Grapplers Lose Three Duals at Home Invitational

The Harvard wrestling team took a step backward in its rebuilding program under first-year head coach Jay Weiss at the Harvard Invitational Saturday at the Malkin Athletic Center.

The Crimson suffered losses to Wilkes, Central Connecticut and Springfield in its first taste of dual-meet action this year.

The losses highlighted what had already been a glaring weakness for the Crimson squad: its heavier weight classes.

In all three matches the Crimson held a lead through the first five bouts, only to see the advantage disappear through the final five matches. In the three dual meets combined, the Crimson went 10-5 in the 118-pound to 150-pound weight classes, but managed to win only two of 16 bouts in the 158-pound to Heavy-weight divisions.

"We wrestled well overall in the light weights," freshman Adam Griesemer said. "We were a little weaker in the heavies and couldn't come up with big wins there."

"We wrestled well with what we had," junior Craig Vitagliano said.

Even the Crimson's lighter weight class wrestlers suffered flashes of inconsistency.

"I think we have to work on our consistency," Griesimer said. "I wrestled the best I've ever wrestled in my first match, but did poorly in my next two."

"Some matches in the lower matches didn't go our way," Vitagliano said.

Harvard faced off against a strong Wilkes squad in its first contest of the long day, losing 24-15. Junior Steve Gerstung, wrestling at 158 pounds, turned in an impressive performance, pinning his opponent less than two minutes into the first round.

Central Connecticut handed the Crimson a 22-14 loss later in the day. Winning for the Crimson in the defeat were freshman Dustin DeNunzio at 126 pounds, freshman Joel Friedman at 134 pounds, tri-captain Khris Reina at 150 pounds and freshman Hollis Waite at 167 pounds.

The third loss, suffered at the hands of Division II school Springfield, was the most distressing. The Crimson won four of the first five bouts, including two one-point decisions. It dropped the last five contests, however, to lose 23-14.

"We wrestled pretty well against Wilkes and Central Connecticut, but they were pretty tough teams," Griesemer said. "We definitely should have beaten Springfield. They were very cocky going in and so we were really fired up."

The intensity itself, however, could not bring home a victory.

The most consistent efforts on the day were turned in by DeNunzio and Reina, both of whom went 3-0 on the day. DeNunzio finished with a combined 34-10 point advantage over his three opponents.

"Dustin wrestled well in all three of his matches," Vitagliano said.

Reina's experience carried him through some close matches, including a 2-1 win against his Springfield opponent.

Even in the lower weight classes, the Crimson would have hoped to be more consistent.

Although the Crimson's results this weekend were disappointing, the set back was by no means a permanent one. With all of their important dual meets and regional tournaments still ahead of them, the grapplers have time as an ally. For now.

"We're looking to peak around March or April for the Easterns," Griesemer said. "We're still young so this was really just a growing experience."