Schleifer Returns To Finals, Leads Princeton To Program-Best Performance At Midlands Championships

Saturday, December 30

Chicago, Ill.

All Day

Princeton University

Midlands Championships (Day 2)

Photo by: Lisa Elfstrum

Schleifer Returns To Finals, Leads Princeton To Program-Best Performance At Midlands Championships

December 30, 2017 | Wrestling

FULL FINAL BRACKETS

Jonathan Schleifer knocked off the top-seeded wrestler in his weight class to become the first Princeton wrestler to reach multiple Midlands finals, and the Tigers sent a program-record four wrestlers to the medal podium — as well as an assistant coach. Princeton also matched its best team performance ever at the prestigious Midlands Championships, an Ivy League-best eighth-place finish.

2017 was a very good year for Princeton wrestling, and the Tigers made sure to end it in style. Princeton finished the weekend with 84 team points, easily a team record at the annual December showdown of some of the nation's top programs.

Schleifer defeated top-seeded Anthony Valencia (currently ranked 13^th nationally) by an impressive 9-2 decision in the semifinal to return to the Midlands finals for the first time since 2015, when he became the first Tiger to ever compete for a Midlands title. Schleifer, who entered as the fifth seed and took out fourth-seeded May Bethea of Penn Friday, took on third-seeded Alex Marinelli of Iowa in the final.

Both Marinelli and Schleifer scored quick escapes in regulation for the only points before overtime, but Marinelli claimed the win and the title with an overtime takedown for the 3-1 victory. Regardless of the loss, it was a strong effort for Schleifer as he prepares for the final months of his Princeton career, when he will try to become the first Tiger to wrestle in four NCAA Championships.

Schleifer joined fellow co-captain Mike D'Angelo, sophomore Matthew Kolodzik and freshman Patrick Brucki as Midlands placewinners.

Freshman Patrick Brucki had an extremely impressive Midlands debut, highlighted by a 7-4 consolation win over West Virginia's Jake Smith, the fifth-ranked wrestler in the nation. He ended his weekend with a 4-2 win over Iowa's Jacob Warner to finish fifth overall; during the weekend, his only losses came to eighth-ranked and eventual champion Cash Wilcke of Iowa (5-2) and to sixth-ranked Nate Rotert (6-4).

D'Angelo made a run to the third-place match, though he would fall 7-4 to seventh-seeded John Vanschenkbrill of Rutgers in his finale. D'Angelo's three-match afternoon run included an Ivy win over Brown's Justin Staudenmayer, the fifth-seeded wrestler in the field.

Kolodzik joined Schleifer in the semifinal round, but he dropped a 6-1 decision to Justin Oliver, the third-ranked wrestler in the nation. Kolodzik would eventually drop a 5-4 heartbreaker to Arizona State's Jason Tsirtsis to finish in sixth place.

Schleifer wasn't the only finalist representing Princeton Saturday. Assistant coach Nate Jackson, who still holds the highest of international goals following his All-American career at Indiana, reached the finals at 184, though he fell 8-2 to Emery Parker of Illinois in the final.

2017 Midlands Championships Results for Princeton

Matteo DeVincenzo

    Champ. Round 1 - Matteo DeVincenzo (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Champ. Round 2 - Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) won by major decision over Matteo DeVincenzo (Princeton) (Maj 17-4)
    Cons. Round 2 - Matteo DeVincenzo (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Cons. Round 3 - Bryce West (Northern Illinois - UNAT) won by decision over Matteo DeVincenzo (Princeton) (Dec 9-5)

Pat D'Arcy

    Champ. Round 1 - Pat D`Arcy (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Champ. Round 2 - Pat D`Arcy (Princeton) won by decision over Nate Hagan (Edinboro) (Dec 6-1)
    Champ. Round 3 - Pat D`Arcy (Princeton) won by medical forfeit over Eli Stickley (Wisconsin) (MFF)
    Quarterfinal - Nate Limmex (Purdue) won by decision over Pat D`Arcy (Princeton) (Dec 2-1)
    Cons. Round 6 - Max Murin (Iowa - UNAT) won by decision over Pat D`Arcy (Princeton) (Dec 8-3)

