Three Lions Advance After First Day Of EIWA Championships

Friday, March 6

Bethlehem, Pa.

11:00 a.m.

Columbia University

EIWA Championships

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/David Collins

Three Lions Advance After First Day Of EIWA Championships

3/7/2020 12:32:00 AM | Wrestling

Photo Gallery Results (First Day)Updated Brackets

Sophomore Joe Manchio punched his ticket to the NCAA National Championships with a win over the No. 2 seed.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. – With a pin in the second period Columbia Wrestling sophomore Joe Manchio pulled off the upset of the weekend, sticking the No. 2 seed at 125 pounds to punch his ticket to the NCAA National Wrestling Championships and keep his chances alive for an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association title, while two other Lions, sophomore Matt Kazimir (141) and first-year Angelo Rini (133) each stayed alive for a podium finish after the first day of the EIWA Wrestling Championships at the Stabler Arena.

Kazimir snagged a pair of wins to remain in the championship bracket at 141 pounds, while Rini bounced back from a quarterfinals loss to take his consolation match to stay in the hunt for a podium finish. Manchio's win guarantees that he cannot finish any lower then sixth, which means that he locked up one of the seven automatic qualification spots allocated by the NCAA to the EIWA at 125 pounds.

"It was an exciting day and we had a lot of different guys step up in big moments," said Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling Zach Tanelli. "I am proud of the effort and courage the guys wrestled with, regardless of the result.

"Joe [Manchio] and Matt [Kazimir] are wrestling the best I have seen them all year and Angelo [Rini] has proven that he can beat anyone in his weight class. I am looking forward to watching the them get after it tomorrow."

HOW IT HAPPENED: Manchio got his tournament started with a solid 8-1 victory via decision over Brown's Trey Keeley as the tone was set for the Lion sophomore. It was in his next match, against the No. 2 seeded Brandon Paetzell of Lehigh were Manchio made his statement.

Late in the second period, Manchio got in position to snatch the leg and he tilted Paetzell into a spladle which led to Paetzell getting stuck at 4:13 in the match and an explosion of excitement bellowed throughout the arena as Manchio had not only taken down the No. 2 seed, but punched his ticket to nationals in the process.

🎥 THE MOMENT MANCHIO 👊 HIS 🎟 TO THE @ncaawrestling NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!! 👀😤#Team117 | #RoarLionRoar pic.twitter.com/YyfRvM7MtO
— Columbia Wrestling (@ColumbiaWR) March 6, 2020

Kazimir's path, while less exciting then Manchio's, was nonetheless impressive as he began his tournament with a win via fall (1:35) against Hofstra's Vinny Vespa to move into the quarterfinals. Against Princeton's Marshall Keller, Kazimir again worked his game and came away with a 4-0 decision to move into the semifinals, and with the No. 1 seed, Sal Profaci (American) dropping out of the bracket, the 141-pound title is up in the area and there for Kazimir to go get.

At 133 pounds, Rini had a tougher road to travel, but travel it he did as his hard work in the consolation round kept his podium finish dreams alive. Rini opened the day with a win via fall (6:55) against Justin Hoyle (Hofstra), but in the quarterfinals Rini would fall into the consolation bracket as he battled hard against Cornell's Chas Tucker, but would fall via a 7-3 decision.

The loss to Tucker did not dampen Rini's drive and he bounced back with a dominating performance against Princeton's Ty Agaisse taking the match via a major decision, 14-2, to stay alive for a chance to finish at best third at the tournament.

DAY TWO MATCHES: Manchio will take on Cornell's Dominic Lajoie in his semifinals match, while Kazimir will face Lehigh's Ryan Pomrinca in his semifinal match. While Rini will take on Penn's Carmen Ferrante, in a rematch which saw Rini take the first matchup between the two to give Columbia a walk-off win at Penn.

EIWA CHAMPIONSHIPS (DAY ONE)
Bethlehem, Pa. (Stabler Arena)

125 | Joe Manchio – W, dec. 8-1 vs. Trey Keeley (Brown); W, fall (4:13) vs. Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh)
133 | Angelo Rini – W, fall (6:55) vs. Justin Hoyle (Hofstra); L, dec. 3-7 vs. Chas Tucker (Cornell); W, maj. 14-2 vs. Ty Agaisse (Princeton)
141 | Matt Kazimir – W, fall (1:35) vs. Vinny Vespa (Hofstra); W, dec. 4-0 vs. Marshall Keller (Princeton)
149 | Andrew Garr – L, maj. 5-13 vs. Hunter Richard (Cornell); W, dec. 4-3 vs. Reece Keller (Hofstra); L, dec. 4-8 vs. Lucas Revano (Penn)
157 | Kyle Mosher – L, dec. 3-7 vs. Adam Santoro (Cornell); W, maj. 9-1 vs. Dom Demarco (LIU); L, dec. 4-2 vs. Jaden Fisher (Bucknell)
165 | Riley Jacops – L, maj. 2-10 vs. Zack Hartman (Bucknell); L, dec. 1-4 vs. Emmett Licastri (F&M)
174 | Lennox Wolak – W, maj. 11-3 vs. Kevin Parker (Princeton); L, maj. 4-14 vs. Spencer Carey (Navy); L, dec. 9-5 vs. Neil Antrassian (Penn)
184 | Joe Franzese – W, dec. 3-1 vs. Mike Doggett (Harvard); L, dec. 1-6 vs. Lou DePrez (Binghmaton); L, dec. 3-9 vs. Kyle Inlander (Bucknell)
197 | Sam Wustefeld – L, dec. 0-7 vs. Cole Urbas (Penn); L, fall (2:13) vs. Sam DePrez (Binghamton)
285 | Danny Conley – L, fall (4:42) vs. Jordan Wood (Lehigh); L, fall (3:32) vs. Niko Camacho (American)

UP NEXT: The final day of the EIWA Championships gets going at Stabler Arena starting at 10 a.m. with the matches being covered by FloWrestling.

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).