EAST STROUDSBURG, PA - Led by six semifinal winners, Cornell extended its lead over the field to an impressive 22 points after the first day of the 2007 EIWA Wrestling Championships, held at Koehler Fieldhouse on the campus of East Stroudsburg University on Friday.

The day ended on an upbeat tone for the Big Red, when No. 3 seed Zac Hammond scored a counter takedown with six seconds left to defeat No. 2 Paul Weibel of Lehigh, 3-1 at 285 pounds.

All three of Cornell's No. 1 seeds made the finals, Troy Nickerson at 125 pounds, Jordan Leen at 149 pounds and Jerry Rinaldi at 197 pounds. The other Big Red finalists are No. 2 Adam Frey at 133 pound and No. 3 Steve Anceravage at 165 pounds.

Anceravage fired up the Cornell fans with a first-period pin over No. 2 Zachary Shanaman of Penn in 1:12.

"I could have told you two weeks ago we would have a good tournament," said Cornell head coach Rob Koll. "You could see it in the workouts coming in. Hopefully, tomorrow we will have six champions and two guys place third."

Only two Cornell athletes were eliminated from the tournament at this point, No. 7 Corey Manson at 141 pounds and No. 8 Drake Hovis at 157 pounds.

Navy was second with 90.5 points, followed by Penn in third with 82 points, American next with 61.5 points and Lehigh with 61 points. 

Navy has four finalists and three in the consolations. Penn has three finalists and four in the consolations. American and Harvard each have two finalists. Lehigh placed only one in the gold-medal finals but has six left in the consolation rounds.

Navy bounced back after a challenging morning session where a number of seeds were beaten. 

"It's a comeback, it is a start," said Navy coach Bruce Burnett. "I think the guys did a good job responding. We dug a hole early, but we were scrapping tonight. You have to have some upsets, and we did that. We have a full day of wrestling tomorrow. We have built momentum."

Burnett praised the efforts of No. 1 seed Matt Stolpinski, who defeated returning All-American and No. 4 Matt Herrington of Penn in the 174-pound semifinal by an 11-6 margin.

"Matt was ready to wrestle. He came in confident and it showed," said Burnett.

The lowest seed to make the finals was Navy's Antonio Miranda, who is seeded No. 5, who defeated No.1 seeded freshman David Craig of Lehigh, 8-5. 

There was a battle of returning champions, when Josh Glenn of Amreican defeated Matt Cassidy of Lehigh in the semifinals at 197 pounds, 7-4 Glenn won his EIWA title last year at 184 pounds and moved up in weight this season, while Cassidy was the champion at 197 pounds.

Of the finals matches, there will be six bouts between No. 1 and No. 2 seeded wrestlers. 

EIWA Semifinal summaries

125 pounds
No. 1 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) maj. dec. No. 5 Brandon Kinney (Columbia), 8-0
Nickerson scored the first takedown, spinning behind off a front headlock. He threw in the legs and rode out the period to lead 2-0 after one. Nickerson was down starting the second period, getting an escape off a granby for a 3-0 lead. Nickerson got a takedown with 1:00 left in the second period to make it 5-0 after two periods. The third period was in the neutral position, and Nickerson added another takedown with 45 seconds to go. Riding time of 2:38 gave Nickerson his 8-0 margin

No. 2 Matt Eveleth (Penn) dec. No. 3 Matt Fisk (Lehigh), 4-1
Eveleth scored a first period takedown with 1:54 left, and rode Fisk for the rest of the first period for a 2-0 lead. Eveleth chose neutral to start the second period and no points were scored. In the third, Fisk chose top and took away Eveleth's riding time advantage, attempting to turn him with the legs in. Eveleth scored a reversal with seven seconds left, the cut loose Fisk at the end to win 4-1.

133 pounds

No. 1 Matt Valenti (Penn) tech. fall No. 4 David Marble (Bucknell), 16-1
Valenti scored a quick takedown, then tilted Marble for two backpoints within the first minute of the match and finished the period with another score for a 6-0 lead. Valenti quickly escaped to start the second period, and got another takedown to stretch the lead to 9-0. Valenti had to take injury time for his knee, but came back for more backpoints and led 13-0 after two periods Marble got an escape , but another Valenti takedown made the score 15-1. A total of 5:28 of riding time gave Valenti the 16-1 technical fall.

