Wrestling Upsets No. 22 Penn in Thriller

Saturday, January 24

Philadelphia, PA

7:00 PM

Columbia University

Penn

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.

1/24/2026 9:53:00 PM | Wrestling

Lions score 20 unanswered points to secure 2-0 weekend

PHILADELPHIA – The Columbia wrestling team found itself trailing 13-3 midway through Saturday night's dual against No. 22 Penn at the Palestra. The Lions went on an epic run in the back half of the meet, scoring 20 unanswered points to secure the 23-13 upset over the Quakers.

With Saturday's win, Columbia improves to 6-3 in dual meets and has won four in a row. In Ivy League action, the Lions are now 2-0.

Sulayman Bah got the Lions on the board at 125 with a 9-6 decision over No. 28 Davis Motyka. After a scoreless first period, Motyka struck first, choosing the down position; he escaped for one point. Bah answered with a takedown at 1:30, before surrendering another escape. In the third period, leading 3-2, Bah chose down and scored the escape, he then added a takedown and held on to win the bout 9-6.

Trailing 3-0, Penn (4-1) scored 13 unanswered points with wins at 133, 141, 149, and 157.

Columbia mounted its comeback beginning with a sudden victory by No. 31 Cesar Alvan over #19 Sean Seefeldt. It was Alvan's second ranked win of the weekend after defeating 16th-ranked Ty Whalen of Princeton yesterday.

Trailing 1-0 in the second period, Seefeldt chose neutral, letting Alvan tie it at 1. Tied at 1-1 in overtime, Alvan secured the win with an early takedown.

No. 28 Nick Fine kept the momentum in the Lions' favor with a 14-1 major decision over Lance Urbas at 174. Columbia took the lead for good at 184 when Joe Curtis notched a major decision over the Quakers' Liam Carlan, winning by a final of 16-4.

Columbia closed out the dual with another sudden victory win, this time coming at 197 when No. 32 Jack Wehmeyer got the better of Martin Cosgrove with a takedown. Vincent Mueller put the match away with his NCAA-leading 11th win by fall.

Columbia returns to action on Saturday, January 31, when they travel to Ithaca, N.Y., to take on No. 21 Cornell. That match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

RESULTS
125 | Sulayman Bah (Columbia) def. #28 Davis Motyka (Penn) | Decision, 9-6
133 | #13 Evan Mougalian (Penn) def. Evin Gursoy (Columbia) | Decision, 7-0
141 | #7 CJ Composto (Penn) def. #19 Lorenzo Frezza (Columbia) | Decision, 8-4
149 | #8 Cross Wasilewski (Penn) def. Richard Fedalen (Columbia) | Decision, 9-3
157 | #13 Jude Swisher (Penn) def. #18 Kai Owen (Columbia) | Major Decision, 14-1
165 | #31 Cesar Alvan (Columbia) def. #19 Sean Seefeldt (Penn) | Sudden Victory, 4-1
174 | #28 Nick Fine (Columbia) def. Lance Urbas | Major Decision, 13-5
184 | Joe Curtis (Columbia) def. Liam Carlin | Major Decision, 16-4
197 | #32 Jack Wehmeyer (Columbia) def. Martin Cosgrove (Penn) | Sudden Victory, 4-1
285 | #32 Vincent Mueller (Columbia) def. John Vinciguerra (Penn) | Fall, 4:38

Cumulative Scoring Results:
125 | COL 3 - PENN 0
133 | COL 3 - PENN 3
141 | COL 3 - PENN 6
149 | COL 3 - PENN 9
157 | COL 3 - PENN 13
165 | COL 6 - PENN 13
174 | COL 10 - PENN 13
184 | COL 14 - PENN 13
197 | COL 17 - PENN 13
285 | COL 23 - PENN 13

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