The No. 9 @BigRedWrestling team will honor 10 seniors and conclude its regular season when it hosts Binghamton on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 1 p.m. at the Friedman Wrestling Center. https://t.co/CGebbPJWc7
— Cornell Big Red (@CornellSports) February 23, 2024
ITHACA, N.Y. - The No. 9 Cornell wrestling team will honor 10 seniors and conclude its regular season when it hosts Binghamton on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 1 p.m. at the Friedman Wrestling Center. The dual will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Senior Day
Cornell will celebrate Vito Arujau, Phil Moomey, Luke Gorg, Jacob Cardenas, Wyatt Yapoujian, Colton Yapoujian, Lewis Fernandes, Benny Baker, Jonathan Loew and Jacob Yawn during a senior day ceremony starting at 12:45 p.m.
Baker Coming Off Big Road Trip
Baker (174 pounds) won both of his matches during Cornell's trip to the Tar Heel State last weekend.
Baker ended his nine-match losing streak last Friday against North Carolina State with an 8-4 victory over No. 31 Alex Faison.
Faison is the second-highest-ranked opponent Baker has beaten this season. He beat No. 29 Jared Simma (Northern Iowa) at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite.
Against Appalachian State on Saturday, he won 13-7 by decision against Luke Uliano, who won the first match between the two 10-5 by decision at Cliff Keen.
Shapiro Continues To Dominate Ranked Opponents
Freshman Meyer Shapiro (157) enters Cornell's final dual of the season as one of the hottest wrestlers in the nation, riding a 14-match win streak that started after he lost twice at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite on Dec. 1. He is 19-2 overall and 14-0 in duals.
During this streak, the longest by a Cornell wrestler this season, Shapiro has nine bonus-point wins, including five technical falls and four major decisions.
Shapiro has beaten three NCAA All-Americans this season: Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech, twice), Brock Mauller (Missouri) and Ed Scott (NC State). He also has wins over ranked foes Paddy Gallagher (Ohio State), Max Birgnola (Lehigh), Matty Bianchi (Little Rock), Lucas Revano (Penn) and Tommy Askey (App. State). He's won all but one of those matches during this streak.
Other Big Red Storylines and Individual Notes
Cornell (11-4 overall, 5-0 Ivy) stayed at No. 9 in this week's NWCA Coaches Poll.
Cornell split its North Carolina road trip, losing to NC State 24-9 on Friday before beating App. State 36-6 on Sunday.
Nine Cornell wrestlers earned spots in the second coaches' rankings of the 2023-24 season, which the NCAA released Thursday along with its initial Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). The NCAA Division I wrestling committee uses both sets of criteria in the selection and seeding process for the NCAA Championships.
Coaches' Rankings: Brett Ungar (#15 at 125), Vito Arujau (#3 at 133), Vince Cornella (#11 at 141), Ethan Fernandez (#20 at 149), Meyer Shapiro (#7 at 157), Julian Ramirez (#3 at 165), Chris Foca (#6 at 184), Jacob Cardenas (#7 at 197) and Lewis Fernandes (#16 at 285).
RPI: Ungar (#3), Cornella (#6), Fernandez (#11), Shapiro (#2), Ramirez (#6), Foca (#9), Cardenas (#2) and Fernandes (#12) also made the RPI rankings, a calculation that factors in winning percentage and opponent winning percentage. Only matches against Division I opponents at the designated weight class count towards the RPI, and a wrestler needs to have wrestled 15 matches to be ranked.
Cardenas, who leads Cornell with 12 bonus-point wins, has compiled a 19-4 record while wrestling one of the toughest schedules in the country. The 2023 All-American is 9-4 against opponents in the top 25 at 197 in the coaches' rankings, with his best victory coming over then-No. 3 Rocky Elam in Cornell's win over Missouri.
Fernandez has solidified himself at 149 pounds, the biggest question mark for Cornell's lineup coming into the season. The junior enters the weekend 18-7 and has won eight of his last nine bouts. He has often had to gut out close wins, as he leads the team with 13 decisions.
Cornella, who hasn't wrestled since the Missouri dual on Jan. 28, will return to Cornell's lineup against Binghamton. He's won five straight matches.
Know the foe: Binghamton
Binghamton (9-3) has won five straight duals.
Cornell has won all 11 meetings in the series, which began in 1971.
The closest meet in series history came in Cornell's 22-21 win on Jan. 5, 2012 in Vestal, N.Y. The Big Red won on criteria after ending the meet tied 21-21 having scored more points in the individual matches.
The Bearcats have three wrestlers ranked in the coaches' rankings: Brevin Cassella (#18 at 165), Jacob Nolan (#14 at 184) and Lou DePrez (#9 at 197).
Cornell associate head coach Donnie Vinson and assistant coach Nick Gwiazdowski wrestled at Binghamton under Pat Popolizio.
Vinson, an All-American at 149 pounds in 2012, remains the program's all-time wins leader (132-27 career record). He was one of four wrestlers to defeat Kyle Dake, Cornell's four-time NCAA champion, during his collegiate career.
Gwiazdowski also earned All-American status in 2012, his only season at Binghamton. He finished his collegiate career at NC State.