Wrestlers Have Big Weekend at EIWAs

Members of the Harvard wrestling team put in impressive performances this past weekend at the EIWA championships in Syracuse. The tournament, which included 14 teams from the East coast, was won by Penn with 144.5 points.

The Harvard team finished sixth overall with 65 points, its best finish since 1938.

Individually, the results were outstanding--three wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships.

Freshman Ed Mosley was crowned EIWA Champion at 158 pounds by defeating Mike Kwapniewski from Rutgers 4-3. Both competitors automatically qualified for Nationals.

Mosley is Harvard's seventh ever EIWA Champion as well as the first freshman ever to win the title.

Mosley will be joined by sophomores Dustin DeNunzio and Joel Friedman at Nationals. Both wrestlers came in third in their weight categories at 126 pounds and 134 pounds, respectively.

DeNunzio defeated Penn's Brian Eveleth in the 126 pounds consolation final 7-2.

In the 134 pounds consolation final, Friedman ousted Jeff Duque from Syracuse 4-1.

Both DeNunzio and Friedman qualified for Nationals by earning wild card berths.

Also placing for the Harvard team were co-captain Steve Gerstung, fourth at 150 pounds and sophomore James Butera, sixth at 118 pounds.

Gerstung lost to Navy's Eric McAllister in the 150 pounds consolation final 4-6. McAllister earned third place in the tournament.

In the second round of the 118 pounds consolation final, Butera lost to Lehigh's Mike Sferra 1-3. Sferra went on to win fourth place overall. Butera then lost to fifth-place Steve Puskar from Navy 2-3.

After this spectacular showing, the three Harvard qualifiers, Mosley, DeNunzio and Friedman will be looking forward to the NCAA Championships.

Nationals will be held on March 21-23 at the University of Minnesota.