Princeton University Athletics
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Wrestling Team Heads To Chicago For 2014 Windy City Duals
December 04, 2014 | Wrestling
NAVY CLASSIC HIGHLIGHTS
Following a strong showing in three early-season tournaments, including a runner-up finish at the Navy Classic, the Princeton wrestling team will begin the dual meet portion of its schedule Saturday when it heads to the Chicago area to compete at the 2014 Windy City Duals.
| Date/Time/Location | Dec. 6 • 11 am • Evanston, Ill. |
| Meet Information | Tournament Central |
| @TigerWrestling l @PUTigers | |
| Rosters | Princeton l E. Michigan l Davidson l Cal Poly l Northwestern |
| Schedules | Princeton l E. Michigan l Davidson l Cal Poly l Northwestern |
| Up Next | Dec. 12 vs. Sacred Heart/Binghamton (Ivy Digital Network) |
Princeton will compete four times this weekend, beginning with an 11 am matchup with Eastern Michigan. The Tigers will follow with a 12:30 match against Davidson and a 2 pm match against Cal Poly. The day concludes at 3:30 when Princeton meets 16th-ranked Northwestern.
The Tigers went 11-4 in dual matches last season, marking the first time it had both double-digit wins and fewer than five losses for the first time since the 1980-81 season. They are looking to build on that success starting Saturday, and they have some of the crucial components of last year's team to build upon.
Junior Abram Ayala (197) was Princeton's lone representative at the 2014 NCAA Championships, and he has used that experience to springboard into a brilliant start this season. Ayala is now ranked 11th nationally after knocking off two Top-15 opponents en route to the Navy Classic championship.
Senior Adam Krop, a competitor in the 2012 NCAA Championships, moved into the national rankings for the first time this season when he was ranked 20th at 149 this week. Krop nearly knocked off eighth-ranked Tywan Claxton in the Navy semifinals, but he gave up a takedown in the final two seconds. Krop worked his way back to third, and he could have an opportunity to make a real splash this weekend; Krop is scheduled to face Northwestern's Jason Tsirtsis, the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 149.
The sophomore duo of Brett Harner (184) and Jordan Laster (141) combined to win 51 matches last season, and both reached their respective finals in Navy.
Princeton will open against an Eastern Michigan squad that is 3-1 this season, with its lone loss coming to Northwestern. Davidson is 3-2 on the season, while Cal-Poly is 0-4. The host Wildcats are 4-1, and they have six guys ranked inside the Top 20. Like teammate Jason Tsirtsis, senior heavyweight Mike McMullan is the top-ranked wrestler in the nation.