Wrestling Sweeps Dual Meet Finale

BOSTON--Call it drive. Call it a mission. Or probably more appropriately, call it a vision quest. Either way, one thing is clear. This is one determined Harvard wrestling team.

Despite a plague of injuries and a shifting line-up, the Crimson (8-5, 4-3 EIWA) saw it all come together this past weekend as it swept New England opponents Brown and Boston University and capped off the dual meet season with a 3-0 winning streak.

With a number of outstanding performances against some of the top wrestlers in the nation, the Harvard grapplers had much to celebrate as they edged out the Bears 16-15 on Friday night before crushing the Terriers 35-8 the following day.

"It was a fun weekend and we felt really good coming out of it," said freshman sensation Max Odom. "It is a good way to go into EIWAs."

Harvard 16, Brown 15

After last season's loss to Brown, a team for which Harvard Coach Jay Weiss was formerly an assistant coach, the Crimson traveled to Providence for a highly anticipated rematch and a chance for revenge.

However, the team was forced to do so without three veteran wrestlers--sophomore Brandon Rhoades (125-pounds), co-captain Ed Mosley (174-pounds), and junior Brad Soltis (197-pounds). Yet, even with an altered line-up that bumped up three wrestlers, the Crimson came out in full force.

"I am very pleased with the weekend," Weiss said. "It proves we are doing the right things and peaking at the right time. It creates great momentum."

In a tight bout, the meet kicked off at 184-pounds where freshman Reggie Lee lost a heartbreaking 4-3 overtime decision to Karl Rittger.

Then, at 197-pounds, freshman Patrick O'Donnell tied things up with a spectacular win over Craig Powell, ranked No. 4 in the EIWA. Weighing in at only 177-pounds, O'Donnell pulled a terrific 6-4 upset despite the twenty pound disadvantage.

He was followed by sophomore heavyweight Dawid Rechul, who

also turned in a stellar performance. Up against sophomore Bronson Lindamfelter, ranked No. 8 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the EIWA, Rechul wrestled a great match that culminated in a 7-4 win.

"[Rechul] did a really nice job," Weiss said. "He can beat anyone in the conference."

At 149-pounds, Odom grappled for a big win in one of the most highly touted matchups of the night. Grappling against Jason Mercado, ranked ahead of him as No. 3 in the EIWA, Odom absolutely controlled the entire match for a remarkable 10-1 win, that included 5:40 riding time.

This victory was not only a tremendous individual win that will boost his conference ranking, but also an important team one, as the major decision defeat earned the Crimson an extra team point that would prove crucial in the overall outcome.

"It was a huge weekend for Max," Weiss said. "He sent a loud message to the rest of the league. He just goes in there and get the job done."

Senior Tom Kiler came through with an 8-7 win over Todd Dewitt at 157-pounds, keeping the Crimson on stride with the Bears. Despite a valiant effort at 165-pounds, senior Kevin Kurtz, who bumped up a weight class, lost a tough 8-5 fight in the last seconds of the match to Bears captain Brad McDonald, ranked no. 5 in the EIWA.

After this continuous battle of back and forth scoring, the Crimson found

itself down two points with one match remaining. However, with

co-captain Joey Killar bumping up to wrestle at 174-pounds, it was actually Harvard who was in the driving seat. In the dominating style that has been typical of him all season, Killar grappled to a 4-2 victory over Nick Almeida and provided the team with a one-point win over its Ivy foe.

Harvard 35, B.U. 8

The Crimson didn't have to travel quite as far for their win on Saturday, as the headed across the river to face a talented B.U. squad.

However, led by the "Triple K's"--Killar, Kurtz, and Kiler--who were

wrestling the last dual meet of their careers, the Crimson absolutely

commanded the meet from start to finish.

This time wrestling his usual

165-pound weight class, Killar set the tone for the match, easily racking up

fifteen points for a technical fall.

After Killar, came one of the day's most exciting performances in the 174-pound weight class. Weighing in at

157-pounds, Kiler bumped up to wrestle for the injured Mosley.

Undaunted by the signficant weight difference, Kiler's toughness on the mats earned him a 7-5 victory over Ali Abri, one of the Terriers best wrestlers.

"I was really happy with that match," Weiss said. "Tommy stepped in for Ed against one of their toughest wrestlers. He wrestled a smart bout and did exactly what he needed to do."

At 184-pounds, O'Donnell pinned his opponent 5:52 into the match, a fitting ending to a great weekend of wrestling for the freshman.

Following O'Donnell's lead, Lee

grappled to a solid 5-2 win in the 197-pound weight class while Rechul

emerged with an 11-7 victory over a significantly larger heavyweight

competitor.

At 149-pounds, Odom again faced the most difficult match of the day, as he was up against Malik Elliot, ranked No. 17 in the nation. But, again this freshman displayed his enormous talent and proved that he can not only compete, but also defeat, the top wrestlers in the country.

Holding each other in check for three periods, the match moved into

overtime, where Odom threw Elliot on his back for the pin and secured the upset.

"It was a tough match. I got lucky and won in overtime," Odom said. "Things started out a little rough at the beginning of the season but got better as the year went on. I am happy with what I've done so far, but I hope to go

further."

At 157-pounds, Kurtz rounded out the Crimson's successful weekend with a 2-0 victory.

Wresting confidently and aggressively, the team was finally able

to capture the close wins that had often eluded it throughout the dual

meet season. Finishing on a high note, the Crimson completed its schedule

with three consecutive wins and an overall 8-5 record. And this weekend's

2-0 sweep was not only a perfect ending to the season, but also to the dual meet careers of three top wrestlers who have had a tremendous impact on this program's growth.

The grapplers now get set for the EIWA tournament on March 3-4,

which is the qualifying tournament for the NCAA Championships. The team

hopes to exceed last year's third place finish--the best in program history--which sent three wrestlers to the NCAAs. And judging by the

talent shown this weekend and throughout the season, there is no question that this team is more than capable of fulfilling this vision.

"The hard work is almost done, " Weiss said. "We are going to start pulling back and just work on getting healthy. EIWA represents a clean slate. Everyone's record is now 0-0."

And while there definitely is a lot to look forward to in the coming month, these Harvard grapplers already have much to be proud of.