boatracers
Joined: Nov 13, 2006
Posts: 36
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Five Ranked Wrestlers Ready to Take No. 22 Harvard to New Heights
Five nationally-ranked wrestlers will lead No. 22 Harvard on the mat for the 2006-07 campaign. The Crimson returns all five NCAA qualifiers from a season ago including four EIWA finalists.
All five Crimson grapplers, who reached last year’s NCAA Championships, are ranked in top-12 nationally and either No. 1 or No. 2 in the preseason EIWA polls. But what the Crimson has for the first time in several years is depth. With 22 student-athletes on the roster and several talented wrestlers at each weight class, the Crimson could contend for the EIWA title and a top-15 spot of the NCAA Championships.
“With four EIWA finalists and all five NCAA qualifiers returning this year I have high aspirations for this team,” head coach Jay Weiss said. “Winning an Ivy League title and EIWA title are definitely within our grasp if we stay focused and peak at the right time. We have several early tests with the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Midlands, and obviously our dual league schedule will prepare us for the EIWA and NCAA Championships.”
After injuries left last year’s Crimson squad without a 125 pounder, incoming freshman Ryan Fitzgerald looks to fill the gap. Fitzgerald is a four-year high school letterwinner, who will gain experience at this weight.
Former 125 pound EIWA champion and runner up at 133 pounds from a season ago, Robbie Preston will wrestle at 133 pounds starting second term. A senior tri-captain, Preston went 20-6 last year and is currently ranked ninth by NWCA/Intermat and second in the EIWA poll. In the meantime, sophomore Simon Orozco, who rebounds from knee surgery, will compete at 133 pounds.
Senior tri-captain Max Meltzer returns to lead the Crimson at 141 after finishing as the EIWA runner up and NCAA qualifier in 2006. Meltzer, who is ranked as high as sixth in the national rankings and first in the EIWA, went 20-6 as a junior. Senior Brent Kakesako will see action at 141 pounds as well.
The Crimson looks to newcomer J.P. O’Connor to provide power at 149 pounds. O’Connor comes in as the top high school recruit at 145 pounds by Intermat. He was a four-time New York state champion, the National Junior Greco-Roman runner up in 2005 and Junior National Freestyle and Greco-Roman All-American in 2006.
Sophomore Andrew Flanagan returns at 157 after a stellar freshman campaign. Flanagan was the EIWA champion and advanced to the round of 12 at the NCAA Championships en route to a 27-9 mark. He is ranked as high as fifth in the national polls and first in the EIWA. He looks to go even further in the coming season. Flanagan will be joined by junior Matt Button, who will battle for time at this spot.
Junior Bobbie Latessa, who is moving up from 149, will hold down the 165-pound weight class this season. He is joined by freshman Frank Colleta, a two-time Pennsylvania state place winner.
Sophomore Wes Walker and freshman Fred Rowsey will vie for a spot at 174. Walker compiled a 6-13 mark last year, Rowsey comes in as a two-time Texas state champion.
At 184 pounds, sophomore Louis Caputo returns to the Crimson lineup after a strong freshman campaign. Caputo finished fifth at the EIWA Championships, earned a wild card to the NCAA Championships and finished his rookie campaign with a 27-8 record.
Junior Jon Butler returns from a knee injury to compete at 197 pounds. He is joined by juniors Joe Bechtold and Billy Colgan, who will also vie for spots.
Senior tri-captain Bode Ogunwole returns from a great junior season, where he won the EIWA Championships and took sixth at NCAAs. The No. 2-ranked wrestler in the nation and the top ranked heavyweight in the EIWA, returns as the Crimson’s only All-American from 2006. Joining Ogunwole at this weight class will be freshman Andrew Knapp.
Notes for 2006-07
- Seniors Max Meltzer, Bode Ogunwole and Robbie Preston will serve as the 2006-07 team captains.
- Harvard is ranked 22nd in the nation by NWCA/Intermat. It’s the first preseason ranking for the Crimson since 1999 and the highest ever.
- Three nationally ranked teams are on the Crimson schedule – No. 9 Cornell, No. 14 Penn and No. 21 Lehigh.
- The Crimson will compete at the East Strousburg Open, Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Midlands and in dual meets against American, Wisconsin, Northern Colorado, Boise State, Army, Boston University, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Princeton, Penn, Lehigh, Franklin & Marshall and Bucknell.
- Senior Bode Ogunwole will wrestle in the 2006 NWCA All-Star Classic in Dallas Nov. 20.
All-Star Match - #2BODE OGUNWOLE (hwt) vs. #4 SPENCER NODOLSKY (UNC)
All Star Classic - FREE Web cast
It's Live Monday Night Wrestling!
LiveSportsVideo.com, written by Michael J. Raite
Syracuse, NY: Wrestling fans prepare this coming Monday Night as a night
to watch live Collegiate Wrestling! LiveSportsVideo.com, the leaders in wrestling video via the Internet, will present a free web cast of the 41st NWCA All-Star Classic, Monday, November 20th, from the Dallas Convention Center Arena. The web cast will open at 5pm CST starting with Exhibition matches at 6pm, then moving along to the Featured Event announced match-ups at 7pm CST. Just as a stadium fills up with fans, so may this live web cast event. Be first to grab a seat in this cyber arena, however, remembering as people exit the web cast another seat will open. If you are unable to view the webcast (due to heavy traffic), you can see it "archived" immediately following the event.
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