Cornell sweeps the weekend duals with a clinching victory at heavyweight from Cy Kruse!
— Cornell Wrestling (@BigRedWrestling) February 8, 2026
Vince Cornella, Jaxon Joy, and Meyer Shapiro all with ranked wins; Simon Ruiz with the major; and Louie Cerchio moves to 2-0 at 184!#familynotfactory#yellcornell #GOBIGRED pic.twitter.com/Stp5LVEkzR
Philadelphia, Pa. — Cornell men's wrestling overcame an early deficit and a tough environment at historic The Palestra on Sunday, outlasting the Penn Quakers 19-13 in an Ivy League dual matchup.
The Quakers, who have been perennial Ivy competitors, entered the weekend looking to challenge the Big Red on their home mat in Philadelphia. Cornell, riding a long stretch of dominance against Penn, extended its all-time dual lead in the series — which dates back to 1908 — to 87-20-1 and has now won 22 straight meetings between the programs.
The win improved Cornell's overall record to 7-6 and its Ivy League mark to 4-1.
At 125 pounds, No. 29 Davis Motyka edged senior Greg Diakomihalis 1-0 in a tightly contested bout. The match was scoreless through the opening period before a second-period stall point proved to be the difference.
The Quakers extended their lead to 6-0 at 133 as No. 13 Evan Mougalian rallied past No. 16 Tyler Ferrara, 6-2. Ferrara led 2-1 after two periods, but Mougalian opened the third with an escape and takedown to seize control.
Cornell answered in a marquee matchup at 141. No. 6 Vince Cornella, who entered the bout on a six-match win streak, earned three near-fall points in the first period and never relinquished control in a 7-3 decision over No. 7 CJ Composto. The win trimmed Penn's lead to 6-3.
The momentum shifted fully at 149, where No. 2 Jaxon Joy remained unbeaten in dual competition with a 5-1 decision over No. 5 Cross Wasilewski. Joy scored the bout's lone takedown and added riding time to give Cornell its first team lead at 6-5.
No. 13 Meyer Shapiro extended the advantage at 157. After a fast start that included a takedown and four-point near fall, Shapiro defeated No. 12 Jude Swisher 9-2 to push the Big Red ahead 9-6.
Penn briefly reclaimed the lead at 165 when No. 20 Sean Seefeldt recorded a 15-2 major decision over Benny Rogers, swinging the team score to 10-9 in favor of the Quakers.
Cornell responded with back-to-back victories to regain control.
At 174, No. 2 Simon Ruiz delivered a 9-0 major decision over Caden Bellis, piling up two takedowns and more than four minutes of riding time to give the Big Red a 13-10 edge.
Freshman Louie Cerchio followed at 184 with a 4-1 decision over Liam Carlin, using riding time to extend the team lead to 16-10.
Penn closed the gap to 16-13 after Martin Cosgrove defeated Aiden Hanning 10-4 at 197, setting up a decisive heavyweight bout.
Freshman Cy Kruse IV sealed the dual for Cornell at 285. Kruse broke a scoreless first period with an escape and added a second-period takedown on the edge of the mat — upheld after review — before securing an 8-1 decision over John Pardo to clinch the 19-13 victory.
Penn seized early momentum with decisions at the two lightest weights, but Cornell answered with a string of wins in the middle and heavier classes. The Big Red's comeback was keyed by top-ranked wrestlers seizing critical bouts and delivering bonus points that swung the team score in their favor.
Big Red returns to action on Saturday, February 14 versus Binghamton at home in the Friedman Wrestling Center. The match will begin at 1 p.m. and will be livestreamed on ESPN+. Tickets are available HERE.
Match Results — Cornell 19, Penn 13
125 lbs: No. 29 Davis Motyka (Penn) def. Greg Diakomihalis (Cornell) — 1-0 decision; first-period stalemate score provides lone point.
133 lbs: No. 13 Evan Mougalian (Penn) def. No. 16 Tyler Ferrara (Cornell) — 6-2 decision; Mougalian scores four third-period points.
141 lbs: No. 6 Vince Cornella (Cornell) def. No. 7 CJ Composto (Penn) — 7-3 decision; Cornella racks up back points and controls the bout.
149 lbs: No. 2 Jaxon Joy (Cornell) def. Cross Wasilewski (Penn) — 5-1 decision; takedown and riding time key the victory.
157 lbs: No. 13 Meyer Shapiro (Cornell) def. No. 12 Jude Swisher (Penn) — 9-2 decision; Shapiro dominates early with a near-fall.
165 lbs: No. 20 Sean Seefeldt (Penn) def. Benny Rogers (Cornell) — 15-2 major decision; Seefeldt scores multiple takedowns and back points.
174 lbs: No. 2 Simon Ruiz (Cornell) def. Caden Bellis (Penn) — 9-0 major decision; Ruiz controls with multiple takedowns and riding time.
184 lbs: Louie Cerchio (Cornell) def. Liam Carlin (Penn) — 4-1 decision; riding time factors into the win.
197 lbs: Martin Cosgrove (Penn) def. Aiden Hanning (Cornell) — 10-4 decision; Cosgrove builds an early lead and holds on.
285 lbs: Cy Kruse IV (Cornell) def. John Pardo (Penn) — 8-1 decision; takedowns and riding time secure the clincher.