Wrestling closes regular season with league wins

Now that’s how you cap off a regular season. The Columbia wrestling team won both its matchups against conference foes Harvard and Brown. The wins bring the Lions’ record to 8-10-1 overall and 2-3 Ivy.

On Friday at 6 p.m. Columbia hosted Harvard in this year’s Homecoming match. The Light Blue started things off on the right foot, winning the first three matchups thanks to sophomore Kyle Gilchrist, freshman Robert Dyar, and sophomore Andrew Grabfelder. Harvard would not be beaten that easily, as it won the next two bouts, including a win at 157 pounds by No. 1 J.P. O’Connor, who improved his perfect record to 25-0. The Lions responded to the Crimson push by winning the next four out of five bouts, including two major decision victories by freshman Stephen West and senior Lou Miller. Columbia left the mats with a convincing 30-15 victory over its foes from Cambridge.

With the win under their belts, the Lions took on the Bears the following day, back at University Gym. Brown would provide more difficult competition as Columbia was unable to dominate the first three bouts like it did against Harvard. While Gilchrist was able to notch another victory, Grabfelder and freshman Ryan Doyle fell, giving Brown the early lead.

However, the Lions would not be deterred, as they responded by winning the next four bouts, and six of the last seven. Freshman Steve Santos started the comeback with a major decision victory over Brown’s Philip Marano. Thanks to solid wrestling up and down the lineup, the comeback quickly became an overwhelming lead as Columbia defeated Brown 25-12.

This past weekend’s success was the perfect way to wrap up the 2009-10 campaign, as the Columbia wrestling team will need all the momentum it can get going into the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championships. The championship tournament will be from Mar. 6-7, giving the Lions two weeks of practice and preparation.