Lions Visit No. 17 Lehigh, Head To West Virginia For Tri-Meet

Friday, January 14

Bethlehem, Pa.

7:00 p.m.

Columbia University

#17 Lehigh

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin

Lions Visit No. 17 Lehigh, Head To West Virginia For Tri-Meet

1/13/2022 1:55:00 PM | Wrestling

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Columbia Wrestling will open the weekend at No. 17 Lehigh (Jan. 14), before wrapping up the weekend facing No. 4 Oklahoma State and West Virginia in Morgantown, W. Va.

BETHLEHEM, Pa./MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — After a dominating Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association opening win, Columbia Wrestling (1-1, 1-0 EIWA) hits the road for its first real dual meet test of the season, first heading to No. 17 Lehigh (6-4, 2-0 EIWA) for an EIWA meeting on Friday, Jan. 14 (7 p.m.), before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday, Jan. 16 at West Virginia where they will face No. 4 Oklahoma State (8-0, 4-0 BIG12) at 12 p.m., and hosting West Virginia (5-3, 0-1 BIG12) at 3 p.m.

HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW
at No. 17 Lehigh - Listen | Watch (FloWrestling [$]) | Social Media (@culionswr)
vs. No. 4 Oklahoma State – Listen | Watch (ESPN+) | Social Media (@culionswr)
at West Virginia – Watch (ESPN+) | Social Media (@culionswr)

LAST TIME OUT: In Columbia's last match, the Lions dismantled LIU in the EIWA opener, winning 46-0, collecting five pins in the match on the way to victory. Wins came from every weight class, with Danny Fongaro (149); Andrew Garr (157); No. 22 Joshua Ogunsanya (165); Nick Fine (174); Brian Bonino (184); Michael Baker (197); Danny Conley (285); No. 20 Joe Manchio (125); Angelo Rini (133) and No. 19 Matt Kazimir all collecting wins.

Columbia's pins came from Ogunsnaya, Fine, Bonino, Baker and Rini. With Ogunsanya, Fine, Bonino and Baker all collecting their wins via pin consecutively.

PIN PARTY: During Columbia's domination of LIU, the Lions stuck five Sharks on the way to the win. The five pins were the most for the Lions since 2006, where they collected six pins against Wagner in a 53-3 win.

The fastest pin came from Ogunsanya who stuck Blake Bahna at 2:37 and right behind him was Baker, who much like Ogunsanya, didn't let his match get out of the first round sticking Karl Bouyer at 2:42. Rini got his pin at 3:17, while Fine ended his match at 4:11 and Bonino's win via fall came at 4:45.

RANKED LIONS: Columbia enters the weekend in four ranked nationally by either FloWrestling or Intermat. Leading the way is Manchio, who comes in at No. 20 in both Flo's and Intermat's rankings.

Ogunsanya sits at No. 22 in Intermat's rankings and No. 23 in Flo, while Kazimir carries the No. 19 ranking in Intermat and an honorable mention from Flo. Rounding out Columbia's national ranked wrestlers is Kyle Mosher, who at 157 pounds sits at No. 29 in Intermat's ranking and has an honorable mention from Flowrestling.

CAPTAINS OF THREE: At the start of the season, at Columbia's outdoor practice during Columbia Football's Homecoming game on Oct. 16, 2021, Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling Zach Tanelli announced that Kazimir and Manchio will be joined by 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."

LEHIGH MATCHUP: Friday's meeting in Bethlehem will be the 20th all-time meeting between two of the oldest programs in the northeast, with the last meeting coming on Nov. 21, 2014. That 2014 meeting was in New York, as this will be the first time since 1974 that the Lions will visit Lehigh for a dual meet.

The two sides go back to 1913, where on Feb. 7, 1913, the two programs first met on the mat. All-time Lehigh owns an 18-1 advantage, with Columbia's only win over Lehigh coming on Feb. 18, 1922.

Lehigh enters the match as the No. 17 team in the country and is fresh off a signature win over No. 8 Cornell on Jan. 8. The Mountain Hawks battled to an 18-15 win over Cornell, and along with a win over Binghamton are 2-0 in the EIWA. Lehigh has also faced then-ranked No. 15 Pitt (W, 26-9), No. 2 Penn State (L, 16-23), No. 1 Iowa (L, 7-28) and No. 10 Missouri (L, 9-26).

Within their lineup, Lehigh carries into the weekend seven ranked wrestlers, with No. 7 Jordan Wood (285) and No. 8 Josh Humphreys (157) sitting inside the top 10.

OK STATE LINEUP: One of the best teams in the nation, Oklahoma State sits at No. 4 in the country, and this will be the first time the two sides have met on the mat in a dual meet in each program's history. So far this season Oklahoma State has taken on several ranked opponents, winning over then-ranked No. 24 Stanford (Nov. 13), No. 11 Minnesota (Nov. 20) and No. 17 Oklahoma (Dec. 12).

The Cowboys have a strong lineup, with all 10 of their wrestlers holding national rankings in the Intermat rankings. Six of Oklahoma State's wrestlers sit inside the top 10, with No. 1 AJ Ferrari (197) and No. 2 Daton Fix (133) holding the best rankings.

Oklahoma State also boasts a collection of returning All-Americans, with Ferrari, Fix, Wyatt Sheets (157), Travis Wittlake (165) and Dakota Geer (184) all returning after winning the honors in 2021.

WEST VIRGINIA MATCHUP: What will be the third time, and first since 2006, Columbia and West Virginia will wrap up the weekend with their meeting on the mat. In the first meeting, Columbia and West Virginia met on Jan. 14, 2006, at the Virginia Duals held in Hampton, Virginia. In that match, the Lions came away with a 20-16 win, but in the previous meeting, held in Binghamton, New York on Nov. 23, 2008, the Mountaineers won 22-15 as the all-time record between the two programs sits at 1-1.

This will be the first time the two sides meet at either program's home arena.

Sitting at 5-3 (0-1 BIG12), West Virginia enters the weekend on a four-match winning streak, but they open the day with their dual meet against Oklahoma State. Within their lineup, West Virginia boasts three wrestlers ranked by Intermat, with Killian Cardinale (125) leading the way at No. 5 in the nation.

PROJECTED LINEUPS
Columbia at No. 17 Lehigh
Friday, Jan. 14 | Bethlehem, Pa. (Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall)

125 | No. 20 Joe Manchio (COL) vs. No. 15 Jaret Lane (LEH)
133 | Angelo Rini / Zack Witmer (COL) vs. No. 19 Malyke Hines (LEH)
141 | No. 19 Matt Kazimir (COL) vs. Connor McGonagle (LEH)
149 | Danny Fongaro / Matt Arciuolo (COL) vs. No. 29 Manzona Bryant IV / Jimmy Hoffman / Steven Storm (LEH)
157 | No. 29 Kyle Mosher / Andrew Garr (COL) vs. No. 8 Josh Humphreys (LEH)
165 | No. 22 Joshua Ogunsanya (COL) vs. No. 25 Brian Meyer (LEH)
174 | Lennox Wolak / Nick Fine (COL) vs. No. 33 Jake Logan (LEH)
184 | Brian Bonino / Joe Franzese (COL) vs. AJ Burkhart (LEH)
197 | Sam Wustefeld (COL) vs. JT Davis / Eli Grape (LEH)
285 | Danny Conley (COL) vs. No. 7 Jordan Wood (LEH)

Columbia vs. No. 4 Oklahoma State
Sunday, Jan. 16 | Morgantown, W. Va. (WVU Coliseum)

125 | No. 20 Joe Manchio (COL) vs. No. 6 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (OSU)
133 | Angelo Rini / Zack Witmer (COL) vs. No. 2 Daton Fix (OSU)
141 | No. 19 Matt Kazimir (COL) vs. No. 18 Carter Young (OSU)
149 | Danny Fongaro / Matt Arciuolo (COL) vs. No. 14 Kaden Gfeller (OSU)
157 | No. 29 Kyle Mosher / Andrew Garr (COL) vs. No. 13 Wyatt Sheets (OSU)
165 | No. 22 Joshua Ogunsanya (COL) vs. No. 5 Travis Wittlake (OSU)
174 | Lennox Wolak / Nick Fine (COL) vs. No. 8 Dustin Plott (OSU)
184 | Brian Bonino / Joe Franzese (COL) vs. No. 10 Dakota Geer (OSU)
197 | Sam Wustefeld (COL) vs. No. 1 AJ Ferrari (OSU)
285 | Danny Conley (COL) vs. No. 30 Luke Surber (OSU)

Columbia at West Virginia
Sunday, Jan. 16 | Morgantown, W. Va. (WVU Coliseum)

125 | No. 20 Joe Manchio (COL) vs. No. 5 Killian Cardinale / Colton Drousias (WVU)
133 | Angelo Rini / Zack Witmer (COL) vs. Michael Dolan / Garett Lautzenheiser (WVU)
141 | No. 19 Matt Kazimir (COL) vs. Caleb Rea / Lucas Seibert Sr. (WVU)
149 | Danny Fongaro / Matt Arciuolo (COL) vs. Jeffrey Boyd / Brayden Roberts (WVU)
157 | No. 29 Kyle Mosher / Andrew Garr (COL) vs. Alex Hornfeck (WVU)
165 | No. 22 Joshua Ogunsanya (COL) vs. No. 11 Peyton Hall (WVU)
174 | Lennox Wolak / Nick Fine (COL) vs. Scott Joll Jr. / Dennis Robin (WVU)
184 | Brian Bonino / Joe Franzese (COL) vs. Anthony Carman (WVU)
197 | Sam Wustefeld (COL) vs. Jackson Moomau (WVU)
285 | Danny Conley (COL) vs. No. 22 Michael Wolfgram (WVU)

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).