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Despite Thrilling Finish, Cornell Holds Off Tigers 23-16 For Ivy Title
February 14, 2016 | Wrestling
First of all, the Princeton wrestling team earned its opportunity to compete for the outright Ivy League title. The Tigers topped Columbia 23-13 to move to 4-0 in the league, and they refused to back down against a program that hasn't lost an Ivy title since 2002. They even gave their fans a little heat to conclude a frigid Saturday night.
Second of all, Cornell still holds the top spot on the mountain. The Big Red clinched the outright Ivy League title with an impressive 23-16 victory over Princeton in Dillon Gym.
Princeton won four matches on the night, including a dramatic final one via a third-period fall by junior Ray O'Donnell. It wasn't enough to return the Ivy League title to Princeton, but it ignited a strong Dillon crowd and gave the Tigers a taste of what could still come if the current trajectory continues moving forward.
"We wrestled hard tonight," head coach Chris Ayres. "There were a couple moments we lost focus, and maybe that cost us the dual. I'm proud of the guys for earning this opportunity, and I look forward to the guys working for this chance again."
Cornell led 9-0 after two matches, but Princeton junior Jordan Laster scored two first-period takedowns and posted a long ride in the second to take early control against Big Red junior Mark Grey. Laster fought off scrambles in the third, then closed the match with a late takedown to get the Tigers right back in it.
The next two matches proved to be critical ones, and both went the way of the Big Red. In both cases, Princeton freshman Mike D'Angelo (149) and senior Adam Krop (157) fought back from deficits and came within a final takedown of forcing overtimes, but both Cornell opponents fought off those attempts to clinch two-point wins.
Those results gave Cornell a 15-3 lead, and then a pair of ranked Cornell wrestlers put the title away. A major at 165 and a technical fall by reigning NCAA finalist Brian Realbuto (174) gave Cornell an insurmountable lead.
If you thought that would affect the rest of the Princeton performance, then you haven't paid close enough attention to how far this program has come — and what it took to get there. The fight started from senior Abram Ayala, a two-time NCAA qualifier, who scored multiple takedowns and capped them with riding time in a 15-4 major decision over Dillon Artigliere.
Junior Brett Harner, the 11th-ranked wrestler in the nation at 197, picked up his 28th win of the season with a 6-3 win over Owen Scott.
Then came O'Donnell.
The junior heavyweight left the crowd on the ultimate high when he caught Jeramy Sweany in a cradle and pinned him at the 5:35 mark. O'Donnell had already recorded two takedowns and was well in control of the match, but his cradle put an exclamation point on the most memorable Ivy League season for Princeton in 30 years.
In the first match of the day, the Tigers had a rare stress-free finish en route to the 23-13 win over Columbia. After three straight nail-biter victories to open their Ivy season, Princeton won six matches — including five with bonus points — for the home win.
The afternoon dual certainly had its share of excitement, especially over three straight early matches. Columbia had one-point wins at both 157 and 165, but 16th-ranked Jon Schleifer turned that around with a 6-5 win over Zach Hernandez. Both Ayala and Harner followed with major decisions to give Princeton a sizable cushion.
Princeton will close the regular season Thursday night with a home dual against Mercer County rival Rider. The match will start at 6 pm and be streamed on the Ivy League Digital Network.
CORNELL 23, PRINCETON 16
125 – Dalton Macri (C) dec. Pat D'Arcy 6-1
133 - #1 Nahshon Garrett (C) WBF Noah Ajram 3:48
141 – Jordan Laster (P) dec. Mark Grey 9-4
149 – Joey Galasso (C) dec. Mike D'Angelo 9-7
157 - #12 Dylan Palacio (C) dec. Adam Krop 6-4
165 - #15 Duke Pickett (C) dec. Judd Ziegler 10-5
174 - #6 Brian Realbuto (C) TF Jonathan Schleifer 17-0
184 – Abram Ayala (P) mdec. Dillon Artigliere 15-4
197 – #11 Brett Harner (P) dec. Owen Scott 6-3
285 – Ray O'Donnell (P) WBF Jeramy Sweany 5:35.
PRINCETON 23, COLUMBIA 13
149 – Mike D'Angelo (P) mdec. Dan Reed, 17-7
157 – Markus Scheidel (C) dec. Adam Krop, 4-3
165 – Tyrel White (C) dec. Judd Ziegler, 2-1
174 – #16 Jonathan Schleifer (P) dec. Zack Hernandez, 6-5
184 – Abraham Ayala (P) mdec. Mike Fetchet, 15-4
197 – #11 Brett Harner (P) mdec. Troy Hembury, 12-1
HWT – Garrett Ryan (C) dec. Ray O'Donnell, 7-2
125 – Pat D'Arcy (P) mdec. Britain Carter, 12-3
133 – Angelo Amenta (C) mdec. Noah Ajram, 15-2
141 – Jordan Laster (P) mdec. Joe Moita, 18-7