in a bit of a brawl with #11 Monday. Richard slapped Monday pretty hard in the ear and Monday got him back with a hard club in the face or across the chest after getting Richard's leg in the air. They also tumbled hard out of bounds and off the mat to the gym floor later in the round. Ugly all around. Nobody's fault in particular (or everybody's). Monday was the better wrestler today and wins 8-5 but Richard did get a late takedown on a smooth counter. [CU 21-12 FINAL]

[blackwidow]

Princeton notes as I watch:

165: #8 Ramirez jumped out to an early 5-1 lead but, possibly showing the aftereffects of getting his bell rung against Columbia, clearly tired and fell 7-6 to an unranked opponent. [PU 3-0]

174: #12 Foca with a comfortable 10-4 win. [3-3]

184: #15 Loew with a solid win over #10 Stefanik. Loew's loss to Stefanik in 2020 were the deciding points that clinched the dual for Princeton and ended Cornell's 17 year reign atop the Ivies. He's beaten Stefanik twice since (2020 EIWAs and today). [CU 6-3]

197: #19 Cardenas with a slow and tense 3-1 SV win over #18 Stout. Cardenas nearly scored off a knee-pull with ~20 seconds left in regulation but Stout was able to get the action out of bounds. In SV, Cardenas got in on a blast double and Stout tried to drag the attempt off the mat again, but Cardenas adjusted and got the takedown at the edge for the win. Really solid, and clutch for conference seeding. [CU 9-3]

285: #_ Fernandes with a 13-4 win. He got himself in trouble a couple of times and it looked like he was vulnerable to a fall but got two nearfalls for 6 points and rode hard in the third period to get the major. [CU 13-3]

125: #3 Arujau got in trouble early and wasn't able to come all the way back. Arujau got a pair of reversals and a pair of takedowns but lost 11-9. After two quick TDs that made a comeback seem inevitable, Arujau's last two good takedown attempts were defended well by Glory and ended in scrambles which Glory converted to a TD and a stalemate. Glory spent the last 15 seconds or so running away but not getting called for stalling. Arujau will get him back at EIWA, imo. [CU 13-6]

133: #30 Dom LaJoie with a tight match comes through with a good ride and a late takedown to win 4-1. [CU 16-6]

141: JJ Wilson got the start and came close to a couple of takedowns but couldn't pull it off and loses 8-5. [CU 16-9]

149; Disappointing result from #1 Yianni as he got a quick takedown, a 4NF, a 4NF a 4NF and a 2NF to win by technical fall 16-0 in 2:04 but it breaks his streak of 4 straight wins by fall. [CU 21-9] - clinches the dual; tomorrow's match v. Penn for the Ivy title

157: #25 Hunter Richard in a bit of a brawl with #11 Monday. Richard slapped Monday pretty hard in the ear and Monday got him back with a hard club in the face or across the chest after getting Richard's leg in the air. They also tumbled hard out of bounds and off the mat to the gym floor later in the round. Ugly all around. Nobody's fault in particular (or everybody's). Monday was the better wrestler today and wins 8-5 but Richard did get a late takedown on a smooth counter. [CU 21-12 FINAL]

Glad cornell won but seems like ivy wrestling title will no longer be as straightforward as it used fo be.

[ugarte]

Cornell with dual meet wins over Penn and Drexel. More later. Only upset loss of the day was fairly minor, IIRC. (Dom LaJoie losing at Drexel.) More later, probably.

[George64]

Yet another Diakomihalis.  From today's Rochester D&C —

17 2 : Jake Scherbyn (Spencerport) pinned Elijah Diakomihalis (Hilton) 2:00 18 9 : Joe Marcello (Spencerport) dec. Nick Smith (Pittsford) 3-2 215 : John Santowski (Pittsford) dec. Jackson Burns (Spencerport) 7-2 285: Nathan Zimmerman (Webster Schroeder) dec. Bobby Foltz (Pittsford) 6-1 SuperSectionals Division II Finals At SUNY Brockport Two wrestlers per weight class advanced to state championships.
.

[ugarte]

Yet another Diakomihalis.  From today's Rochester D&C —

17 2 : Jake Scherbyn (Spencerport) pinned Elijah Diakomihalis (Hilton) 2:00 18 9 : Joe Marcello (Spencerport) dec. Nick Smith (Pittsford) 3-2 215 : John Santowski (Pittsford) dec. Jackson Burns (Spencerport) 7-2 285: Nathan Zimmerman (Webster Schroeder) dec. Bobby Foltz (Pittsford) 6-1 SuperSectionals Division II Finals At SUNY Brockport Two wrestlers per weight class advanced to state championships.
.

