Princeton University Athletics
Wrestling Season Opens Thursday vs. South Dakota State
November 19, 2003 | Wrestling
Nov. 19, 2003
PRINCETON, N.J. - The Princeton wrestling team opens its 2003-04 season Thursday night at home when the Tigers take on South Dakota State at 7 p.m. inside Dillon Gymnasium. Princeton, which will be the first Ivy League team to wrestle a match this season, is looking to improve on a 6-15 season last year.
"I am very excited about our home opener," head coach Michael New said."I believe we a great chance to win and a good chance to dominate. As a team, we will miss [former All-America] Greg Parker, but as a coach I am interested to see who will step up and be counted on during the season. This team is filled high achievers off the mat, but the question has not been answered on the mat. I believe you can develop into a winner on the mat if it is part of your persona in the rest of your life."
Princeton does return a number of former starters, and each will need to become leaders on and off the mat for Princeton to challenge in both the Ivy League race and at the EIWA championships in March. Among those key returners are seniors Milo Adams (141), Brian Kirschbaum (131) and Joe Looke (HWT). Adams is a three-year starter who won six matches last year, including a 7-5 win during Princeton's upset of Harvard last season. Kirschbaum is a returning EIWA placewinner last year who went 16-13 and placed sixth in the league championships. Looke, also an EIWA placewinner, won four of his last five matches to earn momentum going into the 2003-04 season.
South Dakota State is 0-1 in dual meets this season after dropping a 32-9 decision to 13th-ranked Northern Iowa. The Jackrabbits are ranked 17th in NCAA Division II, and they will move up to NCAA Division I in all sports (I-AA for football) beginning in the 2004-05 academic year.
Probable matchups:
125: Chris Werth (Fr.) vs. Kenny Chu (Sr.)
133: Charlie Senne (So.) vs. Brian Kirschbaum (Sr.)
141: Lenny Tol (Fr.) vs. Milo Adams (Sr.)
149: Jeremy Roe (Jr.) or Andy Everson (Fr.) vs. Matthew Piselli (So.)
157: Joe Kenton (So.) or Jesse Wood (Fr.) vs. Charlie Wiggins (Jr.)
165: Nathan Althoff (Fr.) vs. Matthew DeNichilo (So.)
174: Scott King (Sr.) or Travis Gottschalk (Fr.) vs. Jack Fleming (Jr.)
184: Ben Ericks (So.) vs. Alan Sista (Sr.)
197: Tim Boldt (So.) vs. Matt Hawrilenko (Sr.)
HWT: Craig Martinmaas (Sr.) vs. Joe Looke (Sr.)