O’Connor Headlines Strong Weekend at EIWAs

It’s been a season of firsts for wrestling co-captain J.P. O’Connor. The fourth-year grappler is ranked first in the nation, he’s climbing ever closer to first all-time in wins at Harvard, and he just took home his first-ever EIWA championship.

After reaching the finals of the conference tournament for the fourth-straight year, O’Connor (157 lbs.) finally had his hand raised at the 106th EIWA Championships in Lehigh’s Stabler Arena yesterday, as the senior defeated Bryce Saddoris of Navy, 3-1.

“To be honest, it feels like a big weight off of my shoulders,” O’Connor said. “It definitely feels good. It’s nice to get the big hardware instead of the little guy they give you for second place.”

O’Connor was not the only Crimson grappler to make it to the podium, though, as co-captain Louis Caputo and freshman Steven Keith also enjoyed standout tournaments. The three wrestlers who have shouldered much of the load for Harvard all season took the opportunity to shine on the individual stage, taking first, second, and third in their respective weight classes.

Keith (125) had one of the most challenging roads through the championships, as the rookie entered the tournament unseeded. The young grappler cruised through his first bout, besting Columbia’s Kyle Gilchrist, 8-2, to set up a battle with reigning national champion Troy Nickerson. The Cornell standout showed no mercy as he earned a fall in 2:46, but Keith proved undeterred. The freshman stormed through the consolation bracket, winning four more matches to take third place.

“I could talk for hours about how great [Keith] wrestled,” O’Connor said. “I can’t believe how much confidence he showed. He killed everyone on his way back [through the bracket].”

And perhaps none of Keith’s performances was more dominant than his last, in which a trip to the NCAA championships was on the line. Needing a win to qualify, Keith owned the third-place bout against No. 2 seed Joseph Langel, earning a 16-0 technical fall and a ticket to Omaha.

“Steven proved a lot to me today,” Weiss said. “He had no fear. He got taken down a couple times in matches but did what he needed to do. I’m not going to be surprised if he’s on the podium [at nationals].”

While Keith was busy fighting his way back, Caputo and O’Connor continued to dominate their respective weights. Caputo won his preliminary and quarterfinal bouts by eight points each, showing poise in his final conference competition. But a matchup with Lehigh’s David Craig in front of a hostile crowd would test anyone’s nerves. Caputo rose to the challenge, besting his longtime rival 3-1 to earn a spot in the finals.

“Louis had a great tournament,” O’Connor said. “He had a big, emotional win in the semis.”

Unfortunately for Caputo, the finals would not prove as satisfying. The sixth-ranked grappler in the nation faced difficult competition from No. 4 Michael Cannon of American University, and the Crimson senior fell, 5-1.

“I didn’t reach my goal, so I’m a little disappointed,” Caputo said. “I wrestled tentatively in the finals, but overall I’m thrilled to go back to the NCAA tournament. I just have some things to work on.”

O’Connor also felt that he did not have an ideal tournament, but a lack of offense did not stop the All-American from going undefeated in Bethlehem, Pa. O’Connor rolled through his first two bouts with a major decision and a technical fall before running into trouble in the semifinals. The Harvard co-captain took on Daryl Cocozzo of Rutgers and immediately found himself in unfamiliar territory, as Cocozzo notched an early takedown for a 2-0 lead. O’Connor kept his cool, though, and quickly turned the match around for a 4-2 advantage. After sealing the seminfinal bout, 6-2, O’Connor faced a tough competitor in Saddoris, but escaped with the conference title.

“[Saddoris] did a good job of shutting me down a bit,” O’Connor admitted. “He scouted me pretty hard...but I’m happy. It was a stepping stone towards my bigger goals.”

And after finishing the season ranked No. 1 in the country, those goals—including a national title—seem well within reach.

“[O’Connor] didn’t wrestle his best in the finals, but it was good enough to get his hand raised,” Weiss said. “And I think he’ll get to the point with his last national championship tournament where he’ll let it all out.”

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