Feldman Boosts No. 6 Buckeyes to 21-20 Win over No. 8 Cornell

Jan. 5, 2024, 11:49 PM (ET)

by Dan Wallenberg, Ohio State Department of Athletics

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Down by two headed to the final bout of the night, No. 6 Ohio State (8-1) rallied to defeat No. 8 Cornell (3-2), 21-20, giving the Buckeyes their second consecutive Top 10 win.
Ohio State heavyweight Nick Feldman took the mat with the Buckeyes down 20-18 in the final bout of the night at the Covelli Center. Against No. 19 Lewis Fernandes, Feldman scored first for a 3-0 lead. Fernandes tied the bout at 3-all with a takedown and then took a 4-3 lead when Feldman allowed an escape in the third. Needing a late score, Feldman earned the match-winning takedown with under 30 seconds left to earn the 6-4 win by decision and give the Buckeyes a 21-20 team win.
The Buckeyes won by the same score over No. 2 NC State in the final dual of 2023 at the Collegiate Duals in Nashville.

How It Happened

125-No. 14 Brett Ungar (COR) def. No. 22 Brendan McCrone (OSU) | D, 7-1
Ungar scored a takedown with just over a minute gone in the first period and led 3-0 after the first. From neutral position, Ungar recorded another takedown to lead 6-0. McCrone was awarded a point after Ungar was called for stalling to trail 6-1 after five minutes. With a point for riding time, Ungar won by decision, 7-1.
133-No. 13 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. Ethan Qureshi (COR) | F, 1:48
Bouzakis struck first with a pair of quick takedowns around a Qureshi escape for a 6-1 lead. Bouzakis then closed out the bout with a pin at 1:48.
141-No. 3 Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. No. 17 Vince Cornella (COR) | MD, 14-4
Mendez led 3-0 halfway through the first on a takedown. He added another to take a 6-1 advantage to the second. Cornella got the escape and Mendez quickly added and takedown to lead 9-3 with 30 seconds left in the second. That score held going to the third. After a brief blood stoppage for Cornella, Mendez opened the third with an escape and takedown for a 13-3 lead. Cornella escaped for one and with a point for riding time, Mendez won by major decision, 14-4.
149-No. 5 Dylan D'Emilio (OSU) def. No. 24 Ethan Fernandez (COR) | D, 8-1
After a stalling warning called on Fernandez, D'Emilio scored the first takedown of the bout to lead 3-0 after the first. An escape to start the second put the Buckeyes up 4-0. Another point for stalling made it 5-0 D'Emilio. Another stalling point for D'Emilio in the third upped the lead to 6-1. Another two points were awarded to the Buckeyes for stalling to make it 8-1 to give D'Emilio a win by decision.
157-No. 15 Meyer Shapiro (COR) def. No. 12 Paddy Gallagher (OSU) | TF, 15-0
The bout went to the second period with Shapiro leading 3-0. He added an escape early in the second to increase the lead to 4-0. Shapiro added a takedown late in the second for a 7-0 lead after five minutes. A takedown and four-point nearfall made it 14-0 Cornell. With a point for riding time, Shapiro won by technical fall, 15-0.
165- No. 3 Julian Ramirez (COR) def. Bryce Hepner (OSU) | D, 6-4
After a late scramble and lengthy review, Ramirez was awarded a takedown for a 3-0 lead after three minutes. He added an escape to open the second and led 4-0 with two minutes to go. Hepner scored with an escape in the third and tied it with a takedown. Ramirez then got the reversal to win by decision, 6-4.
174-Rocco Welsh (OSU) def. Benny Baker (COR) | TF, 20-4
Welsh started with a takedown and added another for a 6-1 lead after the first two minutes. The Buckeyes led 9-2 after the first. The lead improved to 16-4 after the second. From the neutral position, Welsh got the winning takedown to earn the technical fall, 20-4.
184-No. 8 Chris Foca (COR) def. No. 14 Gavin Hoffman (OSU) | F, 1:48
Foca jumped to a 5-0 lead and then got the win by pin at 1:48.
197-No. 7 Jacob Cardenas (COR) def. No. 23 Luke Geog (OSU) | D, 8-2
Cardenas scored the bout's first points with a takedown midway through the first to head to the second with a 3-0 lead. Cardenas escaped early in the second for a 4-0 advantage with two minutes to go. Geog scored an escape in the third to trail 4-1. Cardenas added a takedown and a point for riding time to win by decision, 8-2.
HWT-No. 18 Nick Feldman (OSU) def. No. 19 Lewis Fernandes (COR) | D, 6-4
After a scramble, Feldman scored a double-leg takedown for a 3-0 lead after the first three minutes. Starting neutral, Fernandes tied it at 3-all with a takedown with 40 seconds left in the second. Fernandes chose down to start the third and Feldman let him escape before getting the match winning takedown for a 6-4 win by decision.

Up Next:
The Buckeyes open competition in the Big Ten with a home dual against Illinois Jan. 12 (7 p.m.) at the Covelli Center.

No. 6 Ohio State 21, No. 8 Cornell 20

125: No. 14 Brett Ungar (COR) def. No. 22 Brendan McCrone (OSU) | D, 7-1

133: No. 13 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. Ethan Qureshi (COR) | F, 1:48

141: No. 3 Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. No. 17 Vince Cornella (COR) | MD, 14-4

149: No. 5 Dylan D'Emilio (OSU) def. No. 24 Ethan Fernandez (COR) | D, 8-1

157: No. 15 Meyer Shapiro (COR) def. No. 12 Paddy Gallagher (OSU) | TF, 15-0

165: No. 3 Julian Ramirez (COR) def. Bryce Hepner (OSU) | D, 6-4

174: Rocco Welsh (OSU) def. Benny Baker (COR) | TF, 20-4

184: No. 8 Chris Foca (COR) def. No. 16 Gavin Hoffman (OSU) | F, 1:48

197: No. 7 Jacob Cardenas (COR) def. No. 24 Luke Geog (OSU) | D, 8-2

285: No. 18 Nick Feldman (OSU) def. No. 19 Lewis Fernandes (COR) | D, 6-4

Attendance: 4,318