Princeton University Athletics
Nationally Ranked Incoming Class Welcomes Nine from '27 Tigers
June 20, 2023 | Wrestling
Ranked No. 14 in the nation by MatScouts, the Princeton wrestling program's nine-member Class of 2027 includes wrestlers from four states and with New Jersey well represented.
The class will join a program that had its second-best finish in program history at the NCAA Championships, placing 13th with 37.5 points, just a half point behind the program-best total of 38 from the year prior in 2022.
Here's a look at the incoming class:
Joe Davi
141 • Bernardsville, N.J. • Delbarton
Before Princeton: Put together an 84-30 record at Delbarton, wrestling at 113 and 120 pounds as a freshman, 138 as a sophomore, 138 and 144 as a junior, and 144 as a senior ... finished fourth at the NJSIAA championships in 2021 at 138 pounds.
Holden Garcia
165 • Phillipsburg, N.J. • Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.)
Before Princeton: Had a 138-34 record at Notre Dame-Green Pond, finishing sixth at the Pennsylvania state championships in 2021 at 160 pounds, first in 2022 at 160, and second in 2023 at 172 ... placed seventh at the Freestyle Fargo meet in 2021 at 160 and eighth at the Greco Cadet WTT in 2021 at 71 kg.
Drew Heethuis
125 • Linden, Mich. • Detroit Catholic Central
Before Princeton: Finished third in Michigan at 103 in the 2020 state championships as a rookie, won the 112-pound state title as a sophomore in 2021, won the 119-pound state title as a junior in 2022, and made it three state titles with a 132-pound title in 2023 ... had a 115-12 record with Detroit Catholic Central ... counts a pair of first-place finishes at the Grappler Fall Classic and a first-place finish at the USA Cadet Folkstyle meet on his résumé, as well as a sixth-place USA Cadet Folkstyle finish and a seventh-place finish at the USMC Junior Freestyle meet.
Marc-Anthony McGowan
125 • Tampa, Fla. • Blair Academy (N.J.)
Before Princeton: Had an 84-3 prep record ... won the 45kg Cadet World Championship in 2019 ... won two Ironman titles, at 106 pounds in 2019 and 113 pounds in 2021 before finishing runner-up at the event at 126 pounds in 2022 ... won the 2021 Beast of the East title at 120 pounds ... won three National Prep Championship titles, at 106 pounds in 2020, at 120 pounds in 2022 and at 126 pounds in 2023 ... won the 2019 FloNationals title at 41-45kg ... counts a Journeyman Fall Classic and a Journeyman World Classic title in his collection ... won a Florida state high school title as an eighth grader.
Anthony Moscatello
197 • Mount Olive, N.J. • Mount Olive
Before Princeton: Had a 128-26 record at Mount Olive ... took fifth at the 2022 NJSIAA championships at 190 pounds and took seventh at the 2023 meet at 215 pounds ... took second at the 2023 Escape the Rock tournament at 215 pounds and finished third in the event at 189 in 2022.
Eligh Rivera
149 • Orlando, Fla. • Lake Highland Prep
Before Princeton: Had a 170-10 prep record ... won the 2022 and 2023 National Prep Championship titles, both at 138 pounds ... two time prep state champion ... won the 126-pound title at the NHSCA championship as a sophomore in 2021 and was runner-up at 138 pounds as a junior in 2022 ... earned All-American honors at the Super 32 and Powerade events and was a two-time All-American honoree at the Ironman tournament.
Zander Silva
157 • Jackson, N.J. • Christian Brothers Academy
Before Princeton: Had a 107-26 prep record ... runner-up finisher at 157 pounds at the 2023 NJSIAA championship and took third at the weight in 2022 ... had a third-place finish at the 2023 Escape the Rock tournament at 160 pounds after an eighth-place finish earlier in his career.
Cody Tavoso
149 • Hinsdale, Ill. • Hinsdale Central
Before Princeton: Had a 136-12 prep record ... turned in four top-six finishes at the Illinois state championships during his career, closing with a fourth-place finish at 138 in 2023 after taking sixth in 2022 (132) and 2020 (106) around his best finish of third in 2021 at 126 pounds.
Tyler Vazquez
141 • Roxbury, N.J. • Delbarton
Before Princeton: Had a record of 116-9 at Delbarton ... won two NJSIAA titles, at 132 pounds in 2022 and at 138 pounds in 2023 after a third-place finish at 120 pounds in 2021 and third at 106 in 2020 ... twice made the Beast of the East final, winning at 132 pounds in 2021 before finishing runner-up at 138 iin 2022 ... won the 139-pound title at the 2022 Powerade tournament.
