Tag Archives: Cornell Wrestling

Watch Cornell Wrestle-Offs LIVE on Friday Night at 6:30 p.m.

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Photos by Boris V

On Friday, November 9, Cornell will hold the Red and White Eliminations at 6:30 p.m.

If you can’t be in Ithaca, you can watch the wrestle-offs streaming live at this link:

http://newyorkwrestlingnews.com/cornell-red-and-white-eliminations/

The lineup will be finalized later in the week, but the tentative matchups provided by the Cornell staff are:

125: Nahshon Garrett vs. Bricker Dixon

133: Nick Arujau vs. Josh Kennedy

141: Mike Nevinger vs. Joe Stanzione

149: Chris Villalonga vs. Ryan Dunphy

157: Craig Eifert vs. Jesse Shanaman

165: Kyle Dake vs. Patrick Sullivan

174: Duke Pickett vs. Marshall Peppelman

184: Craig Scott vs. Peter Mesko

197: Jace Bennett vs. Billy George

285: Stryker Lane vs. Jacob Aiken-Phillips

Results of Preliminary Wrestle-Off Bouts

125: Nahshon Garrett over Logan David, 13-0

141: Joe Stanzione over Connor David, 7-3

149: Ryan Dunphy over Scott Bosak, 6-0

157: Jesse Shanaman over Chris Dowdy, 9-2

165: Patrick Sullivan over Casey O’Malley, 7-4

174: Duke Pickett over Michael Alexander, 5-2

174: Marshall Peppelman over Matt Cunningham, 5-2

197: Jace Bennett over Lukasz Stala, 5-3

Cornell's First Class of 2013 Recruit: FloNationals Champion Jacob Taylor Commits to the Big Red

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Courtesy of Bald Eagle Area High School website

When Jake Taylor decided it was time to look at colleges, he approached it like he does everything else.

“Jake goes all out with everything he does,” said his father Doug Taylor. “He put a pin on a map within a certain radius of home and got to work, figuring out all the options.  Cornell stood out right away.  It’s a fantastic educational institution and the wrestling speaks for itself.  It turned out to be a pretty easy decision.”

That’s saying something for Taylor.  While he looked at Harvard, Lehigh, Virginia and Virginia Tech, he gave very strong consideration to West Virginia, a school that has been a part of his family for much of his life.

Jake’s father Doug was an All-American for the Mountaineers.  Two of his uncles also competed for the squad and his older brother Nicholas is a member of the West Virginia team now.

“I feel like Cornell is the right place for me,” Jake Taylor said. “I like the coaches and what they’re doing with the program. I love the area. I’ve been impressed with how the guys perform in the postseason. You can’t beat the mix of academics and wrestling and I know that there’s life after wrestling, so education is very important.”

Indeed, the academic component was key for Taylor, who according to his father “has never gotten anything other than an ‘A’ in high school” and has aspirations of being a dentist.

“24 guys have gone on to become doctors and dentists under [Cornell head coach] Rob Koll and that’s something that was very appealing,” Doug Taylor said.

The Big Red’s wrestling success was appealing as well.  Taylor, Intermat’s #50 recruit nationally, will fit right in.  After compiling a 33-3 record in his sophomore campaign for Bald Eagle Area High School in Pennsylvania, Taylor began his junior season with a fourth place showing at the ultra-competitive Super 32 tournament in North Carolina at 170 pounds.  He followed with a 38-2 mark during the high school campaign, taking third at the state championships.

Taylor kept the momentum going in the spring and summer, winning the FloNationals title at 170 pounds, besting a field of nearly 40 grapplers.  That championship run included an overtime victory over Zach Nevills, a California state champion (and four-time Golden State placer) now at Stanford.  For good measure, Taylor also defeated some highly touted foes at the Disney Duals while wrestling for Team Young Guns, including nationally-ranked Brett Harner of Norristown Area High.

With his college decision made, Taylor is focused on winning his first state title.  He said he will likely wrestle at 182 pounds. (He is currently ranked sixth nationally at that weight).

“States are always important and I didn’t quite do as well as I hoped last year,” Jake Taylor said.  “I’m focused on winning this year.  I’ve wanted to be on top of that podium since elementary school and it would mean a lot to finish that way.”

And when that’s over, he is looking forward to beginning the next step in Ithaca, at a weight that will be defined later.

“One of the first things every coach we visited said to Jake was, ‘wow, you’re tall’,” Doug Taylor said.  “I was recruited as a 126 pounder and wound up at 158, so it’s hard to say where Jake will be.  He may start at 174 but I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up at 184 or even higher.”

