Most of the discussion surrounding the competition at Sunday’s EIWA Wrestling Championship centered on consolations, rather than championships. With many of the nation’s Division I qualifying tournaments wrapping up on Sunday, it made sense.

What also made sense was top-ranked Cornell having the team title wrapped up heading into Sunday morning. Prior to Sunday afternoon’s final session at Bucknell’s Sojka Pavilion, the Big Red put six wrestlers into the finals and eventually crowning four champions.

Koll along with assistant coaches Damion Hahn, Jeremy Spates and Matt Azevedo spent time looking at computers on various media tables, digging for results of other tournaments to try to gauge where wrestlers like Justin Kerber and Stryker Lane might end up come next week’s wildcard selection process. 

While the Cornell coaches tried to figure out who else they could qualify, they had other business to attend to. One of those things was trying to figure out Bucknell’s Kevin LeValley – which didn’t happen.

LeValley capped his career at home with an upset victory over returning national champion Kyle Dake of Cornell at 149 pounds. LeValley hit a deep double and came out of a scramble with control on the edge, much to the delight of the pro-Bison crowd in Lewisburg.  LeValley nearly finished it seconds earlier, nearly getting a takedown on the edge. 

LeValley, from tiny Hugo, Colo., is eyeing his second All-American honor. He was seventh at 149 last year and becomes Bucknell’s second EIWA champion in the new era of the program. He was voted the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler. 

It wasn’t the only upset of the afternoon.

At heavyweight, Ryan Flores of American captured his second EIWA championship, beating previously unbeaten Zach Rey of Lehigh 4-2 in the tiebreaker. 

Rey nearly finished the match in regulation, but as Rey got behind Flores and tried to bring the Eagle down to the mat, Flores executed a beautiful standing Granby to avoid the control. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Rey was dinged for locking hands to start the first 30-second tiebreaker and Flores reversed Rey to his back at the buzzer to take a 4-1 lead into the final 30-second period.

Rey got free but couldn’t take down Flores. It was Rey’s first loss of the season. 

Frank Perrelli trailed 4-3, but hit a slick duckunder with 23 seconds to go in the third period against second-seeded Mark Rappo of Penn in the finals at 125 pounds. After riding out Rappo the rest of the period, Perrelli picked up another point for riding time and won his first EIWA Championship with a 6-4 decision.

Mike Grey of Cornell followed with a championship at 133 pounds, but it lacked any excitement as Lehigh’s Frank Cagnina forfeited. 

Matt Mariacher of American jumped out to a 3-0 lead on fifth-seeded Casey Thome of Army. Thome hit a reversal early in the third and then cut Mariacher free to trail 4-2 with 20 to go. Mariacher’s defense was too sound and Mariacher claimed a 4-2 decision at 141 pounds. 

American’s Steve Fittery took a 4-0 lead into the second period over Navy’s Bryce Saddoris with a takedown and set of backs and built over a minute of riding time in the process. Fittery and Saddoris traded escapes the rest of the way and Fittery captured his first EIWA championship and stayed unbeaten on the year. 

Rutgers’ Scott Winston and Columbia’s Eren Civan battled for the championship at 165 pounds. Winston prevailed with a 3-2 tiebreaker. Winston escaped two seconds into the first tiebreaker and rode out Civan to pick up Rutgers’ lone EIWA champion. 

Cornell’s Mack Lewnes picked up Cornell’s third title of the night, dominating Navy’s Matt DeMichiel to the tune of a 13-3 major decision. Lewnes claimed his fourth career championship and picked up his 146th victory, a Cornell record, in the process.

Lehigh’s Robert Hamlin topped Steve Bosak of Cornell at 184 pounds in the night’s move exciting bout. Hamlin countered a Bosak leg shot with a quick go-behind to break a 4-4 tie and eventually won 6-5. The match was reminiscent of Hamlin’s win over Bosak in Lehigh’s win over Cornell in the dual meet. 

Cornell made it four champions with Cam Simaz’s 1-0 victory over Penn’s Micah Burak at 197 pounds. Simaz’s third-period escape was all that was needed. Burak tried to force the action in the third period and got to Simaz’s legs twice, but couldn’t finish on the edge. 

Final Team Scores (Champions)
1. Cornell 173.5 (4)
2. Lehigh 119 (1)
3. Rutgers 116.5 (1)
4. American 106 (3)
5. Penn 98
6. Navy 81.5
7. Columbia 63
8. Bucknell 59 (1)
9. Army 56
10. Harvard 47.5
11. Princeton 42.5
12. Franklin & Marshall 20
13. Brown 3.5	

