Columbia University
DUKE
Wrestling Defeats Duke, Falls to Harvard in Regular Season Finale
2/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
After falling behind Harvard, 20-12, Columbia rallied to within four, 20-16, before losing the key Ivy League match, 29-16. In the day's opener, Columbia routed Duke, 30-7.
Prior to the Harvard match, Columbia honored Andrew F. "Andy" Barth `83CC, a standout wrestler on three Ivy League champion teams, as part of Wrestling Homecoming 2006. Mr. Barth, a California businessman, recently endowed the head wrestling coach's position at Columbia. Following the day's matches, Columbia inducted its inaugural class of the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame in a black-tie banquet at Low Memorial Library. The inaugural group included Dave Galdi '82, with 125 victories the winningest wrestler in Columbia history.
The Lions led only once in the match against Harvard, at 6-4 after two bouts. Two wins, one by pin, put Harvard up, 13-6. Then junior co-captain Ricky Turk (Crestline, Calif.) hit his third fall in four matches, pinning Matt Button in 2:28 with another of Turk's trademark "cradles."
Turk's win left Columbia trailing by just one point, 13-12, but Crimson coach Jay Weiss "bumped" two of his wrestlers up to higher weights, where they were very successful. Bobby Latessa defeated first-year Derek Sickles (Rutherford, N.J.), 7-1, and Andrew Flanagan, a Harvard first-year, had an 18-6 major decision over Lion co-captain Dustin Tillman (Fremont, Calif.) that gave Harvard a 20-12 lead.
Junior Matt Palmer (Germantown, Md.) stepped into the breach, stunning Wesley Walker, 14-5. The major decision brought the Lions within four at 20-16, as junior Justin Barent (Worland, Wyo.) stepped to the mat against another Crimson first-year, Louis Caputo.
The first period was scoreless, but Caputo took a 3-2 lead after period two. In the hotly-contested third period, Barent picked up a takedown for a 4-3 lead and appeared to have another with seconds to go. But the referee wouldn't call the takedown, and regulation time ran out with a 4-4 tie as Caputo picked up a riding time point.
With 41 seconds left in the first sudden victory overtime, Caputo took Barent down for the 6-4 victory and an insurmountable 23-16 lead. Harvard picked up six more points to make the final score 29-16 when first-year Orrin Kleinhenz (Columbus, Ind.) was forced to default when he had a tooth knocked loose from its roots; although leading, Kleinhenz was forced to take an injury default, giving the Crimson six points.
Earlier in the day, Columbia routed Atlantic Coast Conference foe Duke, 30-7. The Lions won eight of the 10 matches, losing only at 133 and 197.
Dustin Tillman had a pin, surprising Aaron Glover with a headlock, and three men posted major decisions -- senior Jeff Sato (Pismo Beach, Calif.) at 125, 11-2; senior Sam Kuntz (Cicero, Ill.) at 184, 10-2; and junior Dean Kinports (La Mesa, Calif.) at 141, 8-0.
Palmer, Sickles, and junior heavyweight John Grando (Pueblo, Colo.) at heavyweight all had hard-fought decisions, but none fought as hard as Ricky Turk, who battled Dan Schvartsman to the wire before winning, 17-11 at 149.
The Harvard and Duke matches brought Columbia's regular season to a conclusion. The Lions, now 8-8 overall, 2-3 Ivy League, will compete in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships March 4-5 at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. Last season, Columbia finished fourth, its best finish in 74 years, and qualified a record five men for the NCAA Championships. Three of those men, Jeff Sato at 125, junior Matt DeLorenzo (Wantagh, N.Y.) at 133, and Matt Palmer at 174, remain on the 2005-06 team. Palmer, then wrestling at 165 pounds, went on to finish eighth in the NCAA's, making All-American.
Columbia 30, Duke 7
Hwt - John Grando (C) dec. Wade Van Sickle (D), 7-3
125 - Jeff Sato (C) dec. Kellan McKeon (D), 11-2
133 - Michael Degli Obizzi (D) dec. Eric Amstutz (C), 8-2
141 - Dean Kinports (C) dec. Philip Wightman (D), 8-0
149 - Ricky Turk (C) dec. Dan Shvartsman (D), 17-11
157 - Derek Sickles (C) dec. Addison Nuding (D), 7-1
165 - Dustin Tillman (C) pinned Aaron Glover (D), 4:37
174 - Matt Palmer (C) dec. Levi Craig (D), 9-4
184 - Sam Kuntz (C) dec. Dan Fox (D), 10-2
197 - Konrad Dudziak (D) dec. Nick Sommerfeld (C), 11-0
Harvard 29, Columbia 16
Hwt - Bode Ogunwole (H) dec. Bill Beechum (C), 16-2
125 - Jeff Sato (C) won by forfeit
133 - Robbie Preston (H) dec. Matt DeLorenzo (C), 7-2
141 - Max Meltzer (H) pinned Sal Tirico (C), 5:49
149 - Ricky Turk (C) pinned Matt Button (H), 2:28
157 - Bobby Latessa (H) dec. Derek Sickles (C), 7-1
165 - Andrew Flanagan (H) dec. Dustin Tillman (C), 18-6
174 - Matt Palmer (C) dec. Wesley Walker (H), 14-5
184 - Louis Caputo (H) dec. Justin Barent (C), 6-4 sv OT
197 - Billy Colgan (H) won by injury default over Orrin Kleinhenz (C), 5:41
Players Mentioned
