The 134-pound wrestler may be looked over by the wrestling faithful, but his work on the mats and at high school wrestling camp shouldn't go unnoticed. At a big place like Penn, many faces go unnoticed. Wrestling may not attract the thousands of Penn fans who faithfully attend the basketball and football games, but it is a sport that doesn't need glamour and attention to win the hearts of Quakers fans. The Penn wrestling team has been called the best team the Ivy League and the East has ever seen. Currently ranked 12th in the nation, the Quakers have had an incredible season, highlighted by an invitation to the National Duals in January where they nearly beat then third-ranked Iowa State. One face that may go unnoticed is senior Sean O'Hara. Although O'Hara's dominating style is indicative of his aggressive personality on the mat, off the mat his demeanor is quiet. "He has a very dominating and rugged style," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "But he's very quiet and very thoughtful. When he has something to say to the team, it's always very meaningful." O'Hara is from Lake Grove, N.Y., and attended Sachem High School, which has a successful wrestling program. He has wrestled since the fourth grade, taking after his older brother who wrestled in college and now coaches for a high school. For the past three years, O'Hara has worked at a wrestling camp in Iowa where he teaches high school kids. "I like to help them," O'Hara said. "When you show something to a kid and you're willing to help, you know you're making a difference." In fact, O'Hara hopes to stick around Penn to help coach after graduation. Feeling the inevitability of his last wrestling season, he hopes to stay and help the younger members on the team to develop their training and to help them work harder. "He has a phenomenal work ethic," Reina said. "He is very committed to every aspect of his preparation." O'Hara's work ethic is unbeatable. In fact, Reina believes that he if the hardest working member of the team. "The good thing about wrestling is that no matter what ability you start at, you can be the best," said O'Hara. Two years ago, O'Hara took a year off from Penn to train and improve. When he returned, he had a challenging year competing for a spot in the starting lineup with teammate Mark Piotrowsky. Piotrowsky won, although the two were nearly identical with similar records and performances. "I put a lot of pressure in myself," O'Hara said. "But having to compete against him has made me a better wrestler." But nothing is holding O'Hara back now. He is back in the starting lineup at 134 pounds and is currently ranked 12th in the nation. "The feeling I had last year was one I did not want to have again," O'Hara said. O'Hara has also become an important leader on the team. "He's done a great job of getting his confidence back and becoming a leader," Penn tri-captain Brandon Slay said. "He leads very well through action and through the hard work he puts in. People see that and they look up to that and they respect him." O'Hara's biggest win this season has been over Iowa State's Dwight Hinson, who is ranked third in the nation and the returning NCAA runner-up. At the Midlands Open this past December, Hinson beat O'Hara, giving him his first and only loss in the conference or the league. However, at the National Duals three weeks later, O'Hara bounced back from his earlier loss to beat Hinson, who was then ranked No. 1 in the nation. "He was probably one of the best guys I've ever beaten," O'Hara said. "It was a breakthrough." O'Hara leads the team in takedowns and falls, two of the most important ways to gain points in a wrestling match, and has been very successful pinning his opponents, the best way to win a match. Two weeks ago he pinned his Princeton opponent just 36 seconds into the match. Highly respected on the team for his excellent work ethic, O'Hara is especially admired for the way he handles his opponents. "One of the things people tell me when they see me wrestle is that it's exciting," O'Hara said. "One of my goals is to wrestle an offensive style." One reason why O'Hara has been able to wear down his opponents is his outstanding cardiovascular fitness. "He is more physical than any of the opponents I've ever seen him wrestle," Slay said. "His offensive style really wears down his opponents and makes them not want to wrestle anymore because most guys aren't in the kind of shape Sean is." O'Hara shares the mindset of the entire Penn wrestling team. After the Lehigh match this weekend, the Quakers will prepare for the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships and the NCAAs. O'hara has a lot of work to do to prepare for these two final meets of his Penn career, a career which has had its ups and downs but has really paid off this year. His success may have slipped quietly by most Penn sports fans, but O'Hara still has a lot to accomplish. He has a great chance to win Easterns and to win All-American honors. When asked what the greatest moment he has ever had on the team, O'Hara answered, "Hopefully, it is still yet to come."
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