Wrestling Nabs First Conference Victory

The third time was the charm for Harvard wrestling this weekend, as the Crimson (3-7, 1-6 EIWA) notched consecutive wins over Brown and Johnson and Wales, nabbing its first conference victory in the process.

“It felt really good getting two wins under our belt,” said senior David Ng. “There’s a really big difference between being 1-7 and 3-7. Our guys wrestled really hard and you could really see that things were starting to click, so are really excited about that.”

HARVARD 30, JOHNSON AND WALES 16

Fresh off the win over Brown, the Crimson pulled away from Johnson and Wales late for a 30-16 win.

“Everybody was loose and there was a relaxed excitement that I hadn’t really seen this year,” Ng said. “You can tell that guys are feeling more confident and are just wrestling, and doing the things that we practice day in and day out on the competition floor.”

Freshman Josef Johnson continued his strong performance on the season, grabbing another win against Johnson and Wales, outmaneuvering Ken Dougherty, 4-1.

“He’s really been keeping up the momentum and making a great effort out there for our team,” Ng said.

Another big contributor was junior Devon Gobbo, who earned his second pin of the day against the Wildcats, in one of his first contests back from being injured.

“It’s great having Devon back,” Ng said. “He got us two pins that we really needed, and it was a solid performance from him on the day. Having him back in the lineup is great for us, he’s a leader on the team and he really inspires us all to work harder.”

Following Gobbo’s win, the Crimson was on a streak that would not stop until the end of the contest. The Harvard wrestlers had their arms raised for the next four matches, notching a commanding lead in the final stretch, with Johson, Michael Mocco, Popple, and Ng each notching a win against the Wildcats.

“This weekend was a big step for our team,” Gobbo said. “It was great to get two wins, but more importantly, everyone went out and battled. We fought for every point, and in the end that was difference.”

HARVARD 21, BROWN 17

The Crimson’s first opponent on the weekend was EIWA foe Brown (4-9, 2-5), who went into the match up with a 4-8 record. Harvard came out on top with a narrow 21-17 win.

While an initial forfeit at 125 set Harvard back six points from the start, the Crimson battled the entire match to come back and clinch its first EIWA win of the season, anchored by back-to-back decisions from Josh Popple and Ng at the very end of the match.

“We really needed Josh to win that match, and him getting a major decision was huge,” Ng said. “After he went out there, I was able to go in and get a major decision as well. We all really just went out and battled against Brown and that was great to see and be a part of.”

Following the first round forfeit, Harvard’s Ryan Osleeb got the Crimson on the scoreboard with a decision over Ezekiel Salvo, closing in on the Bears to bring the team score to 3-6.

Junior co-captain Todd Preston continued the streak as he posted a major decision over Anthony Finocchiaro, giving Harvard its first lead of the day at 7-6.

“Todd always does a great job for us,” Ng said. “He goes out every match and fights for every position.”