ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Sophomore Dominates in Las Vegas

Taken down to his back and fighting off a pin, sophomore Corey Jantzen nearly saw his remarkable tournament run end in defeat.

But, with characteristic quickness and perseverance, the young Crimson grappler escaped the grasp of Pittsburgh’s Tyler Nauman, sealing a 10-5 decision and securing a gold medal at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational last weekend.

Jantzen (141 lbs.) returned to the mat for the first time this season after battling a knee injury all fall, and did not disappoint, as he joined Bode Ogunwole ’07 as the only Harvard wrestlers ever to earn a title in Las Vegas.

“I felt really good about [the weekend],” Jantzen said. “It was really exciting to put a solid tournament together, keeping focused and having fun.”

While the sophomore’s gold medal stands as testament to his phenomenal effort, the manner in which he dispatched the nation’s top competitors through five grueling bouts at the Las Vegas Convention Center speaks volumes about his progress.

“A lot of people are going to say that Corey had a breakout tournament,” junior co-captain J.P. O’Connor said. “But, [Jantzen] just wrestled to his potential and showed how good he truly is.”

On paper, the sophomore’s first competition of the year seemed a trial by fire—featuring matchups against top-ranked Jeff Jaggers of Ohio State and Arizona State’s Chris Drouin, the nation’s fourth-ranked wrestler. But Jantzen showed no signs of rust as he dominated the field.

“He wrestled very aggressively and very intelligently,” Harvard coach Jay Weiss explained. “He’s one of the hardest workers on the team, if not the hardest worker and he’s just elevated his game.”

While others pointed to Jantzen’s tireless work ethic, the sophomore also credited improvements in his mental outlook.

“Last year I had trouble with getting really nervous in tournaments and didn’t wrestle as well as I was capable of,” Jantzen said of his rookie campaign. “I’ve continued to work on visualization and don’t get as hindered by nerves anymore.”

The fifth-seeded Jantzen (5-0) certainly did not appear timid as he raced through the opening rounds, overwhelming Northern State’s Dave Schiley with an 8-1 decision before ousting Chris Bencivenga of UNC-Greensboro with a fall in 5:19.

“He just took it to them,” O’Connor said of Jantzen’s overmatched opponents. “To be honest, he beat up on everybody.”

The unranked sophomore’s quarterfinal bout, however, presented his greatest challenge. Ohio State’s Jaggers—a two-time All-American and last year’s NCAA national champion—entered Friday’s final bout as the undefeated top seed.

Displaying his increased confidence, Jantzen struck first, notching a takedown in the opening frame. Jaggers responded with an escape to narrow the lead to 2-1 at the end of the period. After a hard-fought but scoreless second, Jantzen found his tournament in jeopardy for the first time when Jaggers claimed a 3-2 lead with a reversal. Maintaining his composure, the Crimson sophomore earned a reverse of his own, besting the nation’s top wrestler for a 4-3 decision.

“[Jantzen] is inspiring,” Weiss marveled. “When he wrestles, I try not to get wrapped up in coaching and just try to be a fan. When you watch him you can’t help but get excited.”

The buzz surrounding Jantzen’s victory propelled him to an equally stunning semifinal performance Saturday morning, when the young grappler overcame his second top-five wrestler, this time with a fall. Drouin lasted only 2:02, setting the stage for the sophomore’s final dominant performance. Despite the near-pin against Nauman, Jantzen jumped out to an 8-0 championship lead, leaving little doubt that the sophomore has arrived on the national stage.

While Jantzen’s recent success draws admiration from his coaches and teammates, the young grappler by no means rose from anonymity. The Shoreham, N.Y. native has picked up where his brother—Jesse Jantzen ’04—left off. The elder Jantzen produced an enduring legacy during his Harvard career, amassing All-American honors three times en route to becoming the Crimson’s first NCAA national champion since 1938. Jesse continues to work with Harvard—attending matches and breaking down film—as Corey looks to forge his own path to NCAA glory.

“Obviously, he’s been an inspiration for me,” Jantzen says of his older brother. “I want to win an EIWA title and would definitely like to be national champ.”

With more performances like this weekend, there may be nothing standing in his way.

—Staff writer Max N. Brondfield can be reached at mbrondf@fas.harvard.edu.