InterMat's All-Quarter Century Team: Cornell
Our All-Quarter Century feature has taken us to one of the most impressive teams during the last 25 years - Cornell. At the beginning of this era (2001), it didn’t seem feasible that an Ivy League school could routinely contend for top recruits and NCAA titles in modern collegiate athletics. Cornell and Rob Koll turned that thought process on its head and got some of the best recruits possible and became a regular NCAA team trophy threat.
Coming into the 2000's, there had only been one four-time NCAA champion (Pat Smith). Since then, six others have achieved the feat, and two wore the Big Red singlet.
A recent coaching change that saw Koll leave for Stanford has not slowed down the momentum in Ithaca. Mike Grey’s first two teams earned NCAA team trophies (2,3). Grey and his staff have been able to recruit at a very high level, so that tradition looks ready to continue well into the next quarter century.
In making our first team for Cornell, we had to make some of the most difficult decisions yet. No matter how we chose, there was bound to be a four-time All-American and national champion on the second team at 125 and 133 lbs. Nickerson/Garrett was extremely difficult to choose - instead of a numerical system, the deciding factor was that Nickerson was rarely ever completely healthy, yet never finished lower than fourth at NCAAs. At 133, the strength of Vito Arujau’s NCAA opponents gave him the nod over Travis Lee.
With Yianni Diakomihalis and Kyle Dake both wrestling multiple weights and winning four titles, it gave some flexibility to make the best possible first time. I think that’s what we did at 141-165.
Once again, it was tough going through 174 and 184, as you have a pair of NCAA finalists on the second team. At the same time, it’s hard to argue with the guys on the first team.
Wrestlers considered for the three teams had to compete from 2001 to 2025. For the wrestlers early in this timeframe, their entire collegiate body of work was considered. Only collegiate results were taken into consideration. Even if a wrestler was successful at multiple weights, they were only selected for one weight - typically, it was based on the strongest possible first team.
After the three All-Century teams, there are some fun facts about Cornell’s results over the past 25 years.
Here are the programs we’ve already covered
Lehigh
Minnesota
Missouri
NC State
Cornell
First Team
125 lbs - Troy Nickerson: Chenango Forks, New York - 4x AA (4,1,3,2), 2009 NCAA champion, 3x EIWA champion
133 lbs - Vito Arujau: Syosset, New York - 4x AA (1,1,3,4), 2x NCAA champion, 2x EIWA champion
141 lbs - Yianni Diakomihalis: Rochester, New York - 4xAA (1,1,1,1), 4x NCAA champion, 4x EIWA champion
149 lbs - Dustin Manotti: Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania - 4x AA (3,6,4,8) 2x EIWA runner-up, NCAA #3 seed
157 lbs - Jordan Leen: Soddy Daisy, Tennessee: 3x AA (3,1,8), 2008 NCAA champion, 2x EIWA champion
165 lbs - Kyle Dake: Lansing, New York: 4x AA (1,1,1,1), 4x NCAA champion, 3x EIWA champion
174 lbs - Mack Lewnes: Annapolis, Maryland: 3x AA (4,2,4), 4x EIWA champion, 2x NCAA #1 seed
184 lbs - Gabe Dean: Lowell, Michigan: 4x AA (2,1,1,3), 4x EIWA champion
197 lbs - Cam Simaz: Allegan, Michigan: 4x AA (8,3,3,1), 2012 NCAA champion, 4x EIWA champion
285 lbs - Lewis Fernandes: Tewksbury, New Jersey: 2x NCAA qualifier, EIWA runner-up
Second Team
125 lbs - Nahshon Garrett: Chico, California - 4x AA (1,5,2,3), 2016 NCAA champion, 4x EIWA champion
133 lbs - Travis Lee: Honolulu, Hawaii - 4x AA (1,5,1,7), 2x NCAA champion, 4x EIWA champion
141 lbs - Mike Nevinger: Perry, New York - 2x AA (5,7), 2012 EIWA runner-up
149 lbs - Chris Villalonga: Totowa, New Jersey - 1x AA (6), NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2x EIWA runner-up
157 lbs - Meyer Shapiro:* Woodbine, Maryland - 2x AA (5,3), 2x conference champion, NCAA #2 seed
165 lbs - Steve Anceravage: Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania - 2x AA (5,6), 2007 EIWA champion, 4x EIWA finalist
