Vince Cornella gets the 7-2 win over CJ Composto to secure his 141-pound Southern Scuffle title pic.twitter.com/l2VzW4c8CZ
— FloWrestling (@FloWrestling) January 4, 2026
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Vince Cornella delivered a statement performance for Cornell wrestling this weekend, capturing the 141-pound championship at the Southern Scuffle as the Big Red competed against one of the deepest fields the tournament has seen in years.
Seeded 13th, Cornella navigated a demanding bracket that began in the round of 64 and culminated with a decisive 7–2 victory over fifth-seeded CJ Composto of Penn in Sunday's finals. Along the way, Cornella opened the tournament with a technical fall over Maryland's Dario Lemus, followed by wins over Army's Conor Collins, Chattanooga's Hunter Mason and Virginia Tech's 14th-ranked Tom Crook in the semifinals.
Cornell's lightweight group made its presence felt throughout the two-day event. At 125 pounds, Greg Diakomihalis advanced to the semifinals after wins over Kade Orr (Northern Colorado), Charlie Farmer (Army) and Bridger Ricks (Utah Valley), before falling to eventual finalist Zeke Witt of North Dakota State. Teammate Marcello Milani added two wins at the weight class, including a major decision over The Citadel's Tyler Washburn.
The Big Red also saw solid performances at 133 pounds, where Tyler Ferrara and Brett Ungar each recorded multiple victories. Ferrara advanced to the quarterfinals with wins over Talen Eck (Utah Valley) and Elijah Lowe (Chattanooga), while Ungar posted overtime and tiebreaker victories before bowing out in the round of 16.
At 149 pounds, Ethan Fernandez picked up two wins, highlighted by a major decision over Duke's Dylan Ross, while Cornell's heavyweights Cyril Kruse and Ashton Davis each contributed victories in the 285-pound bracket.
Cornell wrestlers were tested throughout a stacked, 28-team field that featured nationally ranked competitors at nearly every weight. The Southern Scuffle's return to form provided a premier midseason proving ground, and Cornella's championship run stood out as the Big Red's defining highlight of the weekend.
As a team, Cornell finished seventh overall with 75 points in the 28-team field.