Men's wrestling plays against Columbia on Jan. 28, 2024.
Credit: Nathaniel SirlinAfter closing out a strong Ivy League season, Penn wrestling (4-1) is set to face the rest of the Ancient Eight at the inaugural Ivy League Wrestling Tournament on March 9. The Quakers will compete for NCAA bids as they scramble inside enemy territory at Princeton’s Jadwin Gymnasium.
The seeds for the tournament have already been drawn, with the Quakers earning two No. 1 seeds for senior CJ Composto of the 141 category and freshman phenom Cross Wasilewski (149). The Red and Blue were among only three schools that drew No. 1 seeds, joining rival Princeton and reigning dual-meet champion Cornell.
"I think, beating Cornell as a team... if we're going up against them, I think that there's going to be an extra, you know, a little bit of intensity," freshman wrestler Paul Ognissanti said." "Just because, you know, they're the top team right now, they got the target on their back."
The Quakers also secured five No. 2 seed spots, thanks to sophomore Max Gallagher (125), senior Ryan Miller (133), sophomore Jude Swisher (157), senior Maximus Hale (184), and freshman John Pardo (285).
Senior Nick Incontrera (174) also snagged a third seed in what might be one of his last shots at NCAA glory.
Rounding out the roster, junior Andy Troczynski (165) and freshman Nate Taylor (197) grasped seeds No. 5 and No. 6, respectively.
"I think the team is looking really good right now. Everybody's feeling good. We don't have any major injuries going on, which is a blessing at this time in the season," Ognissanti said. "I think that we have a good shot to top Cornell - if everybody's wrestling at their best."
Plenty of unfinished business remains to be settled at this one-day tournament. Gallagher and the Tiger’s No. 1 seed Marc-Anthony McGowan will both get byes on opposite bracket ends. Should the two win their respective semi-finals, they’ll face each other to be crowned Ivy League champion of the 125. Similarly, in the 133 weight class, senior Ryan Miller is on course for a finals showdown against Cornell’s Tyler Ferrara. Miller and Gallagher will be looking to avenge their last decision losses against their respective foes.
Composto may face the Big Red’s Joshua Saunders at the finals, whom he smothered in an impressive decision victory at Ithaca. Meanwhile, Wasilewski will look to secure another victory against Cornell’s Ethan Fernandez in his bracket’s finals.
With Penn boasting several top-ranked seeds, many wrestlers will get byes in the first round — meaning that their road to Ivy Champion consists of only two matches. However, Incontrera will have an uphill battle as the third seed of the incredibly competitive 174 bracket. He will first have to defeat Harvard’s Haden Bottiglieri before a semifinal clash with Columbia’s Jack McGill. If he advances, a showdown with Cornell’s Simon Ruiz awaits in the finals.
Incontrera and Ruiz have a storied history this season, having both traded decision victories at different dual-meets. If Incontrera fights his way to the finals, he’ll be able to close the trilogy and his rivalry with Ruiz to hopefully attain the elusive NCAA bid.
The tournament begins on March 9 at 10:00 A.M, with championship matches set to start at 6:30 p.m. With so many top-ranked seeds, Penn wrestling has the chance to secure multiple NCAA bids in this high-stakes showdown.
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