Penn men’s wrestling senior Nick Incontrera has picked up this season right where he left off: at the height of his wrestling prowess.
The senior currently sits as the No. 7 best wrestler in the 174-pound weight class for NCAA Division I wrestling, according to FloWrestling. Entering the season as the No. 9-ranked wrestler in his weight class, Incontrera has lived up to the hype with two standout performances.
In his junior year, Incontrera solidified himself as an elite wrestler on the biggest stage in college wrestling. Incontrera advanced to the second day of the NCAA Championships and would be the only Penn wrestler to earn a win that deep into the tournament. In Kansas City, Mo., Incontrera would earn two victories, one of which was over Big Ten opponent Andrew Sparks of Minnesota.
Wrestling has been a key part of Incontrera’s life from a young age.
“When I was around five, my dad took me to a local high school wrestling match,” Incontrera said. “I watched the local wrestling team run out on the mat, warm up, and compete. I was having so much fun watching and was like, 'Hey, I want to do that.' I started and never stopped since then.”
Incontrera excelled on the mat during high school. An alumnus of Blair Academy, a New Jersey boarding school with a nationally respected wrestling program, Incontrera leveraged his competitive environment and grew alongside his teammates. There, Incontrera made a name for himself. He was ranked No. 15 nationally in the 152-pound division by FloWrestling as a senior, earned the 2019 National Prep Champion title, and was a member of multiple top-ranked teams.
The Blair-Penn connection is nothing new. Two of Incontrera’s current Red and Blue teammates, senior Ryan Miller and freshman Paul Ognissanti, are fellow Blair Academy alumni as well as 2024 graduate Michael Collaiocco.
“Blair was probably the most similar experience to college I could have had,” Incontrera said. “I lived there on campus for four years and was part of a very close-knit wrestling community. We did everything together. It was really a brotherhood."
Due to the pandemic, Incontrera’s freshman season was scrapped and no competitive matches were held. This gave the young wrestler an opportunity to reflect on his personal, academic, and athletic ambitions.
When it was announced that collegiate sports would be back for his sophomore year, Incontrera was ready to make his mark. That season, he posted a 17-6 overall record, a 7-2 record against EIWA competition, went 4-1 against Ivy opponents, was one of three wrestlers to start every match for Penn, qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time, and ended the regular season ranked in the top 20 for his weight class by Wrestlestat and the NCAA Coaches’ Panel. Despite an early exit, he took a lot away from his NCAA Championship experience.
His junior year was nothing short of impressive. Incontrera placed sixth at the EIWAs, again going 7-2 at the competition, and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships for the second straight season. He also walked away with a second team All-Ivy honor with a 4-1 record against Ivy rivals.
With wins against Harvard, Columbia, Brown, and Princeton for the second straight season, Incontrera solidified himself as a force to be reckoned with in the Ancient Eight. The most impressive were his performances when matched up with top-25 opponents, including his win over No.12 Phil Conigliaro of Harvard, No. 5 Mikey O’Malley of Drexel, and No. 20 Ben Pasiuk of Army. The season culminated with Incontrera leading the way for the Quakers at the NCAA Championships, which earned him some national recognition and foreshadowed a strong senior campaign.
At the Journeymen Classic in early November, Incontrera lit up the mat. The senior won the 174A bracket and took home the Hammer Award. The highlight of the meet was Incontrera’s matchup with Cornell’s Simon Ruiz. Ruiz, ranked No. 12 nationally in his weight class at the time. Incontrera defeated Ruiz in a 6-2 decision to win his first Journeymen title. The win would also earn Incontrera an Ivy League Wrestler of the Week award.
“Winning was a testament to our training,” Incontrera said. “Credit to the guys in that bracket. They were very tough and it was awesome to have a high-level competition. I always enjoy competing against Ivy League opponents. Cornell is a great team and competing against them every year pushes us to be better.”
In the second contest of the season, Penn Wrestling fell to Northern Colorado at the Palestra. Despite this, Incontrera shined individually, dominating his opponent 15-0 and securing the only shutout on the day. His win over Aydin Rix-McElhinney marked Incontrera’s first dual victory this campaign.
After missing the Keystone Classic due to illness, Incontrera is looking to get right back into his strong run of form with the Midlands Championship on the horizon. It’s difficult not to lose sight of upcoming matches while anticipating this year’s national championship tournament, but Incontrera is staying focused.
“The NCAAs are the pinnacle of college wrestling,” Incontrera said. “Any young kid into wrestling wants to win at the NCAAs … it’s a long season, but having a mindset of focusing on what’s in front of us has been important.”
This year’s NCAA Championships will be held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia March 20-22, 2025. The Penn team is looking forward to representing the city on the biggest stage of college wrestling this spring.
Before then, however, Incontrera and the Penn team will battle it out with the rest of the Ancient Eight at the inaugural Ivy League postseason wrestling tournament. The Red and Blue’s year has only just begun and the senior is looking to make the most of his last dance.
“This is my last year and I’ve had a lifetime goal of becoming an NCAA champion,” Incontrera said. “There would be no better way to finish out my career here than winning at the Wells Fargo Center."
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate
