Lehigh crowns three champions and claims third-straight EIWA title

Photo courtesy of Chris Gluth

Bethlehem Pa. - On their home turf this afternoon, Lehigh claimed their third-straight EIWA title. After putting five wrestlers in the finals, Lehigh came away with 3 champions and 8 NCAA qualifiers. Lehigh Head Coach Pat Santoro was named the EIWA Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career.

Perhaps the most impressive champion for Lehigh was No. 3 seed Josh Humphrey at 157 pounds. Humphrey shut out No. 1 seed Quincy Monday, 7-0, in the finals and was awarded the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler award. This was the fifth meeting between Humphrey and Monday, and the series was tied 2-2, with Monday winning both matches this season.

After a 0-0 first period, Monday elected to go neutral to start the second period. Humphrey struck first, countering a Monday shot and nearly earning back points. He finished the period on top, racking up 1:20 in riding time. To start the third, Humphrey chose bottom. After quickly escaping and pushing his lead to 3-0, Humphrey would go behind on another Monday shot to push the lead to 5-0. He finished the match on top, picking up a stalling point and a point for riding time as the period concluded.

Humphrey has now won two EIWA titles in two attempts.

Lehigh’s next champion was Jordan Kutler at 174 pounds. This was Kutler’s third-straight EIWA title. In the finals he bested Navy’s Spencer Carey, 5-0.Kutler scored a takedown in the first period, a reversal in the second period and added a riding time point at the end of regulation.

Another wrestler earning their third EIWA title for Lehigh was Jordan Wood at 285 pounds. Wood, who was seeded No. 3, took out Harvard’s top seeded freshman Yaraslau Slavikouski in the finals, 9-2. Tied, 2-2, in the second period, Wood put Slavikouski on his back during a scramble, picking up a takedown, four back points and nearly the fall. Wood tacked on a riding point at the end of the match.

Runner-up Cornell had two champions and six NCAA qualifiers. In the 133 pound final the Big Red’s Chas Tucker earned his second-straight EIWA title. He defeated Lehigh’s Nick Farro, 3-1, in sudden victory. The pair exchanged escapes during regulation, and Tucker was able to finish a single leg takedown in overtime to claim the victory. Tucker will enter the NCAA tournament undefeated, with a 31-0 record.

Cornell’s second champion was Ben Darmstadt at 184 pounds. Darmstadt, a 2018 All-American who missed all of last season due to injury, used his devastating top game and scrambling abilities to dominate Bucknell’s Drew Phipps, 11-0.

At 125 pounds, Pat Glory of Princeton repeated as EIWA Champion. Glory used a first period takedown and a third period escape to defeat Columbia’s Joe Manchio, 3-0. Glory, who finished sixth at last year’s NCAA tournament, is 24-0 this season.

Princeton claimed another title at 149 pounds when Matt Kolodzik brought home his third EIWA championship. Kolodzik, who won as a freshman and sophomore but finished third last season, defeated Cornell’s Hunter Richard, 4-3, in the finals.

Another program that had two champions was the Naval Academy. Their first champion was Cody Trybus at 141 pounds. Trybus competed at the 2018 EIWA Championships and went 1-2. Last season, Trybus wasn’t the starter and did not compete at the tournament. Back in the lineup this season, Trybus defeated Columbia’s Matt Kazimir, 3-1, in the finals to clinch his first trip to the NCAA tournament.

Tanner Skidgel claimed a title for Navy as well at 165 pounds. This was Skidgel’s second-straight EIWA championship. In the finals he downed Bucknell’s Zachary Hartman, 4-2.

At 184 pounds, Lou DePrez won his first EIWA title for Binghamton. As a freshman last year, DePrez finished third. In the finals, he defeated Lehigh’s Christopher Weiler, 4-0.

2020 EIWA Championships

at Bethlehem, Pa., March 6-7

Team Standings
1. Lehigh – 154
2. Cornell – 120
3. Army – 112
4. Navy – 104.5
5. Princeton – 100.5
6. Binghamton – 67.5
7. Bucknell – 57.5
8. Penn – 56
9. American – 55
10. Hofstra – 49.5
11. Columbia – 48.5
12. Drexel – 47.5
12. Harvard – 47.5
14. Brown – 13.5
15. Long Island – 9.5
16. Franklin & Marshall – 6
17. Sacred Heart – 5.5

Finals Results
125
1st – Pat Glory (Princeton) DEC Joe Manchio (Columbia), 3-0
3rd – Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh) DEC Gage Curry (American), 3-1 SV
5th – Trey Chalifoux (Army) DEC Dominic LaJoie (Cornell), 10-4
7th – Antonio Mininno (Drexel) DEC Dylan Ryder (Hofstra), 9-5 TB2

133
1st – Chas Tucker (Cornell) DEC Nick Farro (Lehigh), 4-1
3rd – Zach Trampe (Binghamton) DEC Casey Cobb (Navy), 6-4
5th – Andrew Wert (Army) DEF Carmen Ferrante (Penn), MFF
7th – Angelo Rini (Columbia) MD Michael Jaffe (Harvard), 15-7

141
1st – Cody Trybus (Navy) DEC Matt Kazimir (Columbia), 3-1
3rd – Noah Baughman (Cornell) DEC Doug Zapf (Penn), 3-2
5th – Ryan Pomrinca (Lehigh) DEC Anthony Sparacio (Binghamton), 3-2
7th – Corey Shie (Army) DEC Wilfredo Gil (Franklin & Marshall), 17-13

149
1st – Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) DEC Hunter Richard (Cornell), 4-3
3rd – Jared Prince (Navy) DEC Kizhan Clarke (American), 3-1
5th: PJ Ogunsanya (Army) DEC Jimmy Hoffman (Lehigh), 3-2
7th: Ricky Cabanillas (Brown) DEF Lucas Revano (Penn) FFT

157
1st – Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) DEC Quincy Monday (Princeton), 7-0
3rd – Markus Hartman (Army) DEC Parker Kropman (Drexel). 5-4
5th – Hunter Ladnier (Harvard) DEC Adam Santoro (Cornell), 8-1
7th – Jack Stanton-Taddeo DEC Jaden Fisher (Bucknell), 10-4

165
1st – Tanner Skidgel (Navy) DEC Zachary Hartman (Bucknell), 4-2
3rd – Philip Conigliaro (Harvard) DEC Cael McCormick (Army), 5-4 TB2
5th – Richard Stamm (Hofstra) DEF Grant Cuomo (Princeton) MFF
7th – Milik Dawkins (Cornell) DEC Timothy Fitzpatrick (American), 3-2

174
1st – Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) DEC Spencer Carey (Navy), 5-0
3rd – Ben Harvey (Army) DEC Michael O’Malley (Drexel), 6-1
5th – Sage Heller (Hofstra) DEC Mitch Hartman (Bucknell), 6-2
7th – Neil Antrassian (Penn) DEC Anthony Wokasch (American), 9-3

184
1st – Lou Deprez (Binghamton) DEC Christopher Weiler (Lehigh), 4-0
3rd – Tanner Harvey (American) DEC Noah Stewart (Army), 9-3 SV
5th – Jonathan Loew (Cornell) DEC Travis Stefanik (Princeton), 4-3
7th – Cole Urbas (Penn) DEC Jacob Koser (Navy), 6-1

197
1st – Benjamin Darmstadt (Cornell) MD Drew Phipps (Bucknell), 11-0
3rd – Patrick Brucki (Princeton) MD J.T. Brown (Army), 10-2
5th – Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh) MD Bryan McLaughlin (Drexel), 10-2
7th – Cole Urbas (Penn) DEC Jacob Koser (Navy), 6-1

285
1st - Jordan Wood (Lehigh) DEC Yaraslau Slavikouski (Harvard), 9-2
3rd – Brendan Furman (Cornell) DEC Zachary Knighton-Ward (Hofstra, 7-2
5th – Ben Goldin (Penn) DEC Joe Doyle (Binghamton), 1-0
7th – Niko Camacho (American) DEC Brandon Stokes (Bucknell), 7-4

NCAA automatic qualifiers by weight (44)

125 pounds (7)
Pat Glory (Princeton)
Joe Manchio (Columbia)
Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh)
Gage Curry (American)
Trey Chalifoux (Army)
Dominic LaJoie (Cornell)
Anthony Mininno (Drexel)

133 pounds (2)
Chas Tucker (Cornell)
Nick Farro (Lehigh)

141 pounds (5)
Cody Trybus (Navy)
Matt Kazimir (Columbia)
Noah Baughman (Cornell)
Doug Zapf (Penn)
Ryan Pomrinca (Lehigh)

149 pounds (4)
Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton)
Hunter Richard (Cornell)
Jared Prince (Navy)
Kizhan Clarke (American)

157 pounds (3)
Josh Humphreys (Lehigh)
Quincy Monday (Princeton)
Markus Hartman (Army)

165 (6)
Tanner Skidgel (Navy)
Zachary Hartman (Bucknell)
Philip Conigliaro (Harvard)
Cael McCormick (Army)
Richard Stamm (Hofstra)
Grant Cuomo (Princeton)

174 (4)
Jordan Kutler (Lehigh)
Spencer Carey (Navy)
Ben Harvey (Army)
Michael O’Malley (Drexel)

184 (4)
Lou DePrez (Binghamton)
Christopher Weiler (Lehigh)
Tanner Harvey (American)
Noah Stewart (Army)

197 (6)
Benjamin Darmstadt (Cornell)
Drew Phipps (Bucknell)
Pat Brucki (Princeton)
J.T. Brown (Army)
Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh)
Bryan McLaughlin (Drexel)

285 (3)
Jordan Wood (Lehigh)
Yaraslau Slavikouski (Harvard)
Brendan Furman (Cornell)

Number of NCAA automatic qualifiers by school
Lehigh – 8
Cornell – 6
Army – 6
Princeton – 5
Navy – 4
Drexel – 3
American – 3
Bucknell – 2
Columbia – 2
Harvard – 2
Binghamton – 1
Hofstra – 1
Penn – 1