Back in action after finals, #11 @BigRedWrestling will square off with #20 Northern Iowa and #2 Penn State on Monday at the Journeymen Collegiate Wrestling Duals in Niceville, Fla. https://t.co/kpneOQwynm
— Cornell Big Red (@CornellSports) December 16, 2021
#11 Cornell (1-0) vs. #20 Northern Iowa (0-2)
Date & Time: Monday, Dec. 20 - 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Raider Arena (2.442) - Niceville, Fla.
Twitter: @CUBigRedGameday | @BigRedWrestling
#11 Cornell (1-0) vs. #2 Penn State (5-0)
Date & Time: Monday, Dec. 20 - 9:00 p.m.
Venue: Raider Arena (2.442) - Niceville, Fla.
Twitter: @CUBigRedGameday | @BigRedWrestling
📊 Tracking Collegiate Wrestling Duals
— Rokfin ($RAE) (@TheRokfin) December 14, 2021
-45 new subscribers ($) to the Collegiate Duals channel
-127 PPV buys to the Collegiate Duals event stream
6 days out...https://t.co/kq1yIacBI0
STORY LINES
The Cornell wrestling team will have a chance to make an early statement when it faces a pair of top 20 teams on day one at the Journeymen Collegiate Wrestling Duals.
The Big Red will meet No. 20 Northern Iowa on Monday, Dec. 20 at 5 p.m., with a 9 p.m. match against No. 2 Penn State to follow at Raider Arena in Niceville, Fla.
A third match on Tuesday, Dec. 21 will be set based on results of the first day and could include matchups with either No. 6 Arizona State, No. 8 Virginia Tech or EIWA foe Hofstra.
Live video of the duals can be viewed live on Rofkin.com.
After missing the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Big Red is in hot pursuit of regaining its Ivy League and EIWA titles and is prepared to make a mark at nationals.
Cornell is ranked 11th nationally in the latest USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll and with seven of its grapplers ranked in the top 25 according to Intermat
The Big Red has set its sights high - with the NCAA Championships set for Detroit, Mich. in March, Cornell believes it should be in the mix for yet another top 10 team finish.
Cornell has finished in the top 10 at every championship (excepting the 2021 championship when the Big Red didn't compete) since 2008, joining Iowa in making that claim.
Back in the lineup after taking Olympic redshirts are All-American Vito Arujau (133) and two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis (149).
Seven NCAA qualifiers are on the roster - Arujau (133), Dom LaJoie (133), Diakomihalis (149), Hunter Richard (157), Jonathan Loew (184), Ben Darmstadt (197), Brendan Furman (285).
Two-time NCAA champion Diakomihalis joins Arujau and Darmstadt as All-Americans back in the lineup.
Northern Iowa's 10th-ranked Brody Teske will square off with Greg Diakomihalis at 125 pounds, while Cornell's 15th-ranked NCAA qualifier Jonathan Loew will get a shot at unbeaten and fourth-ranked Parker Keckeisen at 184.
Among the potential feature matches that could go down in the contest vs. Penn State is No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) vs. No. 5 Vito Arujau at 133, top-ranked Carter Starocci (PSU) against No. 12 Chris Foca at 174, former Big Red All-American and third-ranked Max Dean (PSU) vs. No. 19