With all 10 starters out on the mat for the first time this season, the Quakers began conference play with two victories that couldn’t have been scripted any better.
The Quakers began the day in Providence, R.I., and obliterated an overmatched Brown squad 35-6. The team then rode the bus to nearby Cambridge, Mass., and picked up its fourth straight dual victory with a 41-11 demolition of Harvard.
“It feels like the team is coming together as the weeks go on,” junior captain Scott Giffin said. “People are getting healthy and things seem like they’re falling into place. The team’s moral is pretty high.”
Not only we’re oft-injured senior captains No. 9 Cesar Grajales and No. 15 Matt Dragon out on the floor and winning against Brown (2-10, 0-2), the Quakers also got a big contribution from their smallest starting wrestler.
“Mark Rappo by far had the best day for us,” Penn coach Rob Eiter said of his 125-pound grappler. “He went out and beat a Brown senior who was a former national qualifier, and then took down a Harvard freshman who had actually beaten [him] earlier in the year.”
Penn (8-3 overall, 2-0 Ivy) emerged victorious in eight of the 10 matchups on the day, also picking up decisions from No. 18 Gabriel Burak and heavyweight Tyler Blakely, along with juniors Bryan Ortenzio and Zack Kemmerer.
After some R&R; on the hour-long bus ride up to Massachusetts, the Quakers came out firing against the Crimson (2-10, 0-2 Ivy).
The Quakers picked up wins in their first four matches, the most impressive of which featured the mighty Rappo. The sophomore pinned his opponent in only nine seconds, then proceeded to flip and ride him to a 12-3 decision.
“He’s got a ton of talent,” Eiter said. “It was nice to be able to get some momentum going early on.”
Unfortunately the streak ended at four, as Dragon re-injured his shoulder during warm-ups and was not able to compete against No. 1-ranked J.P. O’Connor in the 157-pound weightclass.
The Red and Blue responded swiftly, winning four of the five remaining bouts. The only loss came at the hands of No. 6 Louis Caputo, who was too much for freshman Harrison Cook in the 184-pound weightclass.
The team returns to practice this weekend with mixed emotions.
The good news is that the team will finally return to the Palestra next weekend for the first time since Jan. 17. However, they will have to defend their home turf against No. 7 Cornell (6-4-1, 1-0) Saturday.
But the team doesn’t seem phased by the pressure of competing against a top-tier squad.
“You can’t let the fear of wrestling a ranked guy get to your mind, Giffin said. “You’ve got to do what you can do and leave it all out on the mat.”
Eiter explained that while not one of his grapplers are likely to be favored on paper, the last few weeks have shown his squad that they can compete with anyone.
“As long as we keep that attitude going, I think we’re going to surprise Cornell next weekend,” Eiter said.
If all goes well, a season plagued by hardship and injury might just conclude with a storybook ending — an Ivy League title.
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