Wherever he ends up, he’s excited to be joining the Big Red.

“I’ve liked watching the Cornell wrestlers on TV the last few years – obviously Kyle Dake, Mack Lewnes, Cam Simaz and a lot of others,” Jake Taylor said.  “They wrestled well when it counted. I can’t wait to be a part of it and see where I stand.”

Cornell's Kyle Dake Talks About His Olympic Experience and Wanting a Gold Medal of His Own

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Kyle Dake, Photo by Boris V

Cornell senior Kyle Dake spent a portion of his summer with the United States Olympic Wrestling team.  This included training in Colorado Springs, traveling to Belarus for the pre-Olympic camp and then going to London for the latter stages of the Games.  He briefly talked to New York Wrestling News about the experience.

What was it like to be in London during the Olympics?

Kyle Dake: It was a really great experience.  Honestly, we were mostly training and trying to get the guys as ready as possible for the Olympics, so I didn’t get to spend that much time outside of wrestling.  I got to take a tour in London one day and saw some great things like the Tower of London.

Did you get to attend any events while you were there?

Kyle Dake: I watched all the freestyle and one day of Greco, which got me super motivated.  But I didn’t get a chance to go to any other events in person. We were busy and tickets were pretty expensive.  But there were 30 screens set up at the USA House, where Olympians or past Olympians socialized and watched the events.  I was in London but I basically saw a lot of the Olympics on TV.

Did you meet any celebrities or Olympians at the USA House?

Kyle Dake: I saw some of the female rowers, soccer players and the silver medal beach volleyball team [Jennifer Kessy and April Ross].  I saw Evander Holyfield and got to see his ear, which still looks deformed.  And it was pretty cool to meet the great soccer player Mia Hamm.

Who did you spend most of your time working with in Belarus and London?

Kyle Dake: I was training with [84 kg Olympian] Jake Herbert.  [National freestyle coach] Zeke Jones usually takes an extra person at each weight class as an alternate, just in case.  Jordan Burroughs took Raymond Jordan as his training partner.  [Raymond Jordan] was third at 84 kg at the Olympic Trials, so he was the alternate at 84.  They needed a partner for Jake who could also be an alternate at 74. They chose me.  I had trained with Jake before – at the camps in Colorado and also a little before that.  It was a good experience to work with him.  He has a lot of freestyle experience and I got to see how the bigger guys move.  Jake wrestled well in the tournament.  He had some interesting calls in his matches.

After training with Herbert, do you expect to stay at 74 kg for the next Olympic cycle?  Are you finished with Greco or would you consider that sometime in the future?

Kyle Dake: We’ll see what happens, but right now 74 kg is my weight class.  I’m done with Greco.

What do you think the freestyle training this summer has done for you as you get ready to go for your 4th NCAA title?

Kyle Dake: I think it helped a lot.  It gave me confidence that I could wrestle with the best guys in the world.  Knowing I could hang with Olympians and gold medalists makes me feel really good going into the college season.  My focus is on my fourth NCAA title now and doing whatever I can to help my team win a title too.

What will you remember most about the Olympic experience?

Kyle Dake: It was a huge motivator.  I got really inspired and motivated to get better after watching those guys, especially watching the guys win the gold medals.  I know now how badly I want a gold medal of my own.  After my college career is over, I’ll be shooting for gold.

Rob Koll's Cornell Season Preview and 2012-13 Big Red Schedule

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By Rob Koll

Photos by Boris Veysman

Last year we enjoyed a great season, even with the addition of five new starters. This year, due to graduation and growth, we will have a fresh look at the 125, 174, 197 and 285 weight classes. We are fortunate to have a great incoming class as well as a room stocked full of returning talent. The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown of what you can expect to see on the mats this year.

125 POUNDS: Two wrestlers will compete for the starting spot at this weight class. Sophomore Bricker Dixon was 13-5 last year, placing at the Southern Scuffle and winning the NY State Intercollegiate and National Collegiate Open championships. Bricker was a four-time Missouri state finalist in high school.  Bricker’s competition will come from freshman Nahshon Garrett, who was a two-time California state champion and a NHSCA Senior National champion as well.

These two are incredibly tough and talented young men. It will be difficult to replace All-American Frank Perrelli, but I believe either one of these two have the ability to pick up immediately where Frank left off. Whoever ultimately represents the Big Red in the postseason will be vying for All-America honors.

Others to watch: Logan Connor (Fr)

133 POUNDS: After transferring into Cornell in January, junior Nick Arujau won one match at the NCAA tournament before being eliminated. Last year he was undersized and did not compete favorably against the very best. Nick has worked incredibly hard over the summer and he looks like a completely new and improved version of himself. He has built himself into a very good-looking 133-pound wrestler and size will not be an issue this year.