The class will join a program that had its second-best finish in program history at the NCAA Championships, placing 13th with 37.5 points, just a half point behind the program-best total of 38 from the year prior in 2022.
Here's a look at the incoming class:
Joe Davi
141 • Bernardsville, N.J. • Delbarton
Before Princeton: Put together an 84-30 record at Delbarton, wrestling at 113 and 120 pounds as a freshman, 138 as a sophomore, 138 and 144 as a junior, and 144 as a senior ... finished fourth at the NJSIAA championships in 2021 at 138 pounds.
Holden Garcia
165 • Phillipsburg, N.J. • Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.)
Before Princeton: Had a 138-34 record at Notre Dame-Green Pond, finishing sixth at the Pennsylvania state championships in 2021 at 160 pounds, first in 2022 at 160, and second in 2023 at 172 ... placed seventh at the Freestyle Fargo meet in 2021 at 160 and eighth at the Greco Cadet WTT in 2021 at 71 kg.
Drew Heethuis
125 • Linden, Mich. • Detroit Catholic Central
Before Princeton: Finished third in Michigan at 103 in the 2020 state championships as a rookie, won the 112-pound state title as a sophomore in 2021, won the 119-pound state title as a junior in 2022, and made it three state titles with a 132-pound title in 2023 ... had a 115-12 record with Detroit Catholic Central ... counts a pair of first-place finishes at the Grappler Fall Classic and a first-place finish at the USA Cadet Folkstyle meet on his résumé, as well as a sixth-place USA Cadet Folkstyle finish and a seventh-place finish at the USMC Junior Freestyle meet.
Marc-Anthony McGowan
125 • Tampa, Fla. • Blair Academy (N.J.)
Before Princeton: Had an 84-3 prep record ... won the 45kg Cadet World Championship in 2019 ... won two Ironman titles, at 106 pounds in 2019 and 113 pounds in 2021 before finishing runner-up at the event at 126 pounds in 2022 ... won the 2021 Beast of the East title at 120 pounds ... won three National Prep Championship titles, at 106 pounds in 2020, at 120 pounds in 2022 and at 126 pounds in 2023 ... won the 2019 FloNationals title at 41-45kg ... counts a Journeyman Fall Classic and a Journeyman World Classic title in his collection ... won a Florida state high school title as an eighth grader.
Anthony Moscatello
197 • Mount Olive, N.J. • Mount Olive
Before Princeton: Had a 128-26 record at Mount Olive ... took fifth at the 2022 NJSIAA championships at 190 pounds and took seventh at the 2023 meet at 215 pounds ... took second at the 2023 Escape the Rock tournament at 215 pounds and finished third in the event at 189 in 2022.
Eligh Rivera
149 • Orlando, Fla. • Lake Highland Prep
Before Princeton: Had a 170-10 prep record ... won the 2022 and 2023 National Prep Championship titles, both at 138 pounds ... two time prep state champion ... won the 126-pound title at the NHSCA championship as a sophomore in 2021 and was runner-up at 138 pounds as a junior in 2022 ... earned All-American honors at the Super 32 and Powerade events and was a two-time All-American honoree at the Ironman tournament.
Zander Silva
157 • Jackson, N.J. • Christian Brothers Academy
Before Princeton: Had a 107-26 prep record ... runner-up finisher at 157 pounds at the 2023 NJSIAA championship and took third at the weight in 2022 ... had a third-place finish at the 2023 Escape the Rock tournament at 160 pounds after an eighth-place finish earlier in his career.
Cody Tavoso
149 • Hinsdale, Ill. • Hinsdale Central
Before Princeton: Had a 136-12 prep record ... turned in four top-six finishes at the Illinois state championships during his career, closing with a fourth-place finish at 138 in 2023 after taking sixth in 2022 (132) and 2020 (106) around his best finish of third in 2021 at 126 pounds.
Tyler Vazquez
141 • Roxbury, N.J. • Delbarton
Before Princeton: Had a record of 116-9 at Delbarton ... won two NJSIAA titles, at 132 pounds in 2022 and at 138 pounds in 2023 after a third-place finish at 120 pounds in 2021 and third at 106 in 2020 ... twice made the Beast of the East final, winning at 132 pounds in 2021 before finishing runner-up at 138 iin 2022 ... won the 139-pound title at the 2022 Powerade tournament.
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