Steve Lawrence,
Ithaca Times 2006
Had I not known better, I might have guessed – based on the guy’s enthusiasm – that he was a freshman wrestler trying to impress his coach by walking around on The Commons, putting up posters announcing a huge upcoming match against the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, given that I have known Rob Koll since his arrival at Cornell 17 years ago, I knew that he was not a freshman trying to impress the coach. He is the coach – a former national champion at North Carolina, an internationally ranked wrestler well into his 30s, and one of Division 1’s most respected mentors. Under his guidance, Cornell has evolved into one of the country’s elite programs, and three wrestlers have won NCAA Div. I championships while many others have been named All-Americans.
I told Rob I had my press pass in hand, and I was looking forward to the match. “We’re pretty banged up, “he told me. “Troy (Nickerson) still has inflammation in his back, and Adam Frey, Keith Dickey and Josh Amone are out, too.”
As we chatted on The Commons, it occurred to me I was talking to a true advocate of the sport, a guy who was sincerely looking forward to seeing some new guys on the mat. After all, he recruited them; he knows they could have gone to other schools as starters; and any coach who doesn’t build depth in his roster will pay the price sooner or later. Remaining upbeat throughout our conversation, Koll said, “Hey, thanks for coming up. See you there.”
I had been especially looking forward to watching Nickerson, the sophomore 125-pounder from Chenango Forks who won a record five state championships in high school, and came within one win of being national champ in his freshman year at Cornell. Instead, freshman Mike Rodriguez – a two-time state champ and junior national champ in Greco Roman – would be taking the mat at 125. Talk about depth.
About 2,500 people showed up to watch the fourth-ranked Big Red take on the Buckeyes (ranked tenth), and the event got underway with the 141-pound matchup. I happen to really like this newer system of starting matches at different weight classes. In the old days, the 125-pounders always started, and the heavyweights always wrapped things up. The shuffling make things more interesting, and freshman Corey Manson (filling in for Dickey ) took on J. Jaggers (ranked sixth nationally), and lost by a slim 4-3 margin.
Sophomore Jordan Leen (ranked thirteenth) sought to even things up for Cornell, and gave the crowd a jolt of excitement by taking Ohio State’s nineteenth ranked Lance Palmer into triple overtime. An amazingly quick escape with seconds left gave Leen a 3-2 victor, and things were knotted at three apiece.
Drake Hovis dropped an 8-2 decision at 157; then Steve Anceravage, a 2006 NCAA qualifier, roughed up his OSU opponent with an 11-2 major decision at 165 pounds to put the hosts up 7-6.
Joey Hooker took the mat at 174, and took care of the Buckeye’s twelfth ranked wrestler. A dramatic reversal in the final minute won it for Hooker, who was an NCAA qualifier in 2005.
All-American Jerry Rinaldi – ranked second in the nation — took on fifth-ranked J.D. Bergman at 197, and came away with a 4-2 victory. Rodriguez, the freshman “backup “to Nickerson, put an 8-0 pasting on his opponent for a Major Decision, but Heavyweight Zach Howard was pinned by fellow sophomore Corey Morrison to give the Buckeyes a big six-point tally. In the deciding match, OSU’s T.J. Enright edged out Cornell’s Nick Bridge at 133 by a 5-3 margin to give the visitors an 18-17 victory.
Cornell’s wrestling program has become one of the best draws in the entire region, and now pulls in fans who normally would not attend wrestling matches. The fact that Nickerson is basically a local kid helps bring in fans, and it’s truly impressive that the program draws kids with similarly incredible wrestling resumes. High school state champs, All-Americans, Junior National champs – it’s no wonder the Big Red have been in the Div. I’s top five for several years.
The next home match is on Jan. 7, and Penn State will be in town. I encourage all sports fans to check it out.
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