One hundred years is a long time.    Before almost all of us were born, at a time when the United States had yet to reach its status as a world power, when the modern age of technology had yet to be established, there was an "Easterns" college wrestling championships.    The 100th anniversary of the Eastern Intercollege Wrestling Association (EIWA) is being held at the "Palestra," a storied facility with decades of tradition of its own. The palestra was the wrestling arena in ancient Greece. In the year that the Olympics return to Athens, it is very fitting that the EIWAs return to the Palestra.    The EIWA has changed over the years, with colleges moving in and out at different times. The newest program in the league is American, under coach Mark Cody, a college that has re-invested in its wrestling program and is working to build a legacy. Other colleges that were once in the proud EIWA no longer have wrestling.Others have changed to another conference. The Easterns has always been there, and has maintained a quality and an reputation unmatched by any other college wrestling conference.    There is something very traditional about this event. When athletes are called to the mat by the announcer, they use the formal Mr. Title. "To mat one, Mr. Valenti and Mr. Chu…"     This is a high-level NCAA Div. I conference, with past All-Americans mixed in with future All-Americans. The wrestling is very good, but your are also aware that these student-athletes. You don't hit the mats in this league unless you also hit the books.    Of the 13 teams in the tournament this year, three of the original Easterns colleges from 2005 remain in the tournament: Pennsylvania, Columbia and Princeton. These Ivy League schools, known internationally for their academics and influence, continue to make an impact on the sport of wrestling.    Each program is at its own level of development. Each has a storied history, 100 years of takedowns and half nelsons, escapes and headlocks.    Penn enters as one of the co-favorites to win this event, with a nationally prominent program under the guidance of Roger Reina. The school recently developed an Olympic champion in Brandon Slay, and has filled the room with athletes capable of All-American status on a regular basis. Penn is a program that "reloads," rather than rebuilds.    Columbia went through a 100th celebration a year ago, putting together a tremendous program to recognize the centennial of its wrestling program. Coach Brendon Buckley has brought new life into the program, recruiting higher quality athletes and taking on a more challenging schedule.     Princeton, under coach Mike New, is reviving a tradition of excellence, after escaping the executioner over a decade ago. When the university announced that it would drop wrestling, the alumni stood up strong and got the decision changed. It took a ton of fundraising and political savvy, but the program survived. Two years ago, when Princeton star Greg Parker made the NCAA finals, it was a cause of celebration for those committed to preserving our sport.    Coming into the tournament, Penn had nine seeded wrestlers, including two No. 1 seeds. Columbia had six seeded athletes, while Princeton had just two seeds. Expectations differed for each program. This late-season challenge, the EIWA conference meet, would help determine the current status of the team after 100 years on the mat.    And the first day of the tournament held up the pre-event expectations. After the semifinals, Penn was in second place with seven semifinalists. Columbia was in ninth, and Princeton was tied for 11th. Penn will be able to make their big move during Sunday's semifinals. Columbia and Princeton will sort out their fate through the consolation rounds.    "We constantly want to break new ground," said Penn coach Roger Reina. "We measure ourselves on the national level, ultimately. Our highest finish in recent history was ninth at the 2000 NCAAs, when we had Matter win and three semifinalists. We are looking to break new ground at the national level. This is a qualification tournament. We need to get as many wrestlers into the NCAA as we can."    These longtime rivals meet often in the tournament. An example came in the consolation rounds at 141 pounds, where Milo Adams of Princeton beat Anthony Constantino of Columbia, 4-2. Both of these teams are fighting their way up in one of the toughest conferences in the nation.    Columbia has high goals for the future, and was hoping for a better finish this year.    "This year, we were planning for a breakout year," said coach Brenden Buckley. "We lost a couple of our best guys, Matt Palmer and Kirk Davis. We had five starting freshmen throughout the year. Our dual meet schedule is no cakewalk. We had some emotional wins. We thrive on momentum. We beat some good teams on emotion. Our guys have some big hearts."    "The guys who were injured will be back next year," he continued. "The guys we get in the program are among the best in the nation. It will take some time to develop it. We beat Harvard for the first time in eight years this season. Last year, we beat Brown for the first time in 13 years. We clinched third outright in the Ivy League. We still have a few guys here we wish to send to Nationals. Our conference is tough. This is big-time wrestling. We are glad to be a part of it. And we expect Columbia to compete on the national level.    Princeton is also working hard to improve its team, and the program is very pleased to be a part of a great tradition.    "They work hard and are doing a great job," said Princeton coach Michael New. "They are great kids who like to wrestle. They are great students. We have a few kids who want to go to the NCAAs and achieve high goals. I get a good quality kid in this program. The athlete part is sometimes questionable. For progress, we look at seasonal progression and how they do over their career. You set goals and you work towards those goals. We take pride in our long tradition."    Penn, Columbia and Princeton. With 100 years of tradition, competing and developing wrestling on the college level, they have much to be proud of. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next century of existence…