SEASON RECAP: Stars Bolster Injury-Prone Crimson

The Mighty Ducks had the Bash Brothers. Harvard wrestling has its co-captains.

Junior co-captain Louis Caputo concluded a stellar season with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA championships on March 21, joining junior co-captain J.P. O’Connor as one of five Crimson wrestlers to achieve All-American status twice.

In a year that featured a number of team struggles for Harvard (5-12, 2-3 Ivy), its all-star captains led a three-man charge to the championships—with sophomore Corey Jantzen completing the trio—finishing 41st in the nation to notch a positive conclusion to a roller-coaster season.

“We had our ups and downs, but that’s been the story since I got here,” O’Connor said. “With injuries, we don’t have the depth that other teams have.”

Despite a slew of setbacks that sidelined Jantzen, Caputo, rookie heavyweight Spencer Desena, and others, Crimson coach Jay Weiss took encouragement from the squad’s resilience all season.

“When the injury bug hits us, some of our [team] goals are unattainable,” he said. “But we really kept focused on what we needed to do at the end of the year…If our guys wrestle their best at the end, then we’re doing something right.”

A number of grapplers made strong showings to complete their campaigns, including junior heavyweight Andrew Knapp (7-13), who upset fifth-seeded Mike Sprigg in the first round of the EIWA championships. O’Connor (32-5) and Jantzen (14-3) took second in the tournament at 157 and 141 lbs. respectively, while Caputo (34-8) took third at 184, justifying the trio’s season-long ranking in the top 10.

With solid competitors at the squad’s helm, the Crimson also promoted the development of its rookies, many of whom faced immediate pressure filling in for injured teammates.

In particular, freshman Walter Peppelman (149) excelled in his first season, going 21-13 with a seven-bout win streak in the dual season. The rookie standout led the team with eight technical falls, more than the rest of the squad combined. Still, Weiss lauded his rookies even more for their resilience than for their accomplishments.

“When you look at Peppelman, he lost more times this year than he has in his career,” Weiss said. “When you get pressed into action, the biggest thing you need is experience, and [the freshmen] had that experience right away without having the opportunity to take their time. I’m amazed at how they responded.”

The Crimson’s rookies may have weathered the challenges of collegiate wrestling so well in large part due to the squad’s tight-knit dynamic. O’Connor praised a program that promoted a supportive atmosphere for the small squad throughout the season.

“Overall, we had a great time,” O’Connor said. “This was the closest our team has been in terms of being a family.”

Unfortunately for Harvard, it will lose important members of its “family” next year with the departure of seniors Tommy Picarsic (10-7), Pat Ziemnik (4-7), and Dominic DeNunzio. Picarsic (133) in particular finished with a flourish, putting together a four-match dual winning streak in his final season en route to a career record of 18-15.

Still, as Harvard showed throughout its campaign, the squad has the potential to bounce back from the losses.

Despite continuing to falter against juggernauts No. 24 Penn (12-7, 4-1) and No. 6 Cornell (12-2, 5-0)—both of whom bested Harvard by more than 20 points this year—the Crimson has confidence that its close-knit group of returning grapplers sets the team apart.

“There was great team chemistry [this year],” Caputo said. “We had a fun group of freshmen, and it’s sad to see the seniors go, but we’ve got great talent coming back.”

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