Columbia Sets Sights On EIWA Championships

Friday, March 6

Bethlehem, Pa.

11:00 a.m.

Columbia University

EIWA Championships

Tickets

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Steven Ryan

3/5/2020 5:09:00 PM | Wrestling

Game Notes Live Stats Watch (Flowrestling [$])Tickets

Columbia Wrestling will head to Lehigh to take part in the EIWA Championships.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After a season which saw Columbia Wrestling (8-6, 8-5 EIWA/2-3 IVY) snag the most Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association wins in program history, the Lions now set their sights on the EIWA Championships, hosted by Lehigh, which run from Friday, Mar. 6-Saturday, Mar. 7 at the Stabler Arena.

HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW
EIWA Championships – Watch (FloWrestling [$]) | Live Stats | Follow (@ColumbiaWR)

LIONS SEEDED: Five Lions earned pre-tournament seeds, with sophomore Matt Kazimir earning the highest seed for a Lion coming in at No. 3 at 141 pounds. Joining Kazimir was first-year Kyle Mosher, who earned the No. 6 seed at 157 pounds, sophomore Joe Manchio, who is seeded No. 7 at 125 pounds, first-year Angelo Rini, who is sitting at No. 8 at 133 pounds and sophomore Joe Franzese, who comes in at No. 8 at 184 pounds.

PATH TO NATIONALS: Entering the weekend, the EIWA earned a handful of automatic qualification allocations, with 125 pounds earning the most allocations, earning seven automatic spots. Six spots went to 165 pounds and 197 pounds, five went to 141 pounds, four to 149 pounds, 174 pounds and 184 pounds, three went to 157 pounds and 285 pounds and two spots will go at 133 pounds.

ALL-IVY LIONS: On Thursday, Mar. 5 the Ivy League released its postseason wrestling awards with four Lions earning All-Ivy League honors. Rini led the Lions earning Second Team All-Ivy League honors, while Mosher, first-year Lennox Wolak and sophomore Danny Conley were earned Honorable Mention All-Ivy League honors.

IMPRESSIVE MOSH: Mosher has been impressive during his first collegiate year, currently sitting at a team-high 23-10, Mosher won eight straight matches, with his last loss snapping that eight-match winning streak, coming via a 15-5 major decision to No. 5 Quincy Monday (No. 16 Princeton) at Princeton on Feb. 8, 2020. In his last 10 matches, Mosher is 9-1, having collected three wins via fall and he got his eight-match winning streak started with an SV-1 3-1 victory over Binghamton's Chris Barker on Jan. 10.

CARDIAC RINI: Rini (22-8) has been a walk-off machine during his first-year, and during the match at Penn (Feb. 8) Rini collected his second walk-off win of the season.

Needing at least a win via decision against Penn for the team win, Rini took to the mat with a mission, and he worked a 4-3 win via decision over Carmen Ferrante to give Columbia their first Ivy League win of the season. It was the second time this season that Rini has walked off for Columbia, having given the Lions a 21-20 win over American (Jan. 19) when he won via tech fall against Daniel Kidd, 22-7, to walk-off the win in Columbia's home opener.

FIRST YEARS SHOW UP: Columbia, who's starting lineup this season has consisted of four first years, has had key performances from those first years as one of the youngest lineups in the country have been getting it done. Led by Mosher's 23-10 record, the Lion first years, who have consistently been in the lineup, have collectively recorded a 72-46 overall record, going 32-16 in dual meets.

Overall Mosher sits at 23-10, Rini at 22-8, Wolak comes in at 17-12 and Andrew Garr is 10-16, as the Lion first years have been key pieces in a lineup that has earned Columbia an 8-5 overall record during the season.

RANKED LIONS: In the latest Trackwrestling national polls, Kazimir came in at No. 28 at 141 pounds, making him the lone Lion to earn a national ranking. Joining Kazimir was Mosher, who came in sitting at No. 30 at 157 pounds in the first time he has earned a ranking in his collegiate career.

PROBABLE LINEUP

EIWA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Stabler Arena)

125 | Joe Manchio
133 | Angelo Rini
141 | No. 28 Matt Kazimir
149 | Andrew Garr
157 | No. 30 Kyle Mosher
165 | Riley Jacops
174 | Lennox Wolak
184 | Joe Franzese
197 | Sam Wustefeld
285 | Danny Conley

FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Wrestling by following the Lions on Twitter (@ColumbiaWR), Instagram (@columbiawr) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).