No. 2 Adam Frey (Cornell) vs. No. 3 Robert Preston (Harvard), 9-7
Frey scored the only takedown of the first period on a throwby from an upperbody position then rode out the period, to lead 2-0. Preston got a quick escape and almost scored during a wild scramble, but Frey came out on top for a takedown and a 4-1 lead. Preston escaped to make it 4-2 at the end of two periods. Frey was down in the third period and got an escape, but a Preston takedown with 1:04 left closed the gap to 5-4. He cut Frey loose, making it 6-4. Frey was penalized for stalling with a minute to go, making it 6-5. Preston scored a takedown with 17 seconds left, making it 7-6, but Frey had the riding time advantage ending the period tied at 7-7. In the overtime, Frey scored the takedown on a scramble on a granby finish, for a 9-7 overtime win.

141 pounds
No. 4 Matthew Kyler (Army) dec. No. 8 Brett McCurdy (Penn), 3-2
There were not takedowns in the first period. Kyler started down in the second period and escaped after being ridden for 57 seconds, taking a 1-0 lead. In the third, McCurdy got an escape in just six seconds, tying the score at 1-1. Kyler got the first takedown on a leg attack with 1:20 left in the period for a 3-1 lead. McCurdy got his escapr

No. 2 Matt Ciasulli (Lehigh) dec. No. 6 Mark Savino (Brown), 13-5
Ciasulli scored a first takedown then cut Savino loose, but Savino responded with a takedown of his own, followed by a Ciasulli escape, knotting it at 3-3 midway through the first period. Ciasulli scored another takedown to lead 5-3 at the end of the first period. Savino was down to start the second and scored an escape, closing the lead to 5-4 at the end of two periods. Ciasulli was down in the third period, and escaped for a 6-4 lead. A Ciasulli takedown, followed by a three-point nearfall opened the match up to 11-4. After a Savino escape, Ciasulli got another takedown, to end the match at 13-5. 

149 pounds
No. 1 Jordan Leen (Cornell) maj. dec. No. 4 Matthew Dunn (Colombia), 10-1
Leen scored the first takedown, then sunk in the legs ending the period at 2-0. The second period started in neutral. Leen scored a takedown, and after a Dunn escape, he got another takedown to make it 6-1 at the end of two.Leen was down in the third period, and scored an escape and a takedown on the buzzer to make it 9-1. A total of 1:46 in riding time stretched it to a 10-1 major decision.

No. 2 JP O'Connor (Harvard) dec. No. 3 John Cox (Navy), 9-3
Cox scored the first takedown, and O'Connor escaped quickly for a 2-1 score, and it stayed that way to the end of the period. O'Connor was down in the second period, and got an escape and a takedown for a 4-2 lead. After a Cox excape made it 4-3, O'Connor scored another takedown and two backpoints, making it 9-3. No ppints were scored in the third period.

157 pounds
No. 1 Matt Dragon (Penn) vs. No. 4 Robert Latessa (Harvard), 1-0
There was no takedown in the first period. Latessa chose neutral in the second period and no takedowns were scored. Dragon chose down in the third period and escaped on the whistle for a 1-0 lead. No takedowns were scored, and Dragon won 1-0.

No. 2 John Jarred (Navy) vs. No. 3 David Nakasone (Lehigh), 3-1
There was no takedown in the first period. Nakasone was down to start the second and quickly escaped for a 1-0 lead. An amazing scramble ensued, where it seemed Nakasone had scored, and then Jarred, but no points were given. The period ended at 1-0. Jarred took down in the third, getting a quick escape to tie the bout at 1-1. A Jarred takedown with 40 seconds left gave him a 3-1 lead. Jarred rode out Nakasone for the win.

165 pounds
No. 1 Michael Cannon (American) vs. No. 4 Andrew Rendos (Bucknell), 5-3
Cannon scored the first takedown late in the opening period for a 2-0 lead. Rendos took bottom in the second period and he got his escape, closing it to 2-1. Cannon scored a takedown with about 16 seconds left in the second period for a 4-1 lead. The period started on the feet, and Rendos scored a takedown with 1:24 to go to close the gap to 4-3. A Cannon escape near the end of the match made it 5-3. Rendos was deep on a shot when time ended.