Others to watch: Josh Kennedy (Jr)

Mike Nevinger, Photo by Boris Veysman

141 POUNDS: There is little doubt that Mike Nevinger made the biggest improvements on the team last year. He went from second/third string to 7th in the country at NCAAs.  I am pleased to say that he continues to improve and he will be even more dominant this year. Joe Stanzione enters his senior campaign after an outstanding 23-9 record last season. Nik Pena is taking the year off.

Others to watch: Joe Rendina (Fr) and Connor David

149 POUNDS: Chris Villalonga was 24-12 last season. Although this would be great for most freshmen, we expect even more from Chris this year.

Others to watch: Ryan Dunphy (Jr), Scott Bosak (Fr) Aaron Benedict (Fr) and Andrew Gonzalez (So)

157 POUNDS: Senior Kyle Dake is 100-4 with three NCAA titles. He has much to work on before he scores on me in the room, but he has not gotten frustrated. I’m proud to say he is working hard. His goal is to beat Coach Spates in a match and to score on me before he graduates. Personally I believe the last wish on his graduation bucket list is unrealistic but I gotta let the “Kid” dream.

Sophomore Evan Knight hopes to return to the mats after missing all of last season due to injuries. We hope Evan can safely return, but we expect to bring him back slowly.

Others to watch: Chris Dowdy (Fr)

165 POUNDS: Sophomore Marshall Peppelman gained invaluable experience in racking up a 28-17 first-year record. Last year he qualified for the NCAA tournament, where he won one match. This year we expect for him to compete for All-America honors.

This weight will be one of our most hotly contested. Junior Craig Eifert has amassed a 36-17 mark over the past two seasons wrestling from 149-165 pounds. More impressive is the fact that Craig’s record includes victories over numerous All-Americans. Sophomore Jesse Shanaman returns to the mats after recovering from last year’s season-ending knee surgery.

Others to watch: Cody Hutcheson (Sr) Casey O’Malley (Fr)

174 POUNDS: Sophomore Billy George has eaten and trained himself out of this weight class and will compete for the starting spot at 197. In his place we have a host of incoming freshmen as well as returning talent. Junior Michael Alexander is back after posting a 9-11 record. Sophomore Matthew Cunningham returns after suffering through an injury-plagued freshman campaign. Freshmen Duke Pickett and Owen Scott will undoubtedly make their presence known.

Others to watch: Patrick Sullivan (Jr)

Steve Bosak, Photo by Boris Veysman

184 POUNDS: Senior Steve Bosak will be expected to lead our team as he returns to defend his NCAA title. Senior Peter Mesko will provide us with a solid back-up if and when Bosak needs a break.

197 POUNDS: On paper this weight would appear to be one of our “holes”.  The reality is not only will this not be a hole, but we will be more than competitive at 197.  Four very capable wrestlers are lining up to replace NCAA champion Cam Simaz.

Sophomore Jace Bennett had a 16-7 record last year and will only improve now that he has a legitimate chance of breaking into the lineup. Billy George, last year’s starter at 174, is a full sized 197-pound wrestler. Billy had a roller coaster freshman campaign but still amassed an impressive 18-13 record. Senior Lukasz Stala enters his senior year after compiling a career 26-23 mark. Freshman Craig Scott, a two-time New York state champion, should also figure prominently into the fray.

285 POUNDS: This is the only weight class where Cornell has never had an All-American. I would like to blame Damion Hahn for this but since he has not been coaching at Cornell for 100 years, sadly I cannot pass the buck onto him! We are placing our hopes of breaking this streak on junior Stryker Lane, senior Oney Snyder or freshman Jacob Aiken Phillips.

Stryker placed 5th at the EIWAs two years ago and last season finished with a 19-11 record, which included 10 falls. Oney only needs one more semester to graduate so he will not be competing until the second part of the year.  Jacob Aiken Phillips, from this point forward referred to as JAP, suffered an early season injury, which forced him to miss the majority of the season. JAP is a former Georgia state champion who has good speed and size.  We are excited to finally get an opportunity to see him compete.

Exciting Changes Made to the Schedule

I am typically fairly conservative in how I schedule, but this year I’ve decided to mix things up a little. We finally have the depth to handle a much more grueling dual meet slate, and the schedule reflects this situation. In the past, if we lost one or two wrestlers we were sunk in a dual. As a result, I tended to push a tournament-laden schedule. The New York Coaches Association also agreed that every team would attend the New York State Intercollegiates this year, if the event was moved to the first semester.  I was willing to do this on the condition that we were the permanent host site. As a result, we have dropped the Body Bar from our schedule.

