Seven Grapplers Travel to 47th Midlands Championships
Photo courtesy of DSPICS.com.
Final Seeds
Particulars
After a three week lay-off, members of the Harvard wrestling team
will return to the mat Dec. 29 and 30 at the 47th Midlands
Championships on the campus of Northwestern. Midlands – a
national invitational tournament/open event for outstanding college
teams, clubs and individuals - is a premier wrestling tradition,
attracting 350 of the country’s best wrestlers.
Schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 29
10:30 a.m. - First session (8 mats)
8 p.m. - Second session (8 mats) — Championship and
consolation matches continue
Wednesday, Dec. 30
1 p.m. - Third Session — Semis, consolation, 7th place
matches
8 p.m. - Opening ceremonies, Introductions, Grand March
8:20 p.m. - Final Session (3 mats) — 1st, 3rd, 5th place
matches
10:30 p.m. - Conclusion of Awards Ceremony
*Times are listed as EST
The Competition
Wrestlers from 31 different colleges and universities as well as
members of the national team and other wrestling clubs throughout
the country will take part in the Midlands Championships.
SevenCrimson wrestlers will suit up for Harvard: Anthony Buxton
(141), Louis Caputo (184), Spencer DeSena (285), Adam Houge (165),
Steven Keith (125), Paul Ligouri (149) and Bryan Panzano (174).
Harvard has had at least one place winner in the last six Midlands
Championships.
Last Time Out
Senior co-captain J.P. O’Connor won the 157 pound weight
class at the 28th Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 5 at the
Star of the Desert Arena. With the win, O’Connor becomes the
fifth Harvard wrestler to win an individual title at the CKLV
Invitational and the second in two years. Sophomore Walter
Peppelman worked his way back through the consolation round to
place sixth at 149 pounds to give the Crimson its fourth straight
top 20 finish.
The Last Time We Were Here
Louis Caputo finished fourth at 184 pounds at the 46th Midlands
Championship last December. Three other grapplers competed for the
Crimson to help Harvard finish 21st overall. Caputo is 18-8 in
Midlands matches over the last four years.
Back in Action
Louis Caputo will suit up in his Crimson uniform for the first
time this season. Caputo, who was injured at the beginning of his
junior year, took a leave of absence from Harvard in 2007.
National Rankings
J.P. O’Connor is ranked first in the nation at 157 pounds.
He is 14-0 on the young season. Sophomore Walter Peppelman is
ranked 14th at 149 pounds.
100 and Counting
J.P. O’Connor’s 111 career victories is tied for third
in Harvard wrestling history. He needs just five wins to move ahead
of Dustin DeNunzio ’99 for second on the all-time list.
Three-time All-American and NCAA Champion Jesse Jantzen ’04
is the program leader in victories with 132. Louis Caputo has 103
career wins and is fifth on the all-time list.
On the Horizon
Harvard returns its attention to dual meets with a trip of meets
on the road Jan. 8-9. The Crimson takes on Franklin & Marshall
and Rutgers Jan. 8 in Newark, N.J., before traveling to Long Island
for a Jan. 9 meet at Hofstra.
