Due to an unusual number of injuries, Buckley has been forced to patch lineups together from reserves and freshmen, most of whom figured to see only limited action.
And the result? Columbia continues to enjoy a solid season, despite the absences.
"I have been impressed with the way our team has been competing," says Buckley, Columbia's Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling. "The guys have been working extremely hard throughout each individual match."
The latest example of that work ethic was last Saturday, when Columbia journeyed to Rider and defeated the Broncs, 18-12. Rider had been unbeaten in seven straight matches.
In a match totally devoid of bonus points, the Lions won six bouts to Rider's four. They began the evening by taking the first three matches for a 9-0 lead, and the Broncs never caught up.
Senior Jeff Sato (Pismo Beach, Calif.) extended his team-leading record to 17-6 with the 78th win of his three-year career, an 8-3 decision over Ryan Smith. Junior Matt DeLorenzo (Wantagh, N.Y.), like Sato an NCAA qualifier last season but handicapped by an injury through much of this season, edged Zach Cunliffe, 3-1. DeLorenzo is now 9-6.
Brendan Buckley had thrown FIVE freshmen against Rider, and the first of those, Sal Tirico (Lodi, N.J.), paid dividends when he upset veteran Mike Palma, 8-4 at 141. After missing the first two months of the season with an injury, Tirico is now 4-0.
The Broncs then won two matches to pull within 9-6, but both Columbia wrestlers, freshmen Derek Sickles (Rutherford, N.J.) at 149 and Tyler Thurgood (Blairstown, N.J.) at 157, fought off numerous attempts at back points. Sickles was substituting for the injured Ricky Turk (Crestline, Calif.), 11-4 when he was forced to the bench.
Columbia went up 12-6 on junior Dustin Tillman's (Fremont, Calif.) 10-4 defeat of Chris Marold at 165, only to see first-year Kenji Porter (Los Angeles, Calif.) lose at 174, 6-2. However, Porter, substituting for eighth-ranked Matt Palmer (Germantown, Md.), who was injured in the Virginia Duals, avoided any bonus points in holding off highly-regarded Doug Umbehauer, one of Rider's best men.
When junior Justin Barent (Worland, Wyo.) beat Joe Maroney, 6-2 at 184, the Lions led, 15-9. But the Broncs' nationally-ranked T.J. Morrison loomed at 197.
Morrison dominated his match with Orrin Kleinhenz (Columbus, Ind.), yet another of Buckley's newcomers, but he couldn't do better than an ordinary 9-2 decision. And when junior John Grando (Pueblo, Colo.), in just his 10th match of the season, held off Nick Clufo for a 5-4 victory, Columbia had won again.
"We've been very tenacious," Buckley noted, "especially in scoring, or keeping our opponents from scoring, when we absolutely had to."
Freshmen have played major parts in the team's success. Thirty-two of the team's dual-match bouts have been wrestled by freshmen.
"Sal Tirico and Orrin Kleinhenz have been setting the example for our freshmen," Buckley said. "Although they may not realize it because they are not getting their hand raised all of the time, all of them are indeed improving."
Now 4-4 in duals, Columbia makes only its second home appearance of the year Wednesday, February 1, when Army comes to Morningside Heights for the first time since 2001.
"Army is an EIWA conference opponent and a very good team," Buckley said. "However, we are competing with a lot of confidence right now. I expect it to be a great match."
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