Wrestling Ready for National Prominence

For the past three years, the Harvard wrestling team has been on the rise.

In 1998, the Crimson placed fourth in the EIWA and claimed its first All-American since 1983. It was an auspicious start, but no one could have predicted just how fast this ascension among both conference and national ranks would be.

Since that season, Harvard has consistently placed a solid third or fourth in the EIWA and ranked well within the top-30 in the country. To make up for the 15-year gap between All-Americans, the team has had five in just three years. But, this is only the beginning.

"This year's team is one of our strongest line-ups," Harvard Coach Jay Weiss said. "We have very strong leadership that is imperative to our success, as well as a group of young guys with a tremendous work ethic."

Although Harvard will greatly miss last year's graduating class led by All-Americans Ed Mosley '00 and Joey Killar '00, this is certainly not a rebuilding year for the Crimson. Rather, the team looks not only to repeat the successes of the past few years but also to add to them.

"We lost some great wrestlers, but we got another great recruiting class that will make an immediate impact," co-captain Matt Picarsic said. "We also have a strong sophomore class that is ready to make a big contribution."

The team will continue to benefit from an outstanding coaching staff, headed by Weiss, The Harvard Crimson's 1999-2000 Coach of the Year. Joining Weiss is an experienced team of assistant coaches which includes former Soviet National Coach Granit Taropin, and former Harvard All-Americans Dustin DeNunzio '99 and Andy McNerney '83. With a top notch coaching staff and the leadership of co-captains Fran Volpe and Picarsic, this team of seasoned veterans and promising freshman is poised to be a major force in the EIWA and NCAA.

Wrestling a very competitive schedule, the team will spend the first part of the season in tournament competition, which will include this weekend's East Stroudsburg Tournament, the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, and the Midlands Tournament at Northwestern.

Before the Ivy dual meet season, the team will travel to Dallas, Texas for the Lone Star Duals. This is a tough addition to the schedule, as the grapplers will square off against three of the nation's best programs--No. 2 Iowa State, No. 6 Oklahoma and No. 7 Nebraska.

"This is our first time at the Duals, and it is a huge step for the program to wrestle against three top teams in the same day," Volpe said. "I think it will be a great experience for everyone, and great preparation for the next part of the season."

But right now, the team is focusing on this weekend's season opener at East Stroudsburg, a tournament in which four wrestlers won individual titles last year and seven placed in the top four.

"We've been doing scrimmage in the room against each other, but this tournament is the first time we take the safety clips off," Weiss said. "It is great for the younger guys to get matches and get experience early on."

At 125-pounds, the team is excited about the return of junior Kevin El-Hayek who took a leave of absence last year. He will be joined by junior Brandon Rhoades, who did a terrific job at 125 last year, and sophomore David Germakian.

With two third place finishes and a sixth place finish at EIWAs under his belt, co-captain Matt Picarsic will lead the way for the Crimson at 133-pounds. He is joined by freshman Ken Kakesako, the Hawaii state champion.

Sophomore Nick Picarsic, Matt's brother, will continue to wrestle at 141-pounds after a great freshman year performance. Also wrestling at 141 will be senior John Bachman and sophomore Kendrick Sadler.

Freshman Jesse Jantzen will be a powerful new force for the Crimson at 149-pounds. A four-time New York State Champion, Jantzen already got off to an impressive start this summer, claiming the Junior National Title. Rounding out the weight class will be rookies Brandon Kauffmann and Jordan Stephens.

Sophomore Max Odom will be bumping up a weight class to wrestle at 157-pounds, a class dominated by three seniors last year. With a stellar freshman year that culminated in a spot at the NCAA tournament and Ivy League Rookie of the Year accolades, Odom has already established himself as a major threat in national scene. Junior Damien Billow and sophomore Seth Leighton will also share time in this weight class.

At 165-pounds, the sophomore duo of Patrick O'Donnell and Robbie Griffin will fill the vacancy left by Killar. The pair should allow the Crimson to remain a top contender in the weight class. O'Donnell, who finished 5th in the EIWA last year at 184-pounds, already made an early mark last weekend, with his fourth place finish at the Binghamton Bearcat Open.

Replacing Mosley at 174-pounds will be experienced senior Adam Truitt and newcomer P.J. Jones, the state champion for Ohio.

At 184-pounds, Volpe is once again back in the Crimson line-up after taking the year off. A NCAA qualifier in 1998, Volpe's return is an invaluable asset to the team both on and off the mats. Also in the mix in this class will be senior David Dinin.

"I am very excited to be back and anxious for the season to get going," said Volpe. "This is the best pre-season we've had since I have been here with the team working the hardest I've ever seen. It is a great sign and I am look forward to seeing how it unfolds."

Sophomore Reggie Lee will anchor the Crimson at 197-pounds, after a phenomenal freshman year in which he came up big for the Crimson, wrestling at both 184 and 197.

Junior standout Dawid Rechul will be the Crimson powerhouse at heavyweight. Rechul really came into his own last year, with an outstanding campaign that earned him second place at Easterns and a place at Nationals. He has already set the pace for the season by claiming the heavyweight title at the Binghampton Bearcat Open last weekend, easily defeating Brown's Bronson Lingamfelter--one of the top wrestlers in the nation.

"Dave started off with a big win last weekend," Volpe said. "He picked up right where he left off."

Altogether, there is no doubt that an exciting season lies ahead for this talented group of wrestlers.

"Each year, we hope to get more NCAA qualifiers and more All-Americans," Picarsic said. "We just need to perform consistently and build momentum so that we peak at the right time. We can open up some eyes and surprise people, although we won't be surprising ourselves."

Make no mistake about it, Harvard wrestling is definitely still on the rise.