Finals
125: Frank Perrelli (Cornell) DEC Mark Rappo (Penn) 6-4.
133: Mike Grey (Cornell) MED FOR Frank Cagnina (Lehigh).
141: Matt Mariacher (American) DEC Casey Thome (Army) 4-2.
149: Kevin LeValley (Bucknell) DEC Kyle Dake (Cornell) 5-3, SV2
157: Steve Fittery (American) DEC Bryce Saddoris (Navy) 6-1. 
165: Scott Winston (Rutgers) DEC Eren Civan (Columbia) 3-2, TB1
174: Mack Lewnes (Cornell) MD Matt DeMichiel (Navy) 13-3.
184: Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) DEC Steve Bosak (Cornell) 6-5.
197: Cam Simaz (Cornell) DEC Micah Burak (Penn) 1-0.
285: Ryan Flores (American) DEC Zach Rey (Lehigh) 4-2, TB1

Third Place
125: Aaron Kalil (Navy) DEC Steve Keith (Harvard) 8-1.
133: Rollie Peterkin (Penn) DEC Jordan Thome (Army) 5-0.
141: Zack Kemmerer (Penn) DEC Stephen Dutton (Lehigh) 4-2, SV.
149: Mario Mason (Rutgers) DEC Ganbayar Sanjaa (American) 3-2. 
157: Daryl Cocozzo (Rutgers) DEC D.J. Meagher (Cornell) 5-3.
165: Stephen Burak (Penn) DEC Patrick Graham (American) 5-2, TB.
174: Alex Caruso (Rutgers) MED FOR Austin Meys (Lehigh)
184: Dan Rinaldi (Rutgers) DEC Luke Rebertus (Navy) 2-0.
197: Daniel Mitchell (American) DEC Jay Hahn (Bucknell) 4-3. 
285: D.J. Russo (Rutgers) FALL Kevin Lester (Columbia) 1:14. 

Fifth Place
125: Garrett Frey (Princeton) MD David White (Army) 15-5.
133: Jake Bucha (Franklin & Marshall) DEC Anthony Comunale (Princeton) 10-3. 
141: Hicks Manson (Cornell) DEC Trevor Melde (Rutgers) 3-2. 
149: Joey Napoli (Lehigh) DEC Daniel Young (Army) 5-0.
157: Walter Peppelman (Harvard) FALL Daniel Kolodzik (Princeton) :37.
165: Justin Kerber (Cornell) MED FOR Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh). 
174: Matt Fullowan (Franklin & Marshall) DEC Scott Giffin (Penn) 10-7. 
184: Nick Mills (Columbia) FALL Rob Waltko (Bucknell) 5:09.
197: Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) DEC Mike Wagner (Rutgers) 3-1, SV.
285: Stryker Lane (Cornell) DEC Andrew Knapp (Harvard) 2-0.

Seventh Place
125: Joey Langel (Rutgers) FOR Naryman Arujau (American)
133: Shay Warren (Harvard) FALL Allen Stein (Army) 1:35.
141: Dustin Haislip (Navy) DEC Zachary Bintliff (Princeton) 8-1. 
149: Steve Santos (Columbia) DEC Andrew Lenzi (Penn) 3-0.
157: Brantley Hooks (Bucknell) DEC Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh) 5-4.
165: Corey Lear (Bucknell) DEC Mason Bailey (Navy) 3-1, TB
174: Stephen West (Columbia) DEC Collin Wittmeyer (Army) 3-2.
184: Cameron Croy (Harvard) FALL Michael Erdman (Princeton) 6:45.
197: Oscar Huntely (Navy) DEC Mike Pushpak (Columbia) 11-7. 
285: Daniel Miller (Navy) DEC Kyle Cowan (Penn) 5-4. 

EIWA Automatic Qualifiers
125 (5): Frank Perrelli (Cornell), Mark Rappo (Penn), Aaron Kalil (Navy), Steve Keith (Harvard), Garrett Frey (Princeton)
133 (3): Mike Grey (Cornell), Frank Cagnina (Lehigh), Rollie Peterkin (Penn)
141 (5): Casey Thome (Army), Matt Mariacher (American), Zack Kemmerer (Penn), Stephen Dutton (Lehigh), Hicks Manson (Cornell)
149 (5): Kyle Dake (Cornell), Kevin LeValley (Bucknell), Mario Mason (Rutgers), Ganbayar Sanjaa (American), Joey Napoli (Lehigh)
157 (5): Steve Fittery (American), Bryce Saddoris (Navy), Daryl Cocozzo (Rutgers), D.J. Meagher (Cornell), Walter Peppelman (Harvard)
165 (4): Eren Civan (Columbia), Scott Winston (Rutgers), Stephen Burak (Penn), Patrick Graham (American)
174 (5): Mack Lewnes (Cornell), Matt Demichiel (Navy), Alex Caruso (Rutgers), Austin Meys (Lehigh), Matt Fullowan (Franklin & Marshall)
184 (4): Robert Hamlin (Lehigh), Steve Bosak (Cornell), Dan Rinaldi (Rutgers), Luke Rebertus (Navy)
197 (5): Cam Simaz (Cornell), Micah Burak (Penn), Daniel Mitchell (American), Jay Hahn (Bucknell), Joe Kennedy (Lehigh)
285 (4): Zach Rey (Lehigh), Ryan Flores (American), D.J. Russo (Rutgers), Kevin Lester (Columbia)