Wrestling: Grapplers fall in tri-meet at home

The Tigers (0-2) had great starts to both meets as sophomore Garrett Frey put on dominant performances in securing a pin and a technical fall in the 125 division. The 133-pound weight class was also a strong position for the Tigers where Freshman Adam Krop and sophomore Tony Communale each won a close 2-point decision against Liberty (5-3) and Binghamton (5-2) respectively.

The 141 division was an especially interesting weight class. Sophomore Zach Bintliff struggled against Liberty’s Seth Hicks, losing a 6-5 decision, but he came back strong with a statement win against Binghamton’s Anwar Goeres, who earlier that day defeated Hicks in an easy 13-5 decision.

“Zach was a different wrestler in the second match,” head coach Chris Ayres said. “Our team is still really young, and a lot of the sophomores are still figuring out how to win at this level. I think that win for Zach may have been the confidence booster he needed to really take it to the next level this season.”

Confidence is a big theme for the Tigers this season. With a lot of individual physical improvement over the past year, the wrestlers now have to take that experience and put it to good use in meets. While a lot of the wrestlers have made significant strides since their arrival, many of them are still struggling to translate that ability into success in tournaments.

“I think the gaps can definitely be filled,” Bintliff said. “The key is really just confidence, getting better as the season goes on so we’re really prepared when March rolls around.” The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association and NCAA Chapionships are in March.

The gap that proved troublesome for the Tigers this weekend was the hole at 165, which forced Ayres to move up wrestlers from lower weight classes to prevent a forfeit. With no wrestlers currently able to wrestle in that class, Ayres hoped that some of his wrestlers would be able to find a way to win.

However, the learning curve entering Division I sports can be extremely steep even without forcing wrestlers outside their comfort zone, and the decision proved to be costly.

“Hindsight is 20-20, and looking back I wish I hadn’t done it,” Ayres said. “From an individual perspective it probably wasn’t the best idea.”

Aside from senior captain Travis Erdman’s pin against Liberty’s Marcus Nielsen in the 184 division, the Tigers had no wins in any of the weight classes 149 and up.

Freshman Ryan Callahan showed some grit in his first match, gutting out a tough 9-7 loss against Liberty, and he sustained that mentality through the second match, losing a tight 4-0 decision.

Junior Daniel Kolodzik struggled against Liberty, getting pinned in 2 minutes, 56 seconds, but he almost won his match against Binghamton before finally succumbing in a 3-2 loss.

That inconsistency was a hallmark of Princeton’s performance on Friday. At different points they showed gains in momentum only to allow their opponents back into it. Their strength in the lower weight classes was evident, but their ability to take the next step against tough opponents will depend on the ability of the heavier wrestlers to step up.

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Coach Ayres, however, has proved adept at teaching his wrestlers to adapt and grow into their roles quickly, and there is plenty of room for growth from this weekend. With just four juniors and one senior on the entire roster, many of the wrestlers are still learning the ropes.

“Ultimately everything comes down to the NCAAs, and you always want to see the guys you lost to again in hopes of a little revenge,” Ayres said.

The Tigers will travel to Rutgers this weekend for a tri-meet with their hosts and George Mason University. They will return to Princeton on Sunday for a matchup with Rider.