174 lbs - Brian Realbuto: Somers, New York - 3x AA (5,2,6), 3x EIWA champion, 3x NCAA #2 seed
184 lbs - Steve Bosak: State College, Pennsylvania - 3x AA (3,1,4), 2013 EIWA champion, 3x EIWA finalist
197 lbs - Jacob Cardenas: Kearny, New Jersey - 3x AA (4,4,8), 2x conference champion (Big Ten/EIWA), NCAA #1 seed
285 lbs - Jeramy Sweany: Vacaville, California - 2x NCAA Qualifier
Third Team
125 lbs - Frank Perrelli: Hackettstown, New Jersey - 1x AA (4), 2x EIWA champion
133 lbs - Mike Grey: Rockaway, New Jersey - 2x AA (6,6), 2x NCAA Round of 12 finisher, 2x EIWA champion
141 lbs - Vince Cornella:* Lafayette, Colorado - 2x National Qualifier, EIWA champion
149 lbs - DJ Meagher: Bow, New Hampshire - 2x National Qualifier
157 lbs - Dylan Palacio: Long Beach, New York - 2x AA (6,4), 2x EIWA champion, 4x EIWA finalist, NCAA Round of 12 finisher
165 lbs - Julian Ramirez: Miami, Florida - 4x NCAA Qualifier, 4x NCAA Round of 12 finisher
174 lbs - Chris Foca: Cliffside Park, New Jersey - 2x AA (5,3), 2x conference champion
184 lbs - Joe Mazzurco: Mahopac, New Jersey - 2x AA (6,5), 2005 EIWA champion, 3x EIWA finalist
197 lbs - Jerry Rinaldi: Lodi, New Jersey - 2x AA (6,4), 3x EIWA runner-up
285 lbs - Zach Hammond: Galloway, New Jersey: 2x NCAA qualifier, 2007 EIWA runner-up
Fun Facts
11 wrestlers have combined to win 19 NCAA titles during the past 25 years
Of the seven wrestlers who have won four NCAA DI titles, two (Dake, Diakomihalis) won four championships for Cornell in this quarter century
Cornell has produced national champions at eight weight classes during this span
Five Cornell wrestlers have won multiple national titles since 2005 (Lee, Dake, G. Dean, Diakomihalis, Arujau)
26 Cornell wrestlers have made the NCAA finals since 2001
9 wrestlers have earned All-American honors 4x’s for Cornell in this time period (Lee, Manotti, Nickerson, Simaz, Dake, Garrett, G. Dean, Diakomihalis, Arujau). Max Dean also had two All-American honors for Cornell and two more from Penn State.
82 Cornell wrestlers have earned NCAA All-American honors over the last 25 years. Two others were named NWCA first-team All-Americans in 2020
Of the times they’ve competed at the NCAA tournament (excluding 2020/2021), Cornell has only missed out at finishing in the top 20 at NCAA’s once in this span (2001)
Cornell has earned six NCAA team trophies during this quarter century - highlighted by back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2011
Despite four top-three finishes at NCAA’s, their highest NCAA point total (102.5) came in 2012 when they were fourth.
That 2012 team had three NCAA individual champions (Dake, Bosak, Simaz) which is the only time that feat has been done in program history
Cornell has put five wrestlers on the NCAA podium three times since 2011. 2012 and 2025 are the other times
The school has only had two head coaches during this time. Rob Koll and their current head coach, Big Red alum, Mike Grey.
Cornell has produced 73 conference champions during this quarter century - 68 in the EIWA and five in the Ivy League
The team has 15 conference titles in 25 years - 14 in the EIWA and one in the Ivy League
The top seven wrestlers on Cornell’s all-time wins list (G. Dean, Lewnes, Garrett, Simaz, Lee, Dake, Manotti) all were active during this period
Once during the last 25 years has Cornell locked down the top overall recruit in their respective class (Shapiro ‘23) - though others were very close (Knox #5 - ‘25, Diakomihalis #3 - ‘17, Arujau #4 - ‘17, Dake #4 - ‘09, Grey #3 - ‘06)
Cornell has two wrestlers who have earned Senior world medals (Arujau, Diakomihalis) while they were still active in college
Despite their overall success, Cornell did not have an All-American at heavyweight any time during the last quarter century.
Since 2010, 11 of the 14 NCAA titles won by New York natives were captured by a Cornell wrestler.
Kyle Dake, the program’s first four-time champion, is Cornell’s only Hodge Trophy winner.
