Few Bright Spots in Lone Star Duals Losses

Crimson wrestling hopes one day to be an elite program, but if Saturday was any indication, the squad has a long way to go. Harvard traveled to Arlington, Texas this weekend for the annual Lone Star Duals, a high-level tournament featuring some of the nation’s best programs. Unfortunately for the Crimson (2-6-1), the three teams on its slate proved too much for a depleted roster, as Harvard fell to No. 22 Arizona State, 39-12, followed by equally brutal defeats at the hands of No. 10 Oklahoma, 44-6, and Utah Valley, 40-10.

“We had guys in the lineup that weren’t accustomed to wrestling,” Crimson coach Jay Weiss said. “It’s good that some guys are getting experience...[but] the outcome wasn’t good.”

Still, co-captain J.P. O’Connor (157 lbs.) emphasized the benefit of taking on such tough teams as the program looks to find its footing despite a slew of injuries.

“It shows us where we want to be and allows us to measure up, to see what the top guys are doing,” he said. “Ultimately, [this level] is where we want to be, but it’s frustrating not being able to put our top 10 guys on the mat.”

UTAH VALLEY 40, HARVARD 10

By the start of the Crimson’s third match, O’Connor had been relegated to the bench by an illness and freshman Tony Buxton was recovering from a concussion in the hospital, leaving Harvard little chance of keeping pace with the Wolverines (5-1). After two technical falls, two falls, and a forfeit through the first seven matches, Utah State built an insurmountable lead. Still, Harvard’s heavier wrestlers refused to end the day with a whimper.

Co-captain Louis Caputo (184 lbs.) took control of his bout, punishing Casen Aldridge with a 9-1 major decision to cap another undefeated weekend. The two-time All-American moved to third all-time on the Crimson win list with 114 victories, just one behind O’Connor.

“Louis is doing the things we all expected him to do,” O’Connor said. “He’s such a solid guy with such a solid foundation. He wrestled his butt off [Saturday] and we all...look up to that.”

Perhaps even more impressive was the effort from sophomore Spencer DeSena (285), who has made strides after a difficult rookie campaign. The second-year grappler, who had fallen in both earlier bouts Saturday, roared back to earn his first career fall and third win of the season. DeSena downed Dylan Stadel in 6:13.

“We feel that Spencers’s got a lot of talent and he just has to bring it out,” Weiss said. “We feel he can go with anybody. Hopefully with this last win he can get some momentum, because we need him to step up.”

OKLAHOMA 44, HARVARD 6

The Crimson’s second match went no better than the first. Once again, Harvard enjoyed a pair of outstanding showings in an otherwise dismal contest, as the Sooners (9-0-1) notched three falls and four technical falls. Caputo logged over three minutes of riding time as he cruised to a 7-0 decision, but once again it was a big upset—this time by rookie Steven Keith (125)—that highlighted the Crimson effort. The freshman took on fellow newcomer Jarrod Patterson and battled for a 7-4 win, surprising the 13th-ranked grappler.

“These tournaments are purely individual,” Weiss said. “With the way our qualification system works, one big win could solidify a spot at nationals. Steven beating [Patterson] made the weekend a success just for that.”

ARIZONA STATE 39, HARVARD 12

The Crimson had to hit the ground running in Arlington, as the Ivy squad found itself outmatched against a top-25 team. The Sun Devils (7-4) opened the contest with three straight falls, the most devastating of which left Buxton (141) sidelined with a concussion. Given an 18-point cushion, Arizona State was never threatened, despite forfeiting the 197-lbs. bout. The Harvard captains set a strong example for the squad, though, earning decisions in a pair of tough efforts. O’Connor (18-0) held off illness long enough to notch a 6-5 win over Te Edwards, pushing the senior to second all-time on the career wins list. Not to be outdone, Caputo kept pace with his co-captain, beginning his day with a 7-2 victory. The decision moved the Crimson standout to 11-2 on the season.

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