Because we do not have as many tournaments to help us pick our starting lineup, we have added a Red/White wrestle off on November 9. This will help us choose the team for our opening night Binghamton dual. In addition to this change we will be competing against Oklahoma, Central Michigan and Drexel at the Journeyman Duals on November 24 and against Missouri and Oklahoma State at Madison Square Garden on December 16.  We also added home contests against Oregon State on January 27 and Bucknell on February 10.

I believe this is an ambitious schedule but we have the type of team that needs to be challenged and this schedule will do just that.

2012-2013 Schedule (Home Events in Bold)

Date

Event

Time
November 9 Red vs. White 6 p.m.
November 16 Binghamton 6:30 p.m.
November 17 NY State Intercollegiate Varsity All Day
November 18 NY State Intercollegiate JV All Day
November 24 Journeymen Duals (Albany, NY) 9:30 vs. Drexel; 1:30 vs. Oklahoma; 3:30 vs. C. Michigan
November 30-Dec 1 Las Vegas Invitational (Las Vegas, NV)
December 16 Madison Square Garden 10 a.m. vs. Missouri; 12:30 vs. Oklahoma St.
January 1-2 Southern Scuffle at Chattanooga, TN All Day
January 6 at Lehigh 2:00 p.m.
January 12 Princeton
January 19 at Brown
January 19 at Harvard
January 26 Pennsylvania 2:00 p.m.
January 27 Oregon State 2:00 p.m.
February 2 at Hofstra 12:00
at Columbia 6:00 p.m.
February 10 Bucknell 2:00 p.m.
February 17 National Duals
February 24 National Duals Final Four at Minneapolis, MN
March 9-10 EIWA Championships at Rutgers
March 21-23 NCAA Championships at Des Moines, IA

–Printed with permission

Army Graduate Jon Anderson Wins World University Team Trials; Cornell's Perrelli, Hofstra Recruit Howes Finish Third in Challenge Event

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West Point graduate Jon Anderson’s ultimate wrestling goal is to win a gold medal while representing the United States in Greco Roman action at the Olympics.   While he was an alternate for the Red, White and Blue this summer during the London Games, he assured himself of a chance to represent his country in 2012 international competition when he captured the 74 kg title at the World University Team Trials in Colorado on Saturday.   (For a closer look at Anderson and his Army background, see this article.)

Anderson earned his ticket to October’s World University Championships in Finland in dominating fashion, outscoring his opponents 41-1 on the day.   He began by sweeping his three bouts in the morning Challenge Tournament without yielding a point to make it into the best two-out-of-three championship series.

“I had a lot of fun every match,” Anderson said. “My technique felt great and I stayed in control. Coach Lewis said right before the tournament to take it one period at a time, one match at time.  I knew that I had to be in the moment for every moment that I was on the mat, and that’s what I did.”

Anderson’s opponent in the finals was Tanner Andrews, who earned an automatic bid after winning the University Nationals crown a few months ago.  The two certainly aren’t strangers. Andrews defeated Anderson at the Dave Schultz Memorial early in 2012 and Anderson returned the favor at the Olympic Trials in the consolation bracket, pinning Andrews on his way to a third place finish and a spot as an Olympic alternate.

The Army graduate was in control from the start and took the first bout, 1-0, 7-0.  In the second match, Anderson dropped the first period when he was unable to turn Andrews in par terre, however he won the second and third stanzas 3-0 and 4-0 on the strength of multiple takedowns and turns.

“Tanner’s a great competitor,” Anderson said of his opponent. “He always comes out and fights hard.  I knew it would be a scrap.  But I thought I was able to win it with my positioning, strength and conditioning.”

For Anderson, who thanked his family and friends for their “continuous awesome support”, the work has just begun.

“I had high aspirations for this weekend,” he said. “I’ve been training really hard without let up since the Olympic Trials.  I feel like I still have a lot of room to improve and I want to improve every day.  Things are continuing to click for me.”

He’ll keep that progress going, starting with a new training cycle at Fort Carson this week.

“I’ll be doing two workouts a day, with strength training, cardio and lots of wrestling.  My focus now is on winning the gold medal in Finland.  I feel like it makes no difference where I’m wrestling or who I’m wrestling.  I need to focus on my technique and my match every time.  That’s my mentality.  If I make my opponent wrestle my game, I don’t think anyone can hang with me.”

While Anderson spent time abroad during his military service, the trip to Finland will be his first overseas tour wrestling for his country.  He feels confident that it will be the first of many appearances for the United States.