John Pipa

    Champ. Round 1 - John Pipa (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Champ. Round 2 - Steven Bleise (Minnesota - UNAT) won by major decision over John Pipa (Princeton) (Maj 14-6)
    Cons. Round 2 - Zach Krause (Brown) won by decision over John Pipa (Princeton) (Dec 3-2)

Matthew Kolodzik (6th place)

    Champ. Round 1 - Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) won by tech fall over Evan DeLuise (Penn) (TF 18-3)
    Champ. Round 2 - Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) won by decision over Peter Pappas (Edinboro) (Dec 8-2)
    Champ. Round 3 - Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) won by major decision over Evan Fidelibus (Rider) (Maj 11-3)
    Quarterfinal - Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) won by decision over Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) (Dec 7-5)
    Semifinal - Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) won by decision over Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) (Dec 6-1)
    Cons. Semi - Pat Lugo (Iowa - UNAT) won by fall over Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) (Fall 4:38)
    5th Place Match - Jason Tsirtsis (Arizona State) won by decision over Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) (Dec 5-4)

Leonard Merkin

    Champ. Round 1 - Leonard Merkin (Princeton) won by decision over Layne Van AnRooy (Michigan - UNAT) (Dec 2-1)
    Champ. Round 2 - Brett Donner (Rutgers) won by decision over Leonard Merkin (Princeton) (Dec 10-9)
    Cons. Round 2 - Leonard Merkin (Princeton) won by decision over Zach Moore (West Virginia) (Dec 11-9)
    Cons. Round 3 - Leonard Merkin (Princeton) won by fall over Colston Diblasi (Iowa State) (Fall 2:16)
    Cons. Round 4 - Larry Early (Old Dominion) won by major decision over Leonard Merkin (Princeton) (Maj 15-3)

Mike D'Angelo (4th place)

    Champ. Round 1 - Mike D`Angelo (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Champ. Round 2 - Mike D`Angelo (Princeton) won by tech fall over Brock Wilson (Harvard) (TF 18-3)
    Champ. Round 3 - Mike D`Angelo (Princeton) won by decision over Larry Early (Old Dominion) (Dec 9-4)
    Quarterfinal - Luke Zilverberg (South Dakota State) won by decision over Mike D`Angelo (Princeton) (Dec 5-0)
    Cons. Round 6 - Mike D`Angelo (Princeton) won by decision over Gene `Oliver` Pierce (Arizona State) (Dec 3-2)
    Cons. Round 7 - Mike D`Angelo (Princeton) won by decision over Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) (Dec 6-2)
    Cons. Semi - Mike D`Angelo (Princeton) won by decision over Justin Staudenmayer (Brown) (Dec 5-2)
    3rd Place Match - John Vanschenkbrill (Rutgers) won by decision over Mike D`Angelo (Princeton) (Dec 7-4)

Dale Tiongson

    Champ. Round 1 - Johnny Blankenship (Nebraska) won by decision over Dale Tiongson (Princeton) (Dec 7-3)
    Cons. Round 1 - Dale Tiongson (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Cons. Round 2 - Dale Tiongson (Princeton) won by decision over Fritz Hoehn (Edinboro) (Dec 12-11)
    Cons. Round 3 - Kaleb Young (Iowa) won by major decision over Dale Tiongson (Princeton) (Maj 17-3)

Jonathan Schleifer (2nd place)

    Champ. Round 1 - Jon Schleifer (Princeton) won by fall over Braxton Cody (Northwestern) (Fall 2:33)
    Champ. Round 2 - Jon Schleifer (Princeton) won by major decision over Logan Peterson (South Dakota State) (Maj 14-5)
    Quarterfinal - Jon Schleifer (Princeton) won by decision over May Bethea (Penn) (Dec 10-4)
    Semifinal - Jon Schleifer (Princeton) won by decision over Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) (Dec 9-2)
    1st Place Match - Alex Marinelli (Iowa) won in sudden victory - 1 over Jon Schleifer (Princeton) (SV-1 3-1)

