ITHACA, N.Y. -- With a meet seemingly ready to go down to the final match,
Chris Foca and
Jacob Cardenas had other ideas. Their bonus point victories allowed the Big Red to claim a 19-15 triumph over the 25th-ranked Quakers to cap an unbeaten Ivy dual season and clinching the program's 42nd conference title in school history.
The win capped a Senior Day that honors the class of 2023, including three-time NCAA champion
Yianni Diakomihalis, who earned an 8-3 win over No. 12 Doug Zapf in his final home match.
Gallery: (2-5-2023) Wrestling vs. Penn, 02.05.23
After trailing 9-6 at intermission, the Big Red won consecutive matches after the break to regain the lead, first tying it with a
Julian Ramirez decision victory over Lucas Raveno at 165 to tie it at 12-12, then busting through with a third-period fall over No. 20 Nick Incontrera. With a comfortable lead, but in search of bonus points, Foca was able to turn what looked like a future stalemate position into a turn, getting near-fall before squaring Incontrera's shoulders for the big six points at the 5:59 mark. The bonus points put Cornell in the driver's seat with three matches to go.
Cardenas used a big near-fall points in the third in rolling up No. 32 Cole Urbas at 197 pounds for a major decision, making sure the Big Red clinched the title entering the heavyweight bout.
Vito Arujau joined Diakomihalis in picking up victories before intermission, dominating eighth-ranked Michael Colaiocco at 133 pounds by a 13-7 margin.
The Big Red and the Quakers each won five matches, but another title, Cornell's 19th of the last 20 awarded, means that every senior enrolled at Cornell since 1980 will have won at least one conference crown out to at least 2026.
Cornell closes out the regular season when it meets Binghamton on Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at Hilton HS in Hilton, N.Y., home of
Yianni Diakomihalis.
#5 Cornell 19, #25 Penn 15
125 #24 Ryan Miller (Penn) won by decision over #17
Brett Ungar (Cornell), 6-1
133 #3
Vito Arujau (Cornell) won by decision over #8 Michael Colaiocco (Penn), 13-7
141 Carmen Ferrante (Penn) won by decision over
Ethan Fernandez (Cornell), 4-1
149 #1
Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) won by decision over #12 Doug Zapf (Penn), 8-3
157 #16 Anthony Artalona (Penn) won by decision over
Cole Handlovic (Cornell), 3-2
165 #9
Julian Ramirez (Cornell) won by decision over Lucas Revano (Penn), 4-2
174 #4
Chris Foca (Cornell) won by fall over #20 Nick Incontrera (Penn), 5:59
184 Maximus Hale (Penn) won by decision over #6
Jonathan Loew (Cornell), 10-3
197 #14
Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) won by major decision over #32 Cole Urbas (Penn), 12-2
285 #29 Ben Goldin (Penn) won by decision over
Brendan Furman (Cornell), 3-1 (sv1)
