Three-Mendous! Three-Mendous!
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SPIRIT! SPRING 2012 Three-Mendous! Wrestling, Men’s and WOMen’s Hockey TEAMS ENJOY STELLAR POST-SEASON RUN The Magazine of Cornell Sports HIGHLIGHTS THREE BIG RED WRESTLERS CROWNED NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Last year, the Cornell coach Rob Koll. “This year [Cornell tallied His mind raced, “Let’s not take this to wrestling team battled 102.5 points,] I couldn’t be happier.” The double-overtime, let’s finish it now.” He with Penn State for primary reason for Koll’s pleasure: for and Wright are familiar with each other the national title at the the first time ever, the Big Red had three since childhood, as they both hail from NCAA Championships in NCAA wrestling champions. State College, Pa., which is also Koll’s Philadephia, finishing as the runner-up for hometown. Junior Kyle Dake became the first wrestler the second consecutive year matching its to earn three NCAA titles at three Senior Cam Simaz (197 pounds) won his best finish ever. different weight classes. During this year’s first national title, as the No. 1 seed. He This season, the squad finished fourth at championships, Dake was crowned national dominated an exhausted Chris Honeycutt the NCAA championships—and for Rob champion at 157 pounds. He notched a of Edinboro, 7-5. The victory capped an Koll, it was a more satisfying national double leg takedown 50 impressive career for the four-time All- tournament than the previous year. seconds into the bout American who accumulated the third-most and rode out Derek wins (140), the second-most wins by fall “Last year we scored 93 points, placed St. John of Iowa for (47) and the most wins by bonus points second, and I was crushed,” the remainder of the (98) in school history. said head first period. The junior chose Senior Frank Perrelli capped off his stellar down to start the second period Cornell career with a fourth place finish at and escaped after 32 seconds, winning 125 pounds, while unseeded sophomore convincingly. He ended his season with a Mike Nevinger battled his way to All- 35-0 record. America honors with a seventh-place finish Senior Steve Bosak scored a at 141 pounds. takedown in sudden victory “This was supposed to be a rebuilding year to win his first NCAA title, and we had three national champions— defeating defending national that’s pretty impressive,” beamed Simaz. champion, Quentin Wright, of Penn State in the 184-pound CLICK HERE TO WATCH weight class. “I’ve worked on A HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: that technique a long time in CLICK HERE TO WATCH CAM SIMAZ practice—it’s one of my go-to A HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: finishes,” he said about the move. KYLE DAKE SPIRIT! MAGAZINE SHOP NOW FOR YOUR CORNELL ATHLETICS APPAREL. VISIT WWW.CORNELL.SKORFANSHOP.COM 26 RECAP CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE WRESTLERS GRAB IVY AND EI W A TITLES MEn’S WRESTLING WEBSITE t has almost become synonymous with early and Bosak in qualifying for nationals spring. Cornell wrestling wraps up an Ivy League were sophomores Nick Arujau (133), title,I captures the EIWA crown and marches on for a Mike Nevinger (141), Chris Villalonga top 10 finish at the NCAA championship. But it isn’t (149), and Marshall Peppelman (165); and that easy. Every championship requires much hard senior Maciej Jochym (HWT). Jochym earned a wild work, dedication, and a belief in one’s ability. card selection for the championship. Cornell continued its dominance against conference Dake, in search of his third consecutive national title foes, achieving a perfect 5-0 record to claim its 10th (all at different weight classes) entered the NCAA consecutive Ancient Eight crown. Behind two-time tournament following an outstanding regular season. Ivy League Wrestler of the Year senior Cam Simaz In addition to winning his second EIWA title, he (197 pounds), Cornell extended its winning streak won individual titles at the Southern Scuffle, the against Ivy foes to 53 consecutive dual meets. Eight Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, and the Body Bar student-athletes earned All-Ivy accolades. Simaz Invitational. He entered the NCAA championship was joined on the All-Ivy first team by classmates with a perfect 30-0 record, having allowed only one Frank Perrelli (125 pounds) and Steve Bosak (184 takedown. pounds). Noticably absent from the All-Ivy first team was defending two-time national champion junior Koll’s many talents have transformed Cornell Kyle Dake (157 pounds), who missed all but one wrestling into a national power. Its reputation grew conference match due to injuries. in 2012 