No. 3 Steve Anceravage (Cornell) pin No. 2 Zachary Shanaman (Penn), 1:12
Anceravage scored the first takedown for a 2-0 lead. While riding on top, Anceravage suddenly turned Shanaman and scored a stunning pin, with 1:48 left on the clock.

174 pounds
No. 1 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) vs. No. 4 Matthew Herrington (Penn), 11-6
Herrington scored the first takedown, followed by a Stolpinski escape for a 2-1 lead. Herrington added another takedown, followed by a nother Stolpinski escape for a 4-2 lead. Stolpinski scored a takedown with 25 seconds left in the period to make it 4-4. Herrington took down and scored an escape for a 5-4 lead. With the period ending, Stolpinski scored a takedown for a 6-5 margin at the end of two periods. In the third, Herrington cut Stolpinski loose for an escape and a 7-5 lead. Stolpinski added another takedown for a 9-5 lead. Herrington escaped, making it 9-6, but another Stolpinski takedown at the end of the bout made it 11-6.

No. 2 Matthew Palmer (Columbia) vs. No. 3 Joey Hooker (Cornell), 7-3
Hooker scored the first takedown, followed by a Palmer escape for a 2-1 lead after one. Hooker started the period on bottome and earned an escape for a 3-1 lead, but Palmer got a takedown to tie it at 3-3 after two periods. In the third, a Palmer escape, followed by another Palmer takedown, made the final score 6-3. He added a riding time point for the final 7-3 margin.

184 pounds
No. 5 Antonio Miranda (Navy) dec. No. 1 David Craig (Lehigh), 8-5
Craig scored the first takedown early for a 2-0 lead. Craig was penalized a point for stalling from the top, making it 2-1. After a Miranda escape, Craig was hit for stalling again for a 3-2 Miranda lead at the end of the first. Miranda escaped and scored a takedown to make it 6-2, and Craig escaped to make it 6-3 after two periods. A Craig escape in the third period closed it to 6-4, but Miranda took him down with 40 seconds to go for an 8-4 margin. Craig escaped to make it 8-5 and that is how the bout ended.

No. 2 Louis Caputo (Harvard) vs. No. 6 Joshua Arnone (Cornell), 4-2
There was no takedown in the first period. Caputo chose down, then got an escape and a takedown for a 3-0 lead after two periods. In the third period, Arnone chose neutral. He scored a takedown for to make it 3-2. However, 1:38 of riding time gave Caputo a 4-2 win.

197 pounds
No. 1 Jerry Rinaldi (Cornell) dec. No. 4 Eric Lapotsky (Bucknell), 14-5
Rinaldi scored a takedown in the first period and rode out the period for a 2-0 lead. Rinaldi chose bottom in the second period and got a reversal to take a 4-0 lead. An escape was followed by a Rinaldi takedown for a 6-1 lead. Rinaldi started opening up the match, by letting Lapotski up and taking him down a number of times, and added riding time for a 14-5 major decision.

No. 2. Josh Glenn (American) dec. No. 3. Matt Cassidy (Lehigh), 7-4
Glenn scored the opening takedown on a bodylock, and Cassidy escaped to make it 2-1. Glenn chose down in the second, an scored an escape with just seconds left in the second period for a 3-1 lead. Cassidy took down in the third period and quickly escaped, making it 3-2. Glenn was penalized a point with a third caution for jumping the whistle, to tie the match at 3-3. Glenn scored a takedown with 49 seconds left for a 5-3 lead. Cassidy escaped, but Glenn got another takedown with 17 seconds to go for the 7-4 win.

285 pounds
No. 1 Ed Prendergast (Navy) dec, No. 5 Levon Mock (Brown), 3-2
There was not takedown in the first period. Predergast took bottom in the second period and scored a quick escape. In the third period, Mock scored an escape for a 1-1 tie. Prendergast scored the third period takedown, and Mock got an escape, for the final 3-2 score.

No. 3 Zach Hammond (Cornell) dec. No. 2 Paul Weibel (Lehigh), 3-1
There was no takedown in the first period. Hammond took the bottom and scored an escape in the second period quickly, taking a 1-0 lead. Weibel was on the bottom to start the third period and escaped on the whistle, tying the match at 1-1. Weibel had a single leg and almost scored, but Hammond countered and scored the takedown with six seconds left to win the bout.