By: Austin Sommer, EIWA Sports Information Director

Vito Arujau returns to the Cornell line-up to help propel Big Red past No. 2 Missouri

The Cornell Big Red wrestling team went 3-0 this weekend, improving their home dual record to 5-0. They defeated Ivy League foes Harvard by a score of 37-6 and Brown 47- (-1) on Saturday. Sunday's highly anticipated match-up was against Missouri – who currently claims the number 2 ranking in the nation. Cornell's 9th ranked squad came in as a rare underdog on paper. After dropping two of their first three duals this semester, Cornell's not-so-secret weapon was making a return to the line-up after missing some time.               

Vito Arujau returned to the mat after missing some time with an injury. His last dual was December 18. He won both matches with ease on Saturday, by a major decision and tech fall. Sunday was a different story. He found himself down big after the first period against Missouri's Kade Moore. Moore (ranked no. 27) already has a fall over multiple time All-American, Sam Latona of Virgnia Tech, this season. Vito stormed back in the third period to win the bout 10-9 thanks to two third period takedowns. Head Coach Mike Grey stated, "This was a good exercise for Vito – being able to dig deep like that. The kid just has a ton of heart."            

Vito's reputation in the wrestling world is a very positive one. He was an NCAA Champion last season and followed it up by winning a World Championship in the summer. This is why his early season loss to Ryan Crookham of Lehigh took mostly everyone by surprise. I asked Coach Grey about Vito's first matches back. He explained, "He is still shaking a little rust off, but I expect him to improve every week. His speed is very good, as we know. Now, it's about getting his timing back." He continued, "Vito is a guy who wrestles best when he's in a groove. He'll be ready for March." Vito being in a groove is dangerous for opponents, as we saw his dominating performance at NCAA's last season.        

Speaking of dominating, Meyer Shapiro's major decision over no. 5 ranked Brock Mauller of Missouri was an eye-opener into how high Meyer's ceiling can be. Shapiro's dominating win over the three-time All-American will no doubt increase his current national ranking of no. 12. Shapiro is another Cornell wrestler with a world title on his resume – he has two of them actually. This past summer, he captured a U20 world title, adding to his cadet world title in 2021. Grey explained, "Everyone gave him such a high ceiling after his world title – but, honestly, freestyle is a different sport. He's figuring out the tempo and positions he likes in folkstyle."        

Currently, Shapiro is 14-2 in competition. He's unbeaten since he took two losses at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitation the first week of December. Shapiro is not used to losing, so taking a loss may have gotten inside his head. "Las Vegas was a good learning experience for Meyer." Coach Grey stated. College wrestling is hard. Sometimes a loss is better than a win. It helps find out who you are. Grey continued, "Meyer is still continuing to be the best version of himself. We truly believe he will be on that stage Saturday night in March."       

It's no surprise a guy like Yianni Diakomihalis is a great mentor for a young stud like Meyer Shapiro, among other wrestlers. Yianni has been a vital part of the Cornell program over the last 5 seasons, including winning four NCAA Championships. "They are both unique in their own ways," Grey described both Shapiro and Yianni. "It's a uniqueness that can't be taught. Part of the puzzle is figuring out what's best for Meyer – it's not the same as what was best for Yianni."      

There were numerous elite performances from Cornell wrestlers. The word coach repeated was "grit." It all started with Vito's come-from-behind win. "Vito is an energy boost. His presence lifts up the whole team." Coach Grey mentioned. Gritty performances were followed up at 141lbs when Vince Cornella was winning late and had to limp around the final period, hanging on to win. There was an obvious injury he sustained during the bout, but he managed to continue. Ethan Fernandez won at 149lbs to give Cornell a 9-6 lead. Shapiro's major decision was the icing on the cake to end the first half on a high note.    

To begin the second half at 165lbs, Julian Ramirez was challenged by Keegan O'Toole – the top ranked wrestler at his weight. It was a one verses two match-up. Ramirez had a lead, but fell by major decision when O'Toole used a takedown and back points to propel himself to an eight point victory. "It was the closest major decision I may have ever seen." Is how Grey described the performance by Ramirez. The next weight class was 174lbs. Evan Canoyer showed a ton of "grit" in his loss to no. 6 Mocco of Missouri. He only lost by decision but was within striking distance to win until the very end. 

Cornell got back in the win column at 184lbs when no. 9 Chris Foca was aggressive early and often. He was a takedown away from a tech fall, ending the match with a major decision. The crowd was into it, knowing they needed one more win for the Big Red dual meet victory.

The 8th ranked Cornell wrestler; Jacob Cardenas was facing no. 3 Rocky Elam. Elam is a three-time All-American finishing 5th, 4th, and 3rd in his three trips to NCAAs. Cardenas has one NCAA podium finish, coming last season when he finished 8th in the same bracket where Elam was 3rd. Coach described Jacob as "so talented." He continued, "Cardenas came out firing all weekend. It was a huge win for him and the team – as it sealed the deal for the match." His decision put Cornell up by 7 points going into heavyweight. Rocky's brother, Zach, won the match 2-1 over Lewis Fernandes of the Big Red. The final score was 20-16 in favor of Cornell.

When discussing the team's progression since the beginning of January, Head Coach Mike Grey was impressed with the improvement of each member of the team. "We train really hard over the Christmas break. Sometimes, we don't feel a great as we need to because of the tough training period." Cornell's 7-3 record may not be an indication of the team's actual talent. They have an incredibly tough schedule, dealt with injuries, and need to train their athletes to perform best when it truly matters. Many coaches deal with this also. The season is long, the team needs to be able to find a way to peak for March. "Tough training pays off" was how he elaborated his training schedule. "Improvements are still coming," he stated confidently.

The rest of the season is an exciting time for Cornell. They have EIWA duals against Columbia, Princeton, Penn, and Binghamton. Out of conference duals include away matches against no. 8 NC State and no. 27 Appalachian State. Coach Grey on the upcoming schedule, "We're excited for these duals. We do a good job fighting for each other. We wrestled well this weekend. I expect to keep the momentum going."