Lions Host No. 4 Michigan In Season Opening Dual

Friday, November 19

New York, N.Y.

7:00 p.m.

Columbia University

#4 Michigan

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin

Lions Host No. 4 Michigan In Season Opening Dual

11/18/2021 4:12:00 PM | Wrestling

Buy Tickets Watch (ESPN+)

Columbia Wrestling will host No. 4 Michigan in a Friday (Nov. 19) night dual on Schiller Court at Levien Gym.

NEW YORK — For the first time since 2015 Columbia Wrestling will be on Schiller Court in Levien Gymnasium, when they host the No. 4 Michigan Wolverines (1-0) on Friday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. in the first dual meet of the 2021-22 season.

Tickets are available starting at $10 and can be bought by following the link here.

HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW
vs. No. 4 Michigan –Watch (ESPN+) | Social Media (@culionswr)

LEVIEN HOME: The last time the Lions were in Levien Gym was when they hosted a doubleheader in 2015 and this season they are locked in for at least one more match. The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association opening against LIU on Jan. 9 will also be held on Schiller Court in Levien Gym.

"We want to grow Columbia Wrestling and ever year I've been here it has been evolving and growing," said Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling Zach Tanelli. "And for us we want to create a better atmosphere for both our fans and the students. We are excited to grow the Columbia Wrestling experience by moving into Levien Gym."

SOUTHEAST STRONG: On Nov. 7, Columbia opened its 2021-22 season with a trip to Salem, Virginia to take part in the Southeast Open. A pair of Lions, Joe Manchio and Joshua Ogunsanya, each took home titles with Manchio winning at 125 pounds and Ogunsanya taking the title at 165 pounds.

Manchio knocked off the then-ranking No. 7 125-pounder in the nation, Sam Latona of Virginia Tech. Manchio got a late takedown against the defending ACC Champion and 2021 NCAA All-American to complete the marquee win in his first weekend of competition for the season.

As for Ogunsanya, he knocked off four opponents on his way to a first-place finish in the first collegiate action of the sophomore's career. Aaron Ayzerov (174) and Matt Arciuolo (149) rounded out Columbia's weekend with a pair of third place finishes as the Lions placed 12 total at the event.

RANKED LIONS: Columbia enters the weekend with Michigan with four ranked nationally by either FloWrestling or Intermat. Leading the way is Manchio, who comes in at No. 15 in both the Flo and Intermat rankings, following his win over Latona (Southeast Open), and he has held that spot for two weeks now.

Following his solid weekend at the Southeast Open Ogunsanya cracked the Intermat rankings at No. 33 and has since been bumped up to No. 29 at 165 pounds. Matt Kazimir (141) sits at No. 24 (Flo) and No. 15 (Intermat), while Angelo Rini (133) carries a No. 31 ranking from Intermat.

CAPTAINS OF THREE: At the start of the season, at Columbia's outdoor practice during Columbia Football's Homecoming game on Oct. 16, Tanelli announced that Kazimir and Manchio will be joined by Brian Bonino as the 142nd, 143rd and 144th Lions to be named team captains for the 2021-22 season.

"All three bring unique elements to the program that consistently elevate the men and women of this team to be better versions of themselves," said Tanelli. "They deserve to have a title associated with their leadership."

NEW FACES/EXPERIENCED RETURNERS: Having not competed since the 2019-20 season, Columbia has themselves a large collection of new faces with 18 Lions wearing the Columbia Blue for the first time this weekend and going forward. That group of Lions covers every weight class from 125 pounds to 285 pounds, with state champions and qualifiers among the mix.

"It's exciting to finally get these guys to wear the Columbia C and sit in their corners," said Tanelli. "We spend a lot of time invested in the recruiting process and we have been invested in their success since they committed to Columbia. The staff and myself are ready to help those guys get going here at Columbia."

Returning for Columbia will be a collection of experienced wrestlers. Among them are NCAA Championship qualifiers Manchio and Kazimir, along with 20-match winners in Kyle Mosher (157) and Rini. Danny Conley (285), Joe Franzese (184), Andrew Garr (149), Lennox Wolak (174) and Sam Wustefeld (197) all return having been key parts of the 2019-20 starting lineup.

MICHIGAN MATCHUP: This will be the second time in program history that Columbia and Michigan will meet on the mat, with the first taking place in 2008, and with Michigan having won that dual they hold a slight 1-0 advantage all-time over the "Nation's Oldest Program". Columbia will be facing a BIG10 opponent in a dual for the first time since 2016, when they faced both Maryland and Rutgers.

Nine Wolverines come into the meet ranked, led by No. 2 Myles Amine (184) and No. 2 Mason Parris (285). Stevan Micic (141) sits at No. 5 and Will Lewan (157) comes in at No. 8. A familiar foe will also be making the trip, as former Princeton All-American Patrick Brucki (197), having transferred from the Ivy League following graduation, brings his own No. 8 ranking into the match.

Michigan opened its season with a 39-3 victory over CSU Bakersfield, where nine Wolverines claimed bouts.

VENUE POLICIES: Fans must enter from the street level at the doors located at the southeast corner of 120th & Broadway. Fan capacity at Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium is limited to 70 percent of the venue's listed capacity per University Task Force protocols. All fans 12 and older must show proof of vaccination upon entry. All fans are required to wear a mask at all times. All fans must also fill out a COVID-19 protocol attestation.

Fans arriving to Schiller Court at Levien Gymnasium are required to adhere to Columbia Athletics' and Columbia University's venue protocols. Please find Columbia's venue policies here.

PROJECTED LINEUPS
Columbia vs. No. 4 Michigan
New York, N.Y. (Schiller Court at Levien Gym)

125 | No. 15 Joe Manchio (COL) vs. No. 18 Jack Medley (MICH)
133 | Zack Witmer/Mason Clarke (COL) vs. No. 16 Dylan Ragusin (MICH)
141 | Gunnar Fuss/Kenny Duschek (COL) vs. Cole Mattin/Pat Nolan (MICH)
149 | Matt Arciuolo/Danny Fongaro (COL) vs. Kanen Storr (MICH)
157 | Kyle Mosher (COL) vs. No. 8 Will Lewan/Fidel Mayora (MICH)
165 | Joshua Ogunsanya/Jack McGill (COL) vs. No. 13 Cameron Amine (MICH)
174 | Aaron Ayzerov/Nick Fine (COL) vs. Max Maylor/Matt McKenna (MICH)
184 | Brian Bonino (COL) vs. Jelani Embree (MICH)
197 | Joe Franzese (COL) vs. No. 8 Patrick Brucki/J.T. Correll/Bobby Striggow (MICH)
285 | Danny Conley (COL) vs. Blake Querio (MICH)

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