LEWISBURG, Pa.—The Big Red wrestling team won its fifth-straight EIWA team title on Sunday afternoon after crowning four individual champions. Senior Mack Lewnes was awarded the Fletcher Trophy given to the wrestler who has earned the most team points in his EIWA career, and he is now a four-time EIWA champion. Lewnes along with Frank Perrelli, Mike Grey and Cam Simaz all won titles in their respective weight classes. Cornell qualified eight wrestlers for the NCAA tournament with hopes of adding more with at large bids.

Perrelli (125), Grey (133), Corey Manson (141), Kyle Dake (149), DJ Meagher (157), Lewnes (174), Steve Bosak (184) and Simaz (197) all earned automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. At large bids will be announced on March 9. Steve Bosak earned the Sheridan Award for scoring the most falls in the smallest amount of time in the championship bracket.

At 125 pounds, Perrelli was the first Big Red finalist to take the mat. A little over halfway through the first period, Perrelli took a 2-0 lead with a takedown near the edge of the mat. After collecting 39 seconds of riding time, Rappo escaped. With 45 seconds left in the first, Rappo had a single leg on Perrelli, but the Big Red wrestler muscled his way back to neutral. Perrelli chose to start the second down and quickly escaped. Late in the second, Rappo scored his first offensive points with a takedown to tie the bout at 3-3. Rappo escaped to open the third period, taking a4-3 lead. With 23 seconds left in the match, Perrelli took him down and kept control for the rest of the period. With 1:08 in riding time, Perrelli won a 6-4 decision to win his first EIWA title.

At 133 pounds, Grey won his second-straight EIWA title. Grey improves to 11-0 for the season after winning by forfeit to Frank Cagnina of Lehigh.

Sophomore returning NCAA champion Kyle Dake took on Bucknell’s Kevin LeValley in the 149 pound final. After a scoreless first period, LeValley earned the only point of the second with an escape from his opening down position. In the third period, Dake reversed his opponent from his opening down position, but with 46 seconds left in the bout LeValley escaped. With riding time not a factor, the two went into sudden victory tied at 2-2. Neither wrestler was able to score in sudden victory or in the first round of the tie breakers. With 12 seconds left in the second sudden victory, LeValley took down Dake to win a 4-2 decision.

At 174 pounds, Lewnes faced Navy’s Matt Demichiel. With 25 seconds left in the first, Lewnes took down Demichiel and almost earned back points before time ran out. Lewnes quickly reversed his opponent from his starting down position in the second period. Demichiel would escape to bring the score to 4-1. The Midshipman escaped to open the third period, but Lewnes took him down once again and added three back points. Demichiel escaped but was hit with his second stalling call to give Lewnes another point. Lewnes took down Demichiel with 13 seconds left in the bout, and with riding time won a 13-3 major decision to win his fourth EIWA title.

Sophomore Steve Bosak squared off against No. 4 Robert Hamlin at 184 pounds in the finals. Hamlin took down Bosak 18 seconds into the bout, but the Big Red wrestler immediately escaped. The two wrestlers continued high energy action throughout the period. In the second, Bosak escaped from his opening down position to tie the match 2-2. Bosak earned his first offensive points of the bout with a takedown, but Hamlin escaped. Hamlin quickly escaped from his opening down position to start the third period to tie the score once again at 4-4. The two wrestlers entertained the crowd once again trading shots back and force each countering their opponents shots. With time winding down, Hamlin took down Bosak. Bosak would immediately escape, but time ran out and Hamlin won a 6-5 decision.

At 197 pounds, No. 1 ranked Simaz took on Penn’s Micah Burak. After a scoreless first period, Burak chose to start the second at neutral and neither wrestler was able to score. Simaz quickly escaped from his opening down position in the third and notched the point that would prove to be the winner. Simaz won his third-straight EIWA title with a 1-0 decision over Burak.

At 141 pounds, Corey Manson faced Lehigh’s Stephen Dutton in the consolation semifinals. Dutton, the No. 1 seed, won a 13-1 major decision. Manson needed to win his next bout in order to automatically qualify for the NCAA tournament. The Cornell senior solidified his trip to Philadelphia with a 3-2 decision over Rutgers’ Trevor Melde.

DJ Meagher opened the day facing No. 6 nationally ranked Walter Peppelman of Harvard at 157 pounds. Meagher held a 2-0 lead going into the second period after notching at takedown at the buzzer. The Big Red wrestler racked up 1:04 in riding time before Peppelman was able to escape from his opening down position in the second. Meagher chose to start the third at neutral. Peppelman was looking to score in the third, but Meagher was strong defensively countering his opponent’s shots. With 33 seconds left, Meagher took down Peppelman. The two wrestlers traded reversals, but with two back points, Meagher sealed the win and his trip to the NCAA tournament with a 9-3 decision. In the bout for third place, Meagher wrestled Rutgers’ Daryl Cocozzo for the second time this weekend. After a scoreless first period, Cocozzo held a 3-0 lead after the second with an escape and a takedown. Meagher escaped from his opening down position in the third and tied the score late in the bout with a takedown. Cocozzo had locked up the riding time point, and Meagher cut him looking to score again. The Big Red senior did not have enough time, and Cocozzo won a 5-3 decision.

At 165 pounds, Justin Kerber injury defaulted out of his bout with Penn’s Stephen Burak in the second period. Kerber placed fifth after winning by forfeit to Lehigh’s Brandon Hatchett. Kerber will look to win a wild card spot for the NCAA tournament.

Sophomore Stryker Lane faced Columbia’s Kevin Lester at heavyweight in the consolation semifinals. Lester won by fall in 1:55. In the match for fifth place, Lane and Harvard’s Andrew Knapp were scoreless after the first period. Lane escaped from his opening down position for the only point of the second period. Knapp chose to start the third period down on the mat, and Lane was able to keep control for the entire two minutes. With the riding time point, Lane won a 2-0 decision.