“I’m very excited to represent my country in a world championship, whatever level that is,” he said. “In October, it will be in Finland for the World Universities, then I expect next summer it will be at the Senior Worlds.  And in 2016, I expect it to be in Rio, winning the gold medal there.”

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Frank Perrelli, Photo by Boris Veysman

Anderson wasn’t the only wrestler with New York ties on the mats in Colorado on Saturday.  Cornell All-American Frank Perrelli took third in the 55 kg Freestyle Challenge tournament, avenging his three period opening round loss to Kyle Hutter by defeating the former Old Dominion grappler 5-0, 1-0 in the bronze medal bout.  Perrelli pinned Panther Wrestling Club’s Cruse Aarhus to earn his shot at third.

Also taking third was Hofstra signee Dwight Howes, who more than held his own in a loaded 84 kg Freestyle Challenge bracket that included four NCAA All-Americans.  The Colorado native, who will spend this season at the Olympic Training Center, was tested right away, topping 2012 NCAA 184-pound third place finisher Austin Trotman in the first round before dropping a tight match to former Oklahoma State national runner up Clayton Foster.  Howes responded with a two-period decision over Navy’s Peter Huntley before defeating Trotman a second time for bronze.

Another Empire State native battling for third place in the Challenge tournament was All-American Kyle Borshoff at 66 kg, an additional weight featuring several accomplished NCAA grapplers.   The former American Eagle began his day by beating Simon Kitzis and Cole Von Ohlen before falling against NCAA champion Frank Molinaro.  In his first consolation contest, Borshoff faced another national title winner, Kellen Russell of Michigan, and came out on top, 3-1, 0-1, 3-1.  In his final bout of the day, he was edged 1-0, 1-0 by Adam Hall to grab fourth.

Hunter College’s Oliver Lopez, who previously competed for McKee High School in Staten Island, also took third place — in the Challenge tournament at 60 kg in Greco.

Full results are available on http://www.trackwrestling.com

Cornell's Damion Hahn on 3 NCAA Champs, Next Year's Lineup and "Letting the Cat Out of the Bag"

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Cornell assistant coach Damion Hahn stopped to talk about the Big Red’s three NCAA title winners and his thoughts on next year’s starting lineup, including where he sees returning champions Kyle Dake and Steve Bosak.

 

Big Red's Perrelli and Pickett Capture Canada Cup Titles; Grey Takes Third in Return to Competition

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Before wrestling a single match in a Cornell singlet, Duke Pickett captured an international tournament title on Saturday when he won the 74 kg/163 pound class at the Canada Cup in Ontario.

The Virginia native defeated Daniel Oliver of the Saskatoon Wrestling Club in the freestyle finals.

“Duke did a great job,” said Big Red assistant coach Mike Grey. “He just imposed his will on everyone. He hand fought hard and he’s such a grinder who wears guys out.  His opponents didn’t want to hang with him.”

Pickett spent the last year working with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club after graduating from Woodberry Forest School.  Grey said his progress has been clear.

“He has absolutely improved in every area,” the coach said. “He’s matured a lot in his wrestling but also in his demeanor.  He’s always been a really hard worker, but now he’s working with more of a purpose, improving on specific areas. All his work is obviously showing with him winning an international tournament like this.”

Pickett, who Grey said will compete at 174 pounds next season as a freshman, wasn’t the only Cornell wrestler on top of the podium.

2012 Big Red graduate Frank Perrelli won the 55 kg weight, going undefeated in round robin action.

“[Perrelli] wrestled really well,” Grey said. “His leg attacks were completely on point.   He’s been training really hard at the Olympic Training Center and it has really paid off.  He seems like he’s getting better and more comfortable every time he goes out there.”

Grey believes that the ability to concentrate solely on freestyle is contributing significantly to Perrelli’s progress.

“Not having the transition between styles is huge,” Grey said. “Every year he made a lot of progress in freestyle after the college season and then transitioning back to folkstyle hurt a little bit.  Now he’s completely focused and he’ll continue to make the gains that will put him in a position to make the World Team.”

Grey has watched Perrelli’s wrestling for a long time, as the two were high school teammates and have trained together for years.  Some of their recent work together contributed to Grey’s return to the mat over the weekend.

The Cornell assistant hadn’t been in a competitive freestyle bout in over two years.  In fact, he hadn’t been in any competitive match since the NCAA tournament in March of 2011.  But, he laced up his shoes in Canada on Saturday.