Matthew Gancayco

    Champ. Round 1 - Matthew Gancayco (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Champ. Round 2 - Matthew Gancayco (Princeton) won by decision over Austin Weigel (Buffalo) (Dec 7-4)
    Champ. Round 3 - Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) won by fall over Matthew Gancayco (Princeton) (Fall 2:13)
    Cons. Round 4 - Joey Gunther (Iowa) won by decision over Matthew Gancayco (Princeton) (Dec 8-2)

Carlin Powell

    Champ. Round 1 - Carlin Powell (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Champ. Round 2 - Josh Ugalde (Maryland) won by tech fall over Carlin Powell (Princeton) (TF 18-0)
    Cons. Round 2 - Carlin Powell (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Cons. Round 3 - Danny Bush (Iowa State) won by tech fall over Carlin Powell (Princeton) (TF 15-0)

Kendall Elfstrum

    Champ. Round 1 - Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh ) won by decision over Kendall Elfstrum (Princeton) (Dec 10-3)
    Cons. Round 1 - Michael Aldrich (Northern Illinois) won by decision over Kendall Elfstrum (Princeton) (Dec 7-4)

Kevin Parker

    Champ. Round 1 - Kevin Parker (Princeton) won by decision over Joe Heyob (Penn) (Dec 6-3)
    Champ. Round 2 - Kayne MacCallum (Eastern Michigan) won by decision over Kevin Parker (Princeton) (Dec 5-3)
    Cons. Round 2 - Kevin Parker (Princeton) won by tech fall over Paul Dunn (Lehigh) (TF 18-2)
    Cons. Round 3 - Kanon Dean (Harvard) won by decision over Kevin Parker (Princeton) (Dec 5-2)

Patrick Brucki (5th place)

    Champ. Round 1 - Pat Brucki (Princeton) won by major decision over Donovan Doyle (Harvard) (Maj 15-4)
    Champ. Round 2 - Pat Brucki (Princeton) won by major decision over Jordan Atienza (Central Michigan) (Maj 12-4)
    Quarterfinal - Cash Wilcke (Iowa) won by decision over Pat Brucki (Princeton) (Dec 5-2)
    Cons. Round 4 - Pat Brucki (Princeton) won by injury default over Thomas Lane (Cal Poly) (Inj. 3:18)
    Cons. Round 5 - Pat Brucki (Princeton) won by decision over Jacob Smith (West Virginia) (Dec 7-4)
    Cons. Semi - Nate Rotert (South Dakota State) won by decision over Pat Brucki (Princeton) (Dec 6-4)
    5th Place Match - Pat Brucki (Princeton) won by decision over Jacob Warner (Iowa - UNAT) (Dec 4-2)

Christian Araneo

    Champ. Round 1 - Christian Araneo (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Champ. Round 2 - Zack Parker (Ohio) won by decision over Christian Araneo (Princeton) (Dec 6-1)
   Cons. Round 2 - Christian Araneo (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Cons. Round 3 - Christian Araneo (Princeton) won by decision over Razohnn Gross (Rutgers) (Dec 2-1)
    Cons. Round 4 - Christian Araneo (Princeton) won by fall over Patrick Grayson (Nebraska) (Fall 6:59)
    Cons. Round 5 - Matt Correntti (Rutgers - UNAT) won by fall over Christian Araneo (Princeton) (Fall 0:36)

Michael Markulec

    Champ. Round 1 - Michael Markulec (Princeton) received a bye () (Bye)
    Champ. Round 2 - Michael Markulec (Princeton) won in sudden victory - 1 over James Valentino (Brown - UNAT) (SV-1 3-1)
    Champ. Round 3 - Tanner Hall (Arizona State) won by decision over Michael Markulec (Princeton) (Dec 6-1)
    Cons. Round 4 - Cody Crawford (Oregon State) won by decision over Michael Markulec (Princeton) (Dec 2-0)