125: At the 125 weight class, the Big Red returns 2006 NCAA Runner-Up Nickerson. Last season, Nickerson had a tremendous rookie campaign earning the Ivy League Wrestler of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. Winning the first 18 matches of his collegiate career, he took titles at the Body Bar Invitational, Las Vegas Invitational, Southern Scuffle, and EIWA Championships. He concluded his freshman season going an impressive 36-2. Nickerson will wrestle at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 20 in Dallas, Texas.
Backing up Nickerson at 125, will be Mike Rodriguez who took fifth at the New York State Championships last season. His sophomore campaign, Rodriguez went 8-6 for the year. The Kammakian, Wash. Native was a two-time high school state champion and Junior Greco-Roman National Champion adding outstanding depth at 125.
133: The Body Bar Invitational results could determine who will start at 133. In contention for the spot will be Nick Bridge, Adam Frