Session Recaps: Thursday Morning
More Links: Princeton Preview l Princeton Notes Packet (with individual match results) (PDF)

Check out the "Beyond The Stripes" feature on Matthew Kolodzik

It had been more than 40 years since Princeton sent three wrestlers to the NCAA quarterfinals, and in a year filled with ending significant droughts, Thursday seemed like the perfect time to send another trio to one of the most exciting sessions of the collegiate season. Freshman Patrick Glory, junior Matthew Kolodzik and sophomore Patrick Brucki each held their seeds Thursday night in Pittsburgh to advance to Friday morning's quarterfinal session (11 am, ESPNU).
 
This is only the second time in Princeton history that there will be three Tiger quarterfinalists; in 1978, the trio of Steve Grubman (142), Keith Ely (177), John Sefter (unlimited) advanced at the NCAA Championships in Maryland.
 
Naturally, the first time that Princeton has ever send multiple freshmen to NCAAs, it was one of the rookies who started the parade to the quarterfinals. Glory was as dominant as you could be during his first day at the NCAA Championships. After a 16-0 technical fall in the first round, he posted a 10-0 shutout during the nightcap over 10th-seeded Brent Fleetwood of North Dakota State. In both matches, he wasted no time getting the first takedown, and then he rode Fleetwood for more than two minutes to close the period.
 
That would set the tone for the rest of the match, as Glory followed takedowns in each period with extended rides, to the point that he had more than five minutes of ride time by the time his hand was raised as an official quarterfinalist.
 
Glory will now face second-seeded Nick Piccininni, the undefeated standout from Oklahoma State. The two met during the dual meet, with Piccininni scoring a 10-4 win. Glory took Piccininni down twice during the match, but a strong ride and back points were key to the Oklahoma State win.

Here's Patrick Glory on his Day 1 at the NCAA Championships. #GetIn #NCAAWrestling pic.twitter.com/YqNdua4y2u

— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) March 22, 2019

Kolodzik reached his third straight quarterfinal with a strong 8-5 win over Penn State's Brady Barge. The All-American took Barge down three different times — once per period – and didn't allow a takedown for the second straight match.
 
He will now face Missouri freshman Brock Mauller, the MAC champion and four-time Missouri state champion who won more matches this season as a true freshman than any Missouri wrestler since J'den Cox.

Three-time quarterfinalist Matthew Kolodzik discusses his Day 1 at NCAAs. #GetIn #NCAAWrestling pic.twitter.com/ob0PXY3uIy

— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) March 22, 2019

Brucki picked up his 30th win of the season Thursday morning in dominant fashion, but the 31^st win took every ounce of resilience he had. He scored the first takedown against 13th-seeded Malik McDonald of NC State, but that would be it for the offense that match. A McDonald escape in the third made it a 3-2 Brucki lead, and then he went into survive-and-advance mode, fending off attacks to reach his first NCAA quarterfinal.
 
He'll face one of the surprises of Day 1 Friday morning; 21^st-seeded Thomas Lane of Cal Poly upset both the #12 and #5 seeds to reach the quarterfinal.

Survive and advance … that was the theme of the 2nd round for Patrick Brucki. He reflects on his win and moving forward. #GetIn pic.twitter.com/uGRFtCliDA

— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) March 22, 2019

Freshman Quincy Monday saw his 24-win freshman season, which included a 5-0 run in the Ivy League and a spot in the EIWA semifinal, end in a wild consolation match. He grabbed an early lead and looked in position for a fall in the third period, but opponent Chase Straw of Iowa State turned that scramble into a near fall of his own, and he used that to draw even at 12-12. He escaped in the first tiebreaker to claim the 13-12 win.
 
Classmate Travis Stefanik also saw an impressive freshman season come to an end Thursday night. He couldn't manage a takedown against 18th-seeded Andrew Morgan of Campbell and fell 8-4. Stefanik ended his season with 19 victories, including one in the dual at Iowa, a spot in the EIWA semifinals and an F&M Open title.
 
Kevin Parker ended the best season of his career with 21 victories, including critical wins against Lehigh and Rider that helped Princeton end long dual losing streaks against both teams. He won both the Tiger Open and F&M Open and received an at-large bid to his first NCAA Championships, but he fell 14-2 to 18th-seeded Tate Samuelson of Wyoming.

Hear from @tigercoachayres on his trio of quarterfinalists … it's only the 2nd time in program history (1978) that Princeton has put in three in the @ncaawrestling quarterfinal round! #GetIn #NCAAWrestling #D1WRnotes pic.twitter.com/t13RSVNZb8

— Princeton Wrestling (@tigerwrestling) March 22, 2019

125 – #7 Patrick Glory
1^st – Glory TF #26 Alonzo Allen (Chattanooga) 16-0
2^nd – Glory mdec. #10 Brent Fleetwood (North Dakota State) 10-0
QF — Glory vs. #2 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State)
 
149 – #5 Matthew Kolodzik
1^st – Kolodzik dec. #28 Michael Sprague (American) 3-2
2^nd – Kolodzik dec. #12 Brady Barge (Penn State) 8-5
QF — Kolodzik vs. #4 Brock Mauller (Missouri)
 
157 – #26 Quincy Monday
1^st – #7 Larry Early (Old Dominion) mdec. Monday 10-0
1^st Cons – #23 Chase Straw (Iowa State) dec. Monday 13-12, TB-1
 
174 — #31 Travis Stefanik
1^st – #2 Daniel Lewis (Missouri) WBF Travis Stefanik 1:13
1^st Cons — #18 Andrew Morgan (Campbell) dec. Stefanik 8-4
 
184 — #31 Kevin Parker
1^st – #2 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) mdec. Parker 11-2
1^st Cons — #18 Tate Samuelson (Wyoming) mdec. Parker 14-2
 
197 — #4 Patrick Brucki
1^st – Brucki dec. #29 Brandon Whitman (UNC) 8-2
2^nd — Brucki dec. #13 Malik McDonald (NC State) 3-2
QF — Brucki vs. #21 Thomas Lane (Cal Poly)