Diakomihalis, Koll Earn Top Ivy Wrestling Honors
March 21, 2018

 

ITHACA, N.Y. - A 16th consecutive Ivy League title is impressive in its own rights, but the Cornell wrestling team swept the conference's major awards and nine Big Red wrestlers were honored when the season-ending list was announced on Tuesday afternoon. Freshman Yianni Diakomihalis was named the Ivy League's Wrestler and Freshman of the Year, while Rob Koll took home Coach of the Year honors.

Diakomihalis was a unanimous choice for both conference awards after winning the national title at 141 pounds this past week. He was a perfect 5-0 against Ivy opponents as Cornell extended its win streak against league foes to 83 matches. Diakomihalis concluded his rookie season with a 37-1 overall record with an EIWA title to go along with his national crown. The native of Rochester, N.Y. had the hardest possible road to a national title as a No. 3 overall seed, needing to win matches over the No. 14, No. 6, No. 2 and No. 1 seeds. He defeated two-time defending NCAA Dean Heil of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals, avenged his only defeat with a victory over Missouri's Jaydin Eierman in the semis and used a late rally to top 2017 NCAA finalist Bryce Meredith of Wyoming for the second time this year. He is the first Cornellian to earn both Wrestler and Freshman of the Year since Troy Nickerson took home both in 2006.

Koll was named Ivy League Coach of the Year for the fourth consecutive year, and for good reason. With a lineup that included five first-year starters, four of whom captured All-America accolades, the Big Red placed seventh at NCAAs, ranked 11th nationally in the final NWCA Coaches poll after a 13-2 dual meet season and finished second at EIWAs. The all-time winningest wrestling coach in program history, Koll has guided the Big Red to 16 straight Ivy League titles (19 overall), 11 EIWA crowns and eight top five NCAA team finishes, including second twice (2010, 2011). His wrestlers have won 15 national titles with 63 All-Americans and 62 individual EIWA champions.





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