with dual meet wins over Minnesota, Lehigh, Iowa State, and Purdue en route to an 11-1 record. WRESTLING For the sixth consecutive year, Cornell and head The 2012 season was Cornell’s 25th consecutive coach Rob Koll claimed the Eastern Intercollegiate winning season in dual meet competition dating back Wrestling Association title and defeated a strong to the 1986-87 campaign. Since 2000-01, Cornell has Lehigh team by 2.5 points. It marked the first time posted a 114-44-2 record, a .719 winning percentage. that a team won six straight titles since before World War II. Simaz became the 11th wrestler in history While the current team has been impressive, the to win four consecutive EIWA titles with his 2012 program has generated buzz outside of the collegiate championship. He was named the tournament’s world as well. Mack Lewnes ‘11 qualified for the 2012 Most Outstanding Wrestler and also earned the U.S. Olympic Team Trials after placing second at 84 John Fletcher Memorial Trophy for the wrestler that kg at the Men’s Freestyle Olympic Trials Qualifier, has earned the most team points in his EIWA career. and will compete for a spot on the national team at Perrelli and Dake also won titles at their respective the Olympic Team trials in Iowa City, Iowa, April weight classes. In all, nine wrestlers qualified for the 21-22. The three-time All-American and four-time NCAA championships, EIWA champion is the all-time winningest wrestler matching a school in Cornell history with 150 victories and also CLICK HERE TO WATCH holds the record A HIGHLIGHT VIDEO: record set in 2005, 2009, and 2011. Joining with 55 career falls. STEVE BOSAK Simaz, Perrelli, Dake SHOP NOW FOR YOUR CORNELL ATHLETICS APPAREL. VISIT WWW.CORNELL.SKORFANSHOP.COM SPIRIT! MAGAZINE 3 HIGHLIGHTS ELITE ON THE NATIONAL STAGE When the women’s hockey peak. The first 50 minutes produced 14 The three-overtime win sent the No. 3 seed team lost to St. Lawrence goals. Would it ever end? Cornell just kept skaters to the Frozen Four in Duluth, MN, in the ECAC championship on digging. against No. 2 seed Minnesota. tournament, it realized there With 10 seconds remaining in the third Minnesota scored two power-play goals in was a bigger goal in front overtime, junior defenseman Lauriane the first period and added an empty-net tally of them. Sophomore forward Jessica Rougeau picked up the puck in her own in the last minute of the game. Sophomore Campbell said, “It was pretty disappointing, defensive zone, faked one defender as she defenseman Alyssa Gagliardi made it a 2-1 but fortunately, we had put ourselves in a crossed the blue line. One more defender game halfway through the second period. position to advance to the NCAAs whether got in her way, but with the clock ticking “We were a bit flat in the first period,” said we won or lost the ECACs.” down in the third extra session, Rougeau’s Coach Derraugh, “but I thought we played Little did Campbell and her teammates know shot went through the legs of the Terrier much better in the second period. Give what lay ahead of them on the road to their goaltender as she beat the last defender. “I credit to this team, as they never stopped third consecutive Frozen Four. knew there wasn’t a lot of time left on the coming and they never gave up. We just clock…I just said I’m going for it…..I was came up one goal short. The Gophers The first challenge was against Boston behind the net, when I found out I scored, won 3-1, and went on to defeat No. 1 seed University, a team that had knocked the and I was happy,” explained the exuberant Wisconsin 4-2 to claim their third national Big Red out of the Frozen Four a year ago. Rougeau. championship. However, Cornell swept the Lady Terriers earlier this season at Lynah Rink. This time, On the entire afternoon and evening, two Johnston and junior defenseman Laura played before a large crowd of over 2,000 at Cornell goaltenders made 40 saves, while the Fortino were named to the All-America first Lynah, the game was one of streaks. BU goalie stopped 58 shots. team, while Rougeau made the second unit. BU scored the first three goals and led 3-1 The contest lasted 119 minutes and 50 Derraugh had special praise for his eight after one period, but Cornell answered back seconds, just 10 seconds shy of being two full seniors. “When they first came in, this with four consecutive tallies to go up 4-3 and games of hockey. It was the longest hockey was a team that had been last in the Ivy was on top 5-4 after 40 minutes. Cornell game ever played at Lynah Rink, breaking the League,” he said. “They’ve completely led 7-4 in the third, but the visitors tied the previous mark of 97:40 set by the men less changed our culture and our program.