What separates an Ivy League freshman from any other freshman wrestler in the nation? No redshirt year.    The Ivy League does not recognize redshirt seasons taken by athletes, which means that when a freshman comes to compete in an intercollegiate sport at an Ivy League school, he or she will be eligible to compete, and most likely will, as a freshman.    "It makes it a little bit tougher," stated freshman Matt Palmer of Columbia. "The guys are older and a little more experienced, but this sport was made for tough-minded guys, so I was definitely up for the challenge."    Palmer competes at 165 lbs. for the Lions. He is currently 24-1 on the season and is a strong All-American candidate this year.    Two other Ivy League freshmen are competing along with Palmer at the EIWA Championships this weekend in Ithaca, N.Y.: Matt Herrington of Pennsylvania and Dustin Manotti of Cornell. All three have advanced to the semifinals of the EIWA Championships and are strong favorites to become NCAA All-Americans at the end of this season.    Herrington competes at 174 lbs. and is 19-7 this year. Manotti wrestles at 149 lbs. and is 24-5 so far this season. These three are just a few of the many true freshmen that compete yearly in the EIWA.    Last year, true freshman Travis Lee of Cornell earned All-American honors at the NCAA Tournament. This year, he is undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the nation heading into the weekend's conference tournaments.    "These kids are a mentally tough breed," stated Cornell head coach Rob Koll, who has helped to develop some of the top Ivy League talent in recent years. "For them to come in here and wrestle as tough as they do without any Division I experience is a great credit to their will to succeed."    While Palmer and Herrington are yet to post any major accomplishments on the collegiate level, Manotti shocked many throughout the wrestling community when he captured the 149-pound Midlands title in December. At the tournament, Manotti defeated veteran John Fisher, who has competed at a high international level for many years.    "Since that match, teams have been scouting me more and I can definitely tell a difference when I wrestle some opponents now as opposed to wrestling them before that match," Manotti said. "Before the Midlands, people weren't as cautious with me on the mat. I don't think its a bad thing necessarily, because it just makes me work that much harder to become a better wrestler."    Many critics will argue that a redshirt season is vital to the success of young athletes in a new college atmosphere. But Palmer feels that going to a college to receive an extra year of training doesn't necessarily improve a wrestler's skills.    "If you're going to get the job done, then you are," he said. "At Columbia, I am getting just as good of coaching as I would get anywhere else. Basically, for me, my decision to come here came down to coaching and getting a good education. That's why I chose Columbia. I feel just as prepared at this point in the year as any redshirt freshman."    Manotti agrees.    "Coming into an Ivy school, you know it's going to be a lot of hard work. A situation where you have to compete right away just makes you want to work a lot harder throughout the year to prove yourself," Manotti said.    In Ivy League schools, some athletes are granted an "academic leave of absence" which allows them to sit out for one year, but the athlete is also not allowed to train with the team during this time.    Palmer has thought about taking such a leave of absence while Manotti does not consider the option.    "I have thought about it, but I am not sure when I would do it," Palmer said. "If I do take a leave of absence, it would have to be for academic reasons, not for anything I am looking to gain in athletics."    One thing both Manotti and Palmer is agree on is the hard workouts that they have had to endure this season.    "Buck and Espo give me a beating in the room all the time," Palmer said as he referred to Columbia head coach Brendan Buckley and assistant coach Dave Esposito, a former NCAA All-American for EIWA member Lehigh. "Buck is such a good scrambler and Espo is a great technician. I have tried to incorporate both styles in the way I wrestle and I think it has helped me tremendously."    Manotti, Palmer and Herrington will all compete in the semifinals of the EIWA Championships on Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). All conference finalists earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in Kansas City, March 20-22. There are also 16 wild card athletes selected to compete at the NCAA Tournament by the conference coaches.