Nickerson got the match off to a flying start, racking up the points in the 125 pound bout against Brandon Kinney. Kinney opened the match on the offensive, getting close to a takedown, but the Cornell freshman was able to fight off Kinneys shots. Leading just 2-1 after the first period, Nickerson went on a scoring binge in the second. He escaped after choosing down to start the period and recorded four takedowns to finish the second up 11-4. After three more takedowns, Nickerson got Kinney on his back and got the fall with just 17 seconds remaining in the match, putting Cornell up 6-0.
Senior Mike Mormile followed that up with a tough 4-2 win over Matt DeLorenzo in the 133 pound match. A first period Mormile takedown, along with a Mormile escape and riding time proved to be the difference. Juniors Matt Easter and Keith Dickey each put up wins in the 141 and 149 pound bouts, respectively, giving the Big Red a sizeable 15-0 lead, with many of Cornells strongest wrestlers to come.
One such wrestler came in the 157 pound match, where three-time All-American Dustin Manotti scored a major decision over Tyler Thurgood. The Cornell senior recorded three first-period takedowns for the early 6-2 lead and would enter the third period leading 8-3. A five-point third period plus riding time pushed the final to 14-4 in favor of Manotti, getting Cornell four more team points.
Sophomore Steve Anceravage then beat Dustin Tillman 7-3 at 165 pounds and senior Dan Miracola turned in an impressive performance, getting the major decision over Kenji Porter at 174 pounds. Miracola jumped out to the early lead, when, in the first period, he scored a takedown and a two-point near fall to go up 4-1. A second-period escape pushed the score to 5-1 and then a takedown and another two-point near fall plus nearly three minutes of riding time gave the Cornell senior a 10-1 major victory.
At 184 pounds, Columbias Justin Barent gave Cornells Joe Mazzurco all he could handle, but Mazzurco proved to be too much for the Columbia junior. Heading into the third period up 5-2, Mazzurco let Barent escape and was then taken down, to tie the match at 5-5. With under a minute to go, however, Mazzurco muscled out of Barents ride and held on for the 6-5 win.
Junior Jerry Rinaldi didnt waste much time ending his match. Rinaldi scored a takedown on Orrin Kleinhenz just 12 seconds into the match and rode him out for much of the period. But before time could expire, Rinaldi turned Kleinhenz and scored the second pin of the afternoon for the Big Red, which led 35-0 heading into the final match of the day.
In the heavyweight bout, sophomore Zach Hammond downed John Grando 9-5 to put the finishing touches on an impressive Ivy League opener for the Big Red.
The match will be broadcast on a tape delay on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 10 p.m. on CSTV.
The Big Red will be in action again tomorrow when it takes on No. 21 Hofstra at the Friedman Wrestling Center. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. start.
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