Wrestling: Dominant on the Mats

"Building Something Special" is the motto of the Harvard wrestling program.

Indeed, this year's wrestlers have taken that adage to heart.

The Crimson capped off a successful 1999-2000 season by continuing to take the program to new levels within the conference and the nation. Accumulating many team and individual achievements, this year's squad has finally earned a place among the nation's elite.

For the second consecutive year, two Crimson grapplers earned highly coveted All-American accolades. Co-captains Joey Killar (165 pounds) and Ed Mosley (174 pounds) were both named All-Americans with matching eighth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships in March. These standout performances, together with those of sophomore Dawid Rechul and freshman Max Odom, gave the Crimson a 28th-place finish.

"Nationals is a very difficult, intimidating tournament, bringing together the best wrestlers in the nation," Coach Jay Weiss said. "Placing two guys for two consecutive years is an amazing accomplishment. They should be very proud."

With his incredible finish, Killar became only the third wrestler in Harvard history to earn All-American accolades twice. Last year, Killar placed sixth at the tournament despite missing two months of the regular season due to injury. Killar, Dustin DeNunzio '99 and John Lee '53 are the only repeat All-Americans for the Crimson.

For Mosley, who is the only Crimson wrestler to qualify all four years for Nationals, securing All-American status proved a fitting ending to an incredible collegiate career.

"The program is definitely on the right track," Mosley said. "I am really going to miss hanging out with the team. Wrestling has been a really good sport to me, and I hope that I've given something back."

In their first trip to Nationals, Rechul and Odom turned in terrific performances that will propel the program into next season.

"I am so happy with these guys," Weiss said. "They are skipping steps in the progression. They are not just going out there--they are going out there and winning matches the first time around."

Indeed, this season has highlighted a talented group of senior leaders, experienced upperclassmen and promising freshmen. The Crimson had a strong fourth-place finish at the EIWA championship in which it claimed seven top-six finishes and four NCAA berths.

Killar grappled to his second consecutive EIWA title. Mosley and Rechul both finished second in the tournament to guarantee their NCAA spots, while Odom's third-place finish earned him a wild card berth.

Senior Kevin Kurtz (157 pounds) rounded out a terrific four years with the Crimson by placing fourth while freshman Patrick O'Donnell (184 pounds) and junior Matt Picarsic (133 pounds) placed fifth and sixth, respectively.

The team had an auspicious start to the season when it captured third place at the Ivy Classic in early November. Both Picarsic and Mosley captured first place in their weight classes, while Kurtz and sophomore Brandon Rhoades (125 pounds) each grappled to a strong second-place finish.

Odom, Rechul, O'Donnell and freshmen Reggie Lee (197 pounds), David Germakian (125 pounds), Eric Swick (141 pounds) and Nick Picarsic (141 pounds) all placed within the top six.

"The group of freshmen did all the right things," said Mosley."They will be quite a group to watch over the next few years."

At the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas in early December, Harvard again proved its toughness, placing 13th out of 47 teams. Killar took second and Mosley placed third, both against some of the top-ranked wrestlers in the nation.

Later in the month, the Crimson finished a solid 18th at the Midlands tournament in Northwestern. Despite taking only five wrestlers, the Crimson edged out rivals Lehigh and Cornell--which both fielded full teams--and beat Iowa twice in its two head-to-head match-ups with the Hawkeye grapplers.

The Crimson was led by the dominating trio of Killar, Mosley and Rechul, who finished third, fourth and seventh, respectively.

In January, the team went 2-2 at the Virginia Duals, one of the toughest tournaments of the season, edging out both Ohio and Hofstra for the victories, but falling to Edinboro and Virginia Tech.

Despite continual injuries and a shifting lineup that posed mental obstacles throughout the season, the Crimson finished the winter with a 6-3 record. The team easily dominated Army, Boston College, Boston University, Columbia and Princeton throughout January and February and pulled out an exciting one-point thriller over Brown.

Later in the season, however, the team found more difficulty against conference rivals Lehigh, Penn and Cornell, three of the nation's top wrestling programs.

Ending the dual meet season on a three-match win streak, the team headed to Easterns in the beginning of March with much anticipation and excitement. The Crimson came home on a wave of momentum after winning fourth overall with four NCAA berths and seven top-six finishes. Top finishes by Killar, Mosley, Rechul and Odom earned the group a trip to the NCAA Championships.

Even after the season ended, the honors did not. Four Crimson grapplers--more than any other team in the Ivy League or the EIWA conference--were awarded Academic All-American honors for their achievements both on and off the mats.

Junior Matt Picarsic led the way, earning a place on the Academic All-America Second Team. Mosley, Kurtz and Rechul all were distinguished with honorable mention status.

Odom and Killar were named to the All-Ivy First Team, while Mosley earned a spot of the All-Ivy Second Team. Rhoades, Picarsic, Kurtz, O'Donnell and Rechul all garnered honorable mention accolades for their exceptional wrestling. In addition, freshman Max Odom was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year for such an extraordinary first season.

Although the success of the season and the tremendous impact of the freshmen leaves the program with much to look forward to next season, the team will also suffer a huge loss with the graduation of its core group of seniors--Killar, Mosley, Kurtz, Tom Kiler, Nate Ackerman and Brett Williams.

"Every year we have been improving, and I know that the team will continue to do so in the coming seasons," Killar said. "It has been a lot of fun. I wish it didn't have to end."

"While having them leave is a big loss for the program, there is also a huge gain in what they have done and the standards they have set for the younger guys," Weiss said.

Yet with some great recruits coming in and many star wrestlers returning, next season definitely looks to be a promising one for the Crimson.

"Although we do lose our seniors, both Fran Volpe and Kevin El-Hayek will return from their year off, and we are bringing in another outstanding recruiting class," Weiss said. "I am thrilled with the performance of the younger guys this past year and look forward to watching them do even more damage next season."