It's almost time ... here's our lineup for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas, starting Friday
— Cornell Wrestling (@BigRedWrestling) December 1, 2021
125 G. Diakomihalis
133 LaJoie
141 Handlovic
149 Y. Diakomihalis
157 Santoro
165 Ramirez
174 Foca
184 Loew
197 Cardenas
285 Flynn#yellcornell #gobigred pic.twitter.com/92Wt5Rtcb4
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell wrestling team will have a chance to make an early statement when it competes in one of the nation's strongest tournament fields of the season, the 2021 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The two-day event begins on Friday, Dec. 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The Big Red will send 10 wrestlers, five already ranked among the nation's best and six in their first season of eligibility. None of those wrestlers have recorded more than six collegiate matches prior to getting on a plane for Las Vegas. Of those, three are already nationally ranked - No. 17 Julian Ramirez at 165, No. 8 Chris Foca at 174 and No. 18 Jacob Cardenas at 197.
Ten of the nation's top 25 ranked teams will compete alongside the Big Red in Vegas, including top 10 squads from Michigan, Ohio State and Nebraska.
Of the veteran competitors, two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis appears to be on a collision course to face Ohio State's second-ranked Sammy Sasso in the finals if both hold seeds. That potential matchup is one of the most anticipated of the early season, but the field includes nine of the top 20 grapplers at the weight. Diakomihalis, who won the Las Vegas Invite title in 2017 at 141 pounds, will attempt to join Mack Lewnes (2008, 2009, 2010), Kyle Dake (2011, 12), Nahshon Garrett (2013, 2014, 2015) and Gabe Dean (2013, 2015, 2016) as multiple-time winners of the event for Cornell. In all, the Big Red has won 20 individual titles all-time at the Cliff Keen.
Another potential matchup could be 17th-ranked Julian Ramirez in a rematch against NCAA champion Shane Griffith of Stanford at 165. The freshman earned a 3-2 upset victory over the top-ranked Griffith that made waves for the unranked grappler, now vaulted into the top 20.
Both freshman Chris Foca (6-0) at 174 and sophomore NCAA qualifier Jonathan Loew (5-0) at 184 bring national rankings and unbeaten records into the competition. A tournament win for either would likely mean knocking off top 10 wrestlers and cementing their status as All-America contenders. The same can be said for Jacob Cardenas at 197, who brings a 5-1 mark and a No. 18 national ranking with him to Nevada.
The lightweights will have a chance for breakout tournaments, with freshmen Greg Diakomihalis (125) and Cole Handlovic (141) joining senior Dom LaJoie (133). Only Adam Santoro (96) and Yianni Diakomihalis (68) have wrestled more matches in a Cornell singlet in this lineup than has LaJoie (50). Santoro, a two-time EIWA qualifier, will hold down the fort at 157 and senior Drew Flynn earns the honors at heavyweight.
The Big Red has had significant success over the years in Sin City as a team, recording 13 top 10 finishes dating back to the program's first appearance in 2000. Cornell won the team title in 2010 and claimed runner-up finishes in 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2015. The last two events have seen them finish outside the top 10, including 11th in 2019.
Not all of the excitement for the Big Red will take place in Las Vegas this weekend, as Phillip Moomey is competing in Colombia for USA Wrestling in the Junior Pan-America Games in Greco at 60kg. Moomey dropped his quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday to Jonaiker Javier Martinez Cravo of Venezuela by a 6-1 margin.
The Big Red had four place-winners at last weekend's Mat Town Open at Lock Haven, led by a second-place finish for Josh Saunders at 141. Both Andrew Berreyesa (184) and Peyton Craft (174) took third at their weight classes, while Benny Baker was fourth at 165.