ITHACA, N.Y. – The victory that the Big Red wrestling team earned against Lehigh on Sunday afternoon was not the only victory of the day for the program. The event, which brought a record-setting crowd of 4,425 to Newman Arena, also raised over $10,000 for Ithaca Hospicare. Generous donations from Dr. Rob Arleo, Dr. Jeffrey Lewis and an anonymous sponsor donated $3 for every fan in attendance, combined with raffles and cash donations at the door raised the impressive sum for Hospicare.
The 14th-ranked Big Red turned in a crowd-pleasing performance against the 12th-ranked Mountain Hawks, winning by a score of 19-14. Freshman Troy Nickerson opened the match at 125 pounds, getting a major victory and senior Mike Mormile followed that up with a decision. After a pair of wins by Lehigh, senior Dustin Manotti, ranked No. 4, turned the tide in favor of the Big Red, taking a 6-2 decision over No. 10 Derek Zinck. Sophomore Steve Anceravage won his bout at 165 pounds. Lehigh took the 174 pound match but wins by senior Joe Mazzurco (No. 7, 184) and junior Jerry Rinaldi (No. 8, 197) put the victory away.
The Big Red will have a weekend off before hosting Columbia at the Friedman Wrestling Center on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.
Wrestling Gear
