The Ivy League was the first to cancel both spring sports and fall athletics due to COVID-19. At this point, Cornell is the only Ivy institution fully on campus and there are clearly questions as to whether a wrestling season will take place. So, it’s not surprising that many notable names are missing from wrestling rosters around the conference. Let’s take a quick look at each of the teams and who may (and may not) take the mat if there is an upcoming season.
*All data as of November 5
BROWN
Who’s Back: Most of the eight wrestlers who didn’t graduate appear ready to roll in 2021. However, only one of them, Ricky Cabanillas, earned a podium spot at EIWAs (seventh at 149). The others are: Charles Faber (133), Jack Bokina (157), Cade Wilson (174), Nino Bastianelli (197) and Thomas Mukai (285). Kiran Srikanth (165) is on the Brown website, but not on the trackwrestling list.
Who’s Not: Former Top 100 recruit Bryce Rogers, who competed last year at 184, is missing from the roster.
Schedule Notes:
There isn’t any schedule information on trackwrestling for Brown at the time of writing.
COLUMBIA
Who’s Back:
The Lions had no senior starters at last year’s EIWAs, but only six of the 10 who competed there are listed at this time, highlighted by conference runner up Matt Kazimir (141). In addition, Angelo Rini (seventh at 133) is back, as are Andrew Garr (149), Riley Jacops (165), Joe Franzese (184) and Sam Wustefeld (197).
However, Columbia has some other reinforcements coming in, as Danny Fongaro (141/149), Brian Bonino (184) and Lawrence Kosoy (165) are expected to compete after “Ivy-shirting” the 2019-20 schedule. Kosoy won 26 matches as a junior in 2018-19, while Fongaro captured 16 victories as a freshman during that season. Bonino won a pair of bouts at the 2019 EIWA tournament.
Who’s Not: EIWA finalist Joe Manchio (125), rising sophomores Kyle Mosher (157) and Lenox Wolak (174) and heavyweight Dan Conley are not on the current roster on the Columbia website or trackwrestling.
Schedule Notes:
Two home duals are listed for the Lions: January 8 versus Hofstra and January 10 against Cornell.
HARVARD
Who’s Back: Six of the eight non-seniors who took the mat for the Crimson at the EIWAs are listed on the roster, including eighth placer Michael Jaffe (133), third placer Phil Conigliaro (165) and runner up Yaroslau Slavikouski (285). Also returning after 2019-20 “Ivy shirts” are AJ Jaffe, Josh Kim and Leo Tarantino. AJ Jaffe, who actually missed the last two seasons, was fifth at the EIWA tournament in 2018 at 141.
Who’s Not: EIWA placers Nolan Hellickson (125) and Hunter Ladnier (157) graduated. Meanwhile, 133 pound starter Lukus Stricker and upperweight Evan Callahan are missing from the team list on the Crimson athletics website despite having eligibility remaining.
Schedule Notes:
Trackwrestling does not currently have a roster or schedule for the Crimson.
PENN
Who’s Back:
Five of the wrestlers who took the mat for the Quakers at the 2020 EIWA tournament are on the roster. Two of them, Cole Urbas (197) and Neil Antrassian (174), finished seventh. The others – Jon Errico (157), Jake Stefanowicz (165) and John Stout (184) combined for two victories. 2019 EIWA champion Anthony Artalona (157) missed the bulk of last season with an injury, but it looks like he will return.
Who’s Not:
No starters graduated, but the first four competitors in the Quaker lineup – Michael Colaiocco (125), Carmen Ferrante (133), Doug Zapf (141) and Lucas Revano (149) are missing from the roster, as is heavyweight Ben Goldin (285). Four of them placed at EIWAs last year, while the fifth, Colaiocco, was nationally ranked. They all have at least two years of eligibility left, but as of now, they aren’t listed on the Penn athletics website.
Schedule Notes:
The trackwrestling page for the Quakers doesn’t have a roster or schedule information yet.
PRINCETON
Who’s Back:
Only three of the Princeton starters at the 2020 EIWA tournament are listed on the roster – and none of them placed at the event. Ty Agaisse (133), Marshall Keller (141) and Aidan Conner (285) went a combined 2-6 at EIWAs. Former EIWA placer Lenny Merkin is set to return for the Tigers after an Olympic redshirt.
Who’s Not:
A pair of starters were seniors – Kevin Parker (174) and EIWA champ Matt Kolodzik* (149). However, five other NCAA qualifiers for the Tigers who did not graduate have been removed from the website – Pat Glory (125), Quincy Monday (157), Grant Cuomo (165), Travis Stefanik (184) and Patrick Brucki (197). Brucki appears to have wrestled his last match for Princeton, as he is sitting out this season to recover from surgery and then has committed as a grad transfer to Michigan for the 2021-22 campaign. Glory, Monday, Cuomo and Stefanik all have two years of eligibility left, however. Will they be back for the second semester or wait until the fall of 2021?
*Kolodzik has applied to the NCAA for another year of eligibility, although he competed in four EIWA tournaments.
Schedule Notes:
One date is listed in trackwrestling – January 16 against Rider, a school just a few miles from Princeton.
CORNELL
Who’s Back:
2020 EIWA tournament starters listed on the team roster are: All-American Ben Darmstadt (197), NCAA qualifiers Hunter Richard and Jonathan Loew (184) and Adam Santoro (157).
Who’s Not:
This is more complicated. Many Big Red starters were removed from the cornellbigred.com site for the first semester – Vito Arujau, Dom LaJoie, Yianni Diakomihalis, Colton Yapoujian, Max Dean, and Brendan Furman. In addition, Jake Brindley, who competed in a number of duals was taken off, as were Steve Garza and Mike Venosa.
However, the names on Cornell’s trackwrestling roster page include some of those competitors – LaJoie, Yapoujian, Furman, Brindley, Garza and Venosa. Are they planning to be back for the second semester? And does this mean Arujau, Diakomihalis, Dean and freshman Josh Saunders, who aren’t currently on the trackwrestling list, won’t return in January? Stay tuned.
Schedule Notes:
Only the previously mentioned dual at Columbia on January 10 is listed on the schedule page.