Wrestling Prepares for EIWA Tourney by Coasting To Weekend Sweep of Brown, BU

The Harvard wrestling team left the Malkin Athletic Center on Saturday with mixed feelings.

Though it defeated both Brown and Boston University by the same comfortable margin, 29-12, the Crimson also closed out its regular season with a subpar 6-7 overall record and a bitter taste in its mouth.

Harvard was nationally ranked earlier in the year and the preseason No. 3 pick in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA). But disappointing losses to mediocre Princeton and Army teams dropped the Crimson out of both the national and conference rankings and contributed to its 3-5 EIWA record.

Still, the team is currently riding a four-meet win streak and peaking just in time for the conference tournament Mar. 7-9, the most important weekend of the season.

“Right now I’m considering everything else preseason,” said Harvard coach Jay Weiss. “The whole season is for the tournament.”

Harvard 29, Brown 12

In its last EIWA and Ivy league matchup of the season, the Crimson wanted to send a message to the league that it was not a team to be taken lightly in the upcoming conference tournament.

Harvard did just that, winning seven of ten matches against the eighth-ranked team in the conference, Brown (7- 11, 1-6 EIWA). The team nearly picked up nine victories, but lost two matches in overtime.

Sophomore Eddie Jones (184 lbs.) was one of the Crimson to lose in the extra period. Though he won at the 197-lb. spot later in the day against BU, 9-7, Jones was taken down by the 184-lb. Nick Ciarcia in the overtime period, losing the match 3-1.

This ability to win while wrestling up a weight class seems to be common among Harvard Joneses.

Junior P.J. Jones (184 lbs.)—who has been alternating with Eddie at the 197-lb. position following the injury of sophomore Dan Sirotkin (197 lbs.)—also won in the 197-lb. spot against Brown’s Pete Gladish, but lost at the 184-lb. position against BU.

“Don’t think there’s any kind of science to [choosing between Eddie and P.J. to wrestle up],” Weiss said. “We’re just looking for matchups.”

With the regular season complete, the Crimson is now focused on the much-anticipated EIWA tournament, which will be held in Cornell’s state-of-the-art, $3.5 million Friedman Wrestling Center.

The champion and runner-up at each weight class earns an automatic NCAA berth. A team champion is also crowned, an honor Harvard last claimed in 2001.

Harvard 29, BU 12

Harvard dispatched the Terriers (11-6) in a manner similar to its victory over Brown just two hours earlier. The Crimson won by the same score, suffered only three defeats in each match and was unable to win at the 197- and 141-lb. categories, though the latter was twice a medical forfeit.

“Losing Mike Baria really added to [the similar scores],” said freshman 133-pounder Max Meltzer.

Meltzer was referring to the loss of his classmate Baria (141 lbs.) who injured his leg during the first period of his Brown match and was unable to wrestle for the rest of the afternoon. The extent of the injury is not yet known.

Despite the loss of Baria, Harvard wrestled extremely well as a team. Of the seven victories, four were major decisions or pins, and one of the losses was decided by only a point.

Among the Crimson standouts was the steadily improving Meltzer, who pinned both of his opponents. Meltzer thoroughly dominated the Terriers’ Jason Slutsky, whom he outscored 14-5 before finishing him with 28 seconds left in the second period.

Four of Slutsky’s points came when Meltzer allowed him to pick up one-point escapes. The fifth came when Meltzer performed an illegal move on Slutsky’s arm.

“Meltzer is wrestling at an extremely high level right now” Weiss said. “I mean an extremely high level. He’s doing everything that we can ask of him right now. We’re looking for him to place in the NCAA tournmanent.”

Other highlight performances were turned in by seniors David Germakian (125 lbs.) and Robbie Griffin (165 lbs.), who beat their opponents by a total of 18 points en route to major decisions.

The day’s action ended fittingly when No. 3 junior co-captain Jesse Jantzen (149 lbs.) recorded yet another pin.

After picking up 15 points, Jantzen ended the contest with :59 to go in the second period.

—Staff writer Evan R. Johnson can be reached at erjohns@fas.harvard.edu.