The state Section IV, Division I champ at 138 is another name you'd recognize if you knew that for some reason everyone in the family spells their last name differently. He's undefeated on the year. I would be very surprised if he didn't come to Cornell.

https://twitter.com/Section4Scores/status/1492673196277047298

[ugarte]

Lost a close one to Wisconsin. Foca still out, Ramirez pinned by a great freshman and title contender in Hamiti and LaJoie lost a tough one.

On the other hand, a major from Arujau and big wins from Richard and Loew.

Glad to see Ramirez on the mat at all and hope Foca is ok for the conference tournament.

[ugarte]

Allocated spots come out on Thursday so the borderline guys will see where they have to finish to get a trip to NCAAs. I don't think Vito, Yianni, Foca, Loew, Cardenas or Fernandes have to worry, tbh, they will get at-large bids if they show up. I worry about Ramirez getting an at-large because of his post-concussion struggles. Richard is wrestling too well for me to think he doesn't earn a bid but I worry that he doesn't have the profile. Dom LaJoie and JJ Wilson are going to have to take a spot from someone else. LaJoie did it two years ago before COVID stole his chance.

[ugarte]

Tough results for Cornell in the bids EIWA is going to receive. Couple of guys are going to need to overperform to get a free trip.

125: 4 bids. Vito will get an at-large bid regardless of how he does at the tournament but there is only one guy in EIWA he could conceivably lose to. He's 1-2 in college against Princeton's Patrick Glory and he definitely wants to even that up in Ithaca next weekend.

133: 2 bids. Rough for Dom LaJoie, who earned a bid in the COVID season when the tournament was cancelled. He has lost to the top two at 133 already this season. EIWA should be a three-bid conference but Lehigh's Hines was banged up and missed some time. The conference bid-allocation process is complicated to explain in a sentence, but he needed to have 15 matches to earn the conference a bid and he only had 14. Lehigh tried to boost his numbers by sending him out to take an injury default in an exhibition match against Arizona State (as teams have been doing the last few years) but the NCAA announced during the preallocation process that they wouldn't be counting such matches. Just desserts, in a way, but the whole conference takes the hit here.

141: 4 bids. Our expected starter at 141, Saunders, has been out all semester for unclear reasons. The guy who earned the starting spot, Handlovic, couldn't hold the cut to 141. JJ Wilson has had some good matches this season but it would be a very cool surprise if he made it into the top 4. He's not seeded.

149: 4 bids. Yianni does not have significant in-conference competition.

157: 5 bids. Hunter Richard also earned a bid in the COVID season and it would be great for him to get back.  He was so close to earning a 6th bid for EIWA. The criteria were that you needed 2 out of 3 of RPI/CR/% of 28/28/.720; he had an RPI of 18 but a coaches' rank of 29. All 5 of the guys who earned allocations are tough. He's 1-4 against them this season. I think he definitely can earn a bid but it's a really solid weight for the conference. If he finishes in 6th he still could pull an at-large.

165: 7 bids. Julian Ramirez would ordinarily be a lock but he got a concussion at the end of January and hasn't really been the same since. He starts his matches strong but has appeared to get dizzy after his heart rate gets up. I'm not a doctor, I hope he's fine. He's an All-American candidate if he's healthy.

174: 4 bids. Chris Foca had an upset loss to Lehigh's wrestler but otherwise has been solid all season. Should qualify. Don't really know how he'd do against his top competition - Drexel's O'Malley - because 30 seconds into their match he got a concussion. He skipped the next two duals, so he's another guy who I'm hoping is healthy. No reason to think he doesn't qualify if he's ok.

184: 3 bids. Jonathan Loew was the class of the conference this season, with a notable upset loss against Lehigh. He did have a close call against Penn and Navy but he should get an at-large even if he stumbles finishes in 4th.

197: 5 bids. Jacob Cardenas has one conference loss on the season. It would be shocking if he didn't earn a bid and shocking if he didn't get an at-large anyway.

285: 4 bids. Lewis Fernandes should not have a problem. Jordan Wood is the heavy favorite to win but 4 bids is a lot of room for error. Also a high likelihood of an at-large.