Athlete of the Week: Pat O'Donnell `03

They called it the "Miracle on the Mat" when Rulon Gardner of Wyoming defeated Russia's Alexander Karelin for Olympic gold in Greco-Roman wrestling earlier this year. Gardner, who had only enjoyed moderate success in his career, beat a man who hadn't been scored upon in ten years.

Now, Harvard has its own Mini-Miracle.

Sophomore Pat O'Donnell shocked the collegiate wrestling world on Saturday by upsetting Joe Heskett of Iowa State. Heskett entered the Lone Star Duals in Dallas as the nation's top-ranked wrestler in his weight class. A two-time All-American and last year's NCAA runner-up, the 165-pounder had been undefeated this year and sported an 84-4 career record.

Heskett's fifth loss came at the hands of a Crimson wrestler who had been inconsistent for much of the year. O'Donnell led Heskett 4-3 before getting caught in a 5-point reversal. Undaunted, O'Donnell made up the deficit and forced overtime. In the extra session, O'Donnell turned Heskett for a 2-point near fall to take the match.

"It was an unbelievable individual win and a true team effort," said Harvard Coach Jay Weiss. "I know it's hard to view wrestling as a team sport, but with this team specifically, it really was."

Based on the wrestling team's rise to prominence in the last few years, it isn't that difficult a concept to grasp. O'Donnell's win was only part of a group performance that solidified Harvard's place among the elite in the sport. Co-captain Matt Picarsic nearly matched O'Donnell's feat, tying No. 1-ranked Todd Beckerman through two periods. Sophomore Max Odom's bouts were also noteworthy in a Crimson performance that sparkled from top to bottom.

Still, the weekend belonged to O'Donnell. Even though he ended up losing his two other matches, the victory should do wonders for his confidence and the team's momentum as the heart of its season approaches. Given the Crimson's exponential improvement under Weiss, events like this may soon look less and less "miraculous."

Even then, O'Donnell and his teammates won't ever forget what happened in Dallas this weekend. In all likelihood, neither will Joe Heskett.