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Ayala Knocks Off Top-15 Duo, Claims Win As Tigers Take 2nd At Navy Classic
November 23, 2014 | Wrestling
COMPLETE RESULTS
Junior Abram Ayala made it clear that his trip to the NCAA Championships last season was nice, but he has much higher aspirations this year. He provided ample evidence of that fact Saturday at the 2014 Navy Classic.
Ayala, the nation's 17th-ranked wrestler, defeated two wrestlers in the Top 15 to claim the 197-pound title to highlight a strong team performance for Princeton. One year after a third-place finish at the Navy Classic, the Tigers moved one step further up the standings. Princeton placed six wrestlers, including three finalists, to score 106 points. Chattanooga won the event with 108.5 points, but the Tigers defeated three other EIWA teams, as well as Wisconsin.
"It was awesome," head coach Chris Ayres said. "I think we're a good team. I think we can be a special team. We just need to get 2-3 more guys to another level. I'm excited where we are, and I also know where we need to focus to get better."
Ayala was Princeton's only ranked wrestler entering the weekend, and he should move up after back-to-back impressive victories. He won a 6-3 semifinal over Ohio's Phil Wellington, ranked 13th in the latest poll, to reach the final against Wisconsin's 11th-ranked Timmy McCall. Despite trailing early, Ayala fought back for a thrilling 7-6 win.
"He was in complete beast mode," head coach Chris Ayres said. "I think he was losing both of those matches, but he just showed so much composure and competitive maturity. He is wrestling at an All-American level."
Sophomores Jordan Laster and Brett Harner both joined Ayala in the finals. Laster needed overtime for a 4-3 quarterfinal win, then grabbed an injury default win to reach the final. He met West Virginia's Mike Morales there, and seven minutes would not be enough. Morales ended up with an 8-6 win in double overtime to take the title.
"That was tough," Ayres said. "He wrestled so hard in the final. He just didn't pull it out, but it's just one of those matches where you shake his hand afterwards and tell him it was a good match. Jordan is really good, and getting into the finals was a huge deal."
Harner, who joined Ayala two weeks ago as champions at the Bearcat Open, faced Wisconsin's Richard Robertson in the final. The two were locked in a tight battle before Robertson was able to turn and pin Harner in the second period.
"Brett wrestled hard," Ayres said. "He needs to work on a few things, and if he can iron them out, he can get to the highest level. He wrestled great today, and he can get a lot better."
Princeton placed two wrestlers at 149. While plenty expected a good showing from Adam Krop, who gave up a takedown in the final two seconds of his semifinal match against 12th-ranked Tywan Claxton for a 4-3 loss, few could have imagined to see Chris Perez on the podium. Perez, who has battled back from two season-ending knee injuries, displayed incredible toughness with two championship draw wins and three consolation wins to end up finishing fourth.
"He's really tough," Ayres said. "He's just a tough kid. I am really happy to see him back on the mat and wrestling well."
Princeton also got fourth-place finishes from freshman Jonathan Schleifer, who has now placed in the top four of both tournaments he entered, and sophomore Ray O'Donnell, who started at heavyweight for Princeton at the 2014 EIWA Championships.
The Tigers will be off Thanksgiving week, but will head to Chicago during the first weekend of December for the Northwestern Duals.