Due to Graduation, 2007 Is a Rebuilding Season For Wrestling

Last season, the Columbia wrestling team was a nationally-ranked force to be reckoned with. They cracked into the top 25 of the national rankings for the first time in their history, placed second in the Ivy League, and one player earned All-American status.
However, that was last year. Those successes do not necessarily carry over to this year’s team, because despite having a top 25 ranked recruiting class coming in, the Lions lost some of their top seniors from last season. Three of last year’s seniors—Matt Palmer, Matt DeLorenzo, and Justin Barent—were nationally ranked, each breaking into the top 20. Another graduate, Devin Mesanko, was one of four Columbia players to reach the national tournament.

These seniors are gone now, which changes the team’s outlook dramatically. Even after such a strong season last year, the Light Blue was selected to finish tied for last place in the preseason Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Coaches’ Poll. Based on the way the EIWA coaches voted, they believe that the Lions’ personnel losses outweigh their gains in the new recruits.

Columbia has some returning players who have the ability to make waves this season—both in the league and in the country. Brandon Kinney placed eighth in the country in the 125-pound weight class last season as a junior, earning him honorable mention All-American status. Now as a senior, Kinney will be a leader on the team and part of the foundation of the Columbia corps.

Two freshmen contributed to the Lions’ success last season, but only one will be returning to compete during his sophomore season. Matt Dunn earned a trip to nationals in his first season last year at 149-pounds and was also named an Ivy League honorable mention. The sophomore who will not be returning is Kevin Lester, who was the Lions’ marquee heavyweight wrestler in his freshman season. He finished first at New York State championships, but will miss the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons as he will be on a Mormon mission for the next two years. This leaves the Lions with only one heavyweight for the season, senior Jed Wade. Wade’s valuable experience will help guide the Light Blue this season.

Last year’s season set the bar high for Columbia wrestling for years to come, and after losing some talented seniors, the Lions are going to have an uphill climb in the EIWA this season. However, with a talented crop of freshmen and some experienced returning players, the Light Blue could surprise some teams just like it did last season.