Penn wrestling ekes out pair of road wins against Ivy League rivals Brown and Harvard

Penn wrestling traveled to Rhode Island and Massachusetts this weekend to compete with Ivy League rivals Brown and Harvard, and ultimately came away with a pair of Saturday wins.

Although the Red and Blue tied with the Bears at 19-19, the visitors were declared victorious on criteria, and they added another win later that day by defeating the Crimson with a 22-19 score.

Last year, Penn defeated Brown and Harvard at the Palestra, and the Quakers continued their winning ways over the weekend. 

Wrestlers that stood out were sophomores Doug Zapf and Neil Antrassian, as well as freshmen Cole Urbas, and Lucas Revano, all of whom contributed greatly to the team's victories by winning both of their matches on the day.

Zapf started hot at 141 pounds in the opening bouts for both duals, collecting his pair of individual wins and setting a strong tone for the team to follow.

“I knew that the matches were going to be very close, and I knew it was going to take all nine guys since we had a forfeit at one of the matches and both of the matches at one of the weights," Zapf said. "So I think it was really cool how we all came together as a team this weekend. Even if we lose by certain amount or win by a certain amount, I think everyone wrestled for the team this weekend.”

Wrestling immediately after Zapf at 149 pounds, Revano scored two big wins to keep up the momentum in both duals. A major decision against Harvard earned a crucial bonus team point that ended up proving valuable in the final tally.

Antrassian's powerful offense scored some points that also contributed greatly to the Red and Blue’s win against Harvard. After picking up a 5-3 win against Brown, the sophomore exploded for a 20-5 technical fall victory over the Crimson's Pierce Bausano, earning five team points.

“Before the match against Harvard, our coach told me what they needed me to do in order for us to come out on top," Antrassian said. "So I just kind of went out there and was just focusing on scoring points … and thankfully I was able to do that, and we were able to come out on top.” 

At 197 pounds, Urbas has performed well since the start of the season, and his strengths were on display against both teams this weekend. He won a tight bout against Brown before pinning Evan Callahan of Harvard. The second win put Penn up by eight in the team score and gave him the seventh win of his season.

“I was really confident going into the match," Urbas said. “It’s one of those matches where you’re feeling good and excited to wrestle and I was wrestling for myself, for the sport. It was more than just a win. So that was really exciting to me, and I'm excited for the rest of the season.”

The team's next event is this Saturday at the Palestra, where the Red and Blue will face off in another Ivy League doubleheader against Columbia and Cornell. With the team in high spirits, the Quakers are excited to continue their success at home.