“It was kind of a spur of the moment thing,” Grey said. “I was going to the tournament anyway to coach and I figured maybe I would wrestle too while I was there.   It was a lot of fun.  I was training a lot of the guys for the University Nationals and I wrestle with Frankie [Perrelli] a good amount, so I thought I had significant enough training to go out there.”

Apparently, he did.  The New Jersey native went 4-1, taking third place at 60 kg/132 pounds, losing only to Cuba’s Olympic team member.

“When you’re coaching, you take a step back and see things a little better,” he said. “I thought I wrestled pretty well.  I didn’t feel any pressure at all, I just enjoyed myself.”

In fact, there was only one part of the experience he didn’t enjoy too much.

“It wasn’t much fun to make weight again, but it actually wasn’t that big of a deal,” he said. “There was a 2 kg allowance, so I had somewhat of a cut, but not too bad.”

It’s something he just may do again.

“I’m focused on coaching, so I don’t know when I’ll wrestle next,” Grey said.  “I definitely won’t be training full time, but I like winging it.  I like spur of the moment decisions.  One of these days, I might enter another tournament just for the fun of it.”

Men’s Results

55 kg/121.25 lbs: Frank Perrelli (USA, Finger Lakes WC) over Aso Palani (Canada) *Round robin

60 kg/132 lbs: Alejandro Valdez (Cuba) over Yowly Bonne Rodriguez (Cuba)

Third: Mike Grey (USA, Finger Lakes WC)

66 kg/145.5 lbs: Haislan Garcia (Canada) over Kevin Iwasa-Madge (Guelph WC)

74 kg/163 lbs: Duke Pickett (USA, Finger Lakes WC) over Daniel Oliver (Saskatoon WC)

84 kg/185 lbs: Humberto Martinez (Cuba) over Yuriesky Torres Queralta (Cuba)

96 kg/211.5 lbs: Jake Varner (USA) over Manjot Sandhu (Canada)

120 kg/265.5 lbs: Les Sigman (USA) over Tony Nelson (USA)

Accordino and Nevinger Notch Victories, Discuss the Experience at the Adam Frey Classic

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Justin Accordino at NCAAs 2012, Photo by Boris Veysman

Prior to the fourth annual Adam Frey Classic on Sunday, organizer Josh Liebman (see video below) said he wanted the atmosphere at Grace Hall on the campus of Lehigh to resemble a reunion.  For Hofstra’s Justin Accordino, it was exactly that.

The 149-pound All-American was thrilled to be able to participate in the event, which benefits the Adam Frey Foundation, especially since he and Frey wrestled together years ago.

“I knew Adam pretty well,” Accordino said. “We were on a couple of national teams together.  It was meaningful for me to be part of the event to support the Foundation. I was also happy to see Adam’s parents and his brother because I’ve known them for a long time.”

In addition to catching up with the Freys, Accordino got to spend time with longtime friend Jake O’Hara of Columbia – including five minutes on the mat.

The former youth teammates faced off in one of the 17 main event matches, with Accordino earning a 5-3 victory on the strength of takedowns in the first and third periods.

“We’re pretty good friends,” Accordino said of his opponent. “He’s a tough kid and even though we were on the same elementary school team I think it’s the first time we wrestled in a match.  I think all the guys just wanted to go out and give the crowd a good show.  It was an exhibition match so it was a chance to wrestle and have some fun.”

Accordino had fun taking in the action throughout the afternoon, including viewing the 8-2 victory of Penn State NCAA champion Ed Ruth over Lehigh’s Robert Hamlin in the feature bout.

“It was great watching Ed Ruth.  He’s such a technical wrestler and he looked really good,” Accordino said. “He’s also a kid I’ve known for a while from Pennsylvania.  It was a great chance for me to see so many people I haven’t seen in a while.”

Ruth, Hamlin and Accordino were among the nine All-Americans who took the mat on Sunday.   In a matchup of two 141-pound medalists from the 2012 NCAAs, New York native Mike Nevinger squared off against Cal Poly’s Boris Novachkov, who finished in the top three at nationals twice.

Mike Nevinger vs. Adam Krop at NCAAs, Photo by Boris Veysman

After battling to a 2-2 deadlock in regulation, Nevinger notched the only takedown of the bout in overtime to capture a 4-2 victory.

“There were some good scrambles,” Nevinger said. “It was an exhibition, but I like opportunities to compete against the best guys.  It was great to get a competitive match in the offseason and I’m obviously happy with the win.”

Nevinger was also pleased to get an invite to the event, and while he said he didn’t know Frey personally, he felt a connection with the former Big Red wrestler.

“It was a lot of fun for a good cause,” Nevinger said. “I was really happy to be there to represent Cornell.”

As the only Big Red grappler taking part in the festivities on Sunday, Nevinger had some fun with the crowd, which included a large number of Lehigh and Penn State supporters.

“It was pretty funny when the fans were asking me what the big ‘C’ on my shirt stood for,” he said. “There were some jokes thrown my way, all in good fun.”

When asked about the match that stood out, both Accordino and Nevinger cited the 11-9 overtime tilt won by Kent State’s Ian Miller over Lehigh’s Shane Welsh.

“They both had some throws and there was a lot of action all the way through.  It was great to watch,” Nevinger said.

“There were lots of big moves,” Accordino added. “That match was really entertaining.”

For Liebman, bringing entertainment to the spectators was one of the main goals of the day.

“It was important to Adam when we were setting [the Foundation] up to not only do successful fundraisers but to put on a great wrestling events that promote the sport and do it the right way.  There was a great crowd, great matches.  I was proud to be a part of it.”

To find out more about the Adam Frey Foundation, visit adamfrey.us

Watch Josh Liebman discuss the 2012 Adam Frey Classic:

Results (Wrestlers with NY Ties in Bold)

Chuck Zeisloft (Rider) over Billy Watterson (Brown, John Jay HS)

Vinny Fava (Rider) over Tyler Small (Kent State)

Ian Miller (Kent State) over Shane Welsh (Lehigh)

Mark McKnight (Buffalo/Penn State) over Patrick Hunter (Binghamton)

Justin Accordino (Hofstra) over Jake O’Hara (Columbia)

Joey Napoli (Lehigh) over Lorenzo Thomas (Penn)

BJ Young (Newberry) over CJ Cobb (Penn)

Chance Marstellar (Kennard Dale HS) over Johnny Sebastian (Bergen Catholic HS)

Steve Mytych (Drexel) over Nic Bedelyon (Kent State)

Mike Nevinger (Cornell, Letchworth Central HS) over Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly)

Josh Asper (Maryland) over Nestor Taffor (Boston)

Jim Resnick (Rider) over Nate Brown (Lehigh)

Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) over Ricky McDonald (Brown)

Andrew Campolattano (Ohio St.) over Christian Boley (Maryland, Brockport HS)

Ryan Tomei (Pitt) over Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State, Duanesburg HS)

Max Wessell (Lehigh) over Cody Reed (Binghamton, Walton HS)

Ed Ruth (Penn State) over Robert Hamlin (Lehigh)

Top Talent Comes Together for Fourth Annual Adam Frey Classic On Sunday

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Adam Frey

It’s hard not to be excited about the Adam Frey Classic this year.  Just ask Penn State National Champion Ed Ruth.

According to Adam Frey Foundation Board Member Josh Liebman, Ruth was in the middle of a special family occasion when he was contacted about the event.

“Ed had a lot going on, but he called back right away and said he definitely wanted to do it,”  Liebman said. “It was on his mind enough that he couldn’t wait until the next day to call.”

In the fourth annual event for the Adam Frey Foundation, Ruth will square off against Lehigh’s two-time All-American Robert Hamlin in the feature bout in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

“We were trying to think of matchups that would be really exciting for wrestling fans and we knew [Hamlin] would be involved,” Liebman said. “He and his family have been really supportive of the Foundation and with the event being at Lehigh this year, it was a great fit.”

Ruth has posted first and third place finishes at NCAAs, while Hamlin has taken second and fourth.

After holding the first three Adam Frey Classics at Rider, Liebman is excited for the new location at Grace Hall on Lehigh’s campus.

“So far, it’s been nothing but great,” he said. “Everyone has been very supportive and interested in being part of the event and helping it grow.  The sports marketing staff has helped out and the coaches have too. I really wanted to get Pennsylvania involved since Adam was from there.  It’s like he’ll be closer to home, at least for a year.”

Besides the new arena, another addition in 2012 is a match of high school stars with the top rising junior in the country, Chance Marstellar, taking on New Jersey state champion Johnny Sebastian.

“We’ve never done a high school vs. high school match before,” Liebman said. “Last year, because of an injury, [Blair Academy’s] Brooks Black stepped in to wrestle Zach Rey.  But this year, Marstellar really wanted to be a part of it.  The college kids weren’t in a hurry to wrestle him, but [Sebastian] was excited.  He loves to test himself.  I expect Johnny to start next season ranked in the top 5 or 10 at his weight, so I think it’s a premiere matchup.”

It’s one of many bouts Liebman is looking forward to viewing.  (The full lineup is listed below). He believes the tilt between 141 pound All-Americans Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly) and Perry, NY native Mike Nevinger (Cornell) will be one to watch.

“That match may not jump out at people, but I can’t wait for it,” Liebman said. “They’re both so tough on top and a little funky on their feet.  I think it could steal the show.”

While heavyweight battles aren’t typically the most entertaining affairs, Liebman is anticipating 2012 All-American Nick Gwiazdowski’s meeting with former Pittsburgh Panther Ryan Tomei. He predicts good action and “not a lot of the hanging on you often see at heavy.”

Liebman added that having Gwiazdowski, a former star at Duanesburg High, in the event is exciting for another reason.  When he was a senior in high school, the recent NC State transfer participated in the New York-New Jersey Charity Challenge, which benefitted the Adam Frey Foundation.  In fact, Gwiazdowski’s pin sealed the victory for the Empire State.

“It’s something I’d like to have on a regular basis — having guys be a part of an event in high school and staying involved with our organization in college.  It feels like watching guys grow up through your peewee program,” Liebman said. “That’s what’s great about the wrestling community.  Everyone, even if they didn’t know Adam personally, wants to know his story and get involved.”

Adam Frey’s alma mater, Blair Academy, has been very involved from the start.  This year, the event will be set up as a dual meet between Blair and Angry Fish with several alums of those squads coaching and competing.  As a bonus, Monroe Woodbury’s Vinny Vespa, who is fighting Stage 4 cancer, may serve as an honorary coach.

Nevinger and Gwiazdowski won’t be the only representatives from the Empire State.  All-American Justin Accordino of Hofstra will take the mat, as will John Jay graduate Billy Watterson (Brown), Brockport native Christian Boley, Columbia’s Jake O’Hara, Cornell’s Caleb Richardson and Binghamton’s Pat Hunter and Cody Reed.  In addition, Beat the Streets (BTS) wrestlers from New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore will participate in exhibition bouts between 1 and 2 p.m. before the main event begins.

“I’m really excited about having BTS,” Liebman said. “It’s a chance for kids to get outside the city.  One of the important parts of the BTS program is for kids to strive for a college education, even if it’s outside of wrestling.  This is a great chance for the kids to visit a college campus and see that it’s something they may want.”

What Liebman wants is to fill Grace Hall as close to capacity as possible.  He wants the wrestling community to come together to support the Foundation and celebrate Adam Frey’s life.

“In the past, our events have had a fun atmosphere,” he said. “Top talent comes but since it’s not a pressure situation, the guys go out there and relax and wrestle.  It’s more open, more fun. It quickly becomes a feeling of reunion rather than a somber event where we’re memorializing Adam.  Adam wouldn’t have wanted that; he wouldn’t want a moment of silence.  He’d rather have everyone having a good time.”

Exhibition Matches 1-2 p.m. – Beat the Streets New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore

Main Event Matches, Beginning at 2 p.m.

Chuck Zeisloft (Rider) vs. Billy Watterson (Brown)

Nic Bedelyon (Kent State) vs. Steve Mytych (Drexel)

Mike Nevinger (Cornell) vs. Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly)

Tyler Small (Kent State) vs. Vinnie Fava (Rider)

Caleb Richardson (Cornell) vs. Pat Hunter (Binghamton)

BJ Young (Newberry) vs. CJ Cobb (UPenn)

Justin Accordino (Hofstra) vs. Jake O’Hara (Columbia)

James Fleming (Clarion) vs. Joey Napoli (Lehigh)

Ian Miller (Kent State) vs. Shane Welch (Lehigh)

Chance Marsteller vs. Johnny Sebastian*

Bekzod Abduakhmanov (Clarion) vs. Josh Asper (Maryland)

Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) vs. Jimmy Resnick (Rider)

Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) vs. Ricky McDonald (Brown)

Christian Boley (Maryland) vs. Andrew Campolattano (Ohio State)

Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) vs. Ryan Tomei (Pitt/ OTC)

Max Wessell (Lehigh) vs. Cody Reed (Binghamton)

Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) vs. Ed Ruth (Penn State)**

*High School match

**Featured bout

***Match-ups provided by Josh Liebman

To purchase tickets in advance: http://ev6.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=S&linkID=global-lehigh&shopperContev6.evenue.net

For more information, please visit adamfrey.us

More Interviews from Cornell Regional Training Center Clinic: Nick Arujau and Clint Wattenberg

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At the Cornell Regional Training Center clinic on Memorial Day weekend, Nick Arujau talks about his first year with the Big Red and his thoughts about going 125 or 133 next season.  Clint Wattenberg discusses the growth of the Cornell Regional Training Center and the new freestyle coaching coming on board.

Nick Arujau

 

Clint Wattenberg