TULSA, Okla. -- The Cornell wrestling team will have all seven wrestlers alive with three in the quarterfinals as the Big Red sits in sixth place after day one of the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the BOK Center. Vito Arujau (133), Yianni Diakomihalis (149), Chris Foca (174) are one win away from reaching the semifinals and clinching All-America podium finishes.
Arujau, Diakomihalis and Foca remain alive for national titles, with all eyes on the senior's attempt to join a select circle of four four-time champions.
Diakomihalis topped two-time All-American Dom Demas, now wrestling at Cal Poly after starring at Oklahoma, by a 6-1 margin in the first round at 149 pounds before pinning NC State's Jackson Arrington in the first period to reach the quarter\s. He is two wins on Friday from reaching the finals four the fourth straight time and will meet No. 8 Max Murin of Iowa in the morning session Friday on that journey.
Arujau, the third seed at 133 pounds, topped Cal Poly's Ethan Rotondo 12-6 in the opener, then pulled a major decision over Iowa State's Zach Redding in round two, 12-4. He will face No. 6 Sam Latona of Virginia Tech un the quarters with eyes on avenging his only loss of 2022-23, a 3-2 decision against the Hokie during the Big Red's road dual meet.
Foca also had a big day, pinning Arizona State's Cael Valencia in round one and advancing in round two with an 8-2 triumph over South Dakota State's Cade DeVos. Next in his way of becoming a first-time All-American is Oklahoma State's fifth-seeded Dustin Plott on Friday morning at 174 pounds.
Each of the other four Big Red grapplers scored points with wins on day two, with Brett Ungar, Vince Cornella and Jacob Cardenas earning wins in the first round before falling into the consolation bracket.
Ungar had an All-Ivy day, topping No. 18 Ryan Miller of Penn, 6-1, in the opener before falling to No. 2 seed Patrick Glory of Princeton 10-0 in a rematch of the 125 pound EIWA final. He'll continue his journey against No. 33 Tucker Owens of Air Force in the wrestlebacks.
Cornella defeated Rider's McKenzie Bell 7-4 in the opening round at 141 pounds, but couldn't get his offense going in a narrow 2-1 defeat to North Carolina's 10th-seeded Lachlan McNeil. No. 24 Casey Swidersky of Iowa State awaits him in the consolation round of 16.
Cardenas also opened with an Ivy win, defeating Princeton's Luke Stout 3-1 before a 4-0 loss to seventh-seeded Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State dropped him into the consolation bracket. He'll look to stay alive in the 197-pound bracket against No. 24 Levin Hopkins of Campbell on Friday morning.
Julian Ramirez ws upset in the first round at 165 pounds, but the fourth-seeded sophomore roared back in the evening session with a monster 12-2 major decision win over 13th-seeded Alex Facundo of Penn State. He meets No. 19 Dan Braunagel of Illinois on Friday morning.
Ungar, Cornella, Ramirez and Cardenas can all finish as high as third, but will need to win three consecutive matches in the back draw to earn All-America honors (and five to wrestle back to third place).