Harvard Eager To Battle in Season Opener

With a revamped squad and months of training behind it, the Harvard wrestling team can finally unveil its full potential. As the chilly November winds begin to force athletes indoors, the Crimson grapplers are in their element, preparing to begin the season this Saturday at the Binghamton Open in Johnson City, N.Y. The open tournament format—which welcomes high level competition from Virginia to Ithaca—allows squads to enter more than one athlete at each weight, giving Harvard the opportunity to display its entire lineup.

“Our goal is to prove ourselves early in the season that we are a formidable opponent,” junior co-captain Louis Caputo said. “We’re going to face some pretty tough teams, but we’re capable of doing that.”

The Crimson boasts an imposing balance of rookies and veterans, with five grapplers ranked in the EIWA and three in the national top 25. Although junior co-captain J.P O’Connor insists that the grapplers have little concern for preseason accolades, the message is clear that Harvard has put the wrestling world on notice.

O’Connor (157 lbs), who earned his second All-American nod last year, and Caputo (184), who earned the distinction in 2007, will be joined by 12 underclassmen, led by sophomore standout Corey Jantzen (141), who joined O’Connor as an NCAA qualifier last spring.

The Crimson also boasts a critical core of senior leadership, perhaps none more exciting than Andrew Flanagan. The 2006 EIWA champion at 165 lbs has battled injuries for the past two seasons and has the opportunity to make a triumphant return as the conference’s fifth-ranked grappler in his final season.

But while Harvard wrestlers are anxious to get back on the mat, Crimson coach Jay Weiss recognizes the need for caution during the grueling regular season.

“It’s early in the season,” Weiss explained. “I don’t want to put somebody at risk in a tournament where you have to wrestle five or six times [in a day].”

Accordingly, Jantzen, who is nursing a sore knee, and Flanagan will sit to ensure that Harvard’s veterans stay fresh through five months of competition. For the freshman, however, a tournament with so much action provides a chance to adjust to the steep learning curve of college wrestling.

“Division I wrestling is brutal and very physical. Guys are going hard every day,” O’Connor explains. “For the [rookies] transitioning from high school this is a good opportunity to gauge where they are and what they need to improve.”

For some of these new faces, the regular season will be a trial by fire, as Zack Pope (125), Walter Peppelman (149), and Sean Murphy (197) will impact the starting lineup immediately. As daunting as the task may seem, Weiss praised his captains for their work as role models and advisors in helping untested grapplers feel at home in the MAC.

“Not only are Louie [Caputo] and J.P. doing everything they need to do on the mat, they’re also doing a great job leading the team,” Weiss said. “There’s a strong chemistry [among the wrestlers] that I’m happy about and it comes from leadership.”

With Caputo ranked 4th in the nation and O’Connor at 5th, the co-captains will undoubtedly make their marks on the mat throughout the winter. But, as he has insisted from the outset of preseason O’Connor stresses team focus before individual goals.

“The team mentality is great,” the All-American explained. “Everyone’s excited and we’re all on the same page, looking to do what we set out to do [capturing the Ivy League title].”

Indeed, the more experienced members of the Crimson know that, while individual efforts can bolster a title run, team success hinges on consistent performance.

“We have our five or six [wrestlers] that can go against anybody, but we’ll need younger guys to step into holes and believe in themselves,” Weiss said. “Our studs will carry us a certain way, but like when we won [the Ivy title] in ’01, it’s the unsung heroes who need to come through.”

To turn this unified ambition into reality, Havard will look to draw as much experience as possible from tournaments before the Ivy season in February. With four matchups against top 25 teams–including No. 5 Missouri, No. 19 Old Dominion, and No. 23 Virginia at the Northeast Collegiate Duals this month—Harvard will have its hands full during the winter.

Although such high-level competition may take its toll on the Crimson squad, after months of anticipation the grapplers welcome any challenge.

“I’m excited to see how we do,” Caputo said. “We had a good, tough preseason and we’re all just eager to get back on the mat.”

While thoughts of a February trophy may still seem far away, for a resurgent Harvard squad this weekend’s first taste of competition cannot come soon enough.

—Staff writer Max N. Brondfield can be reached at mbrondf@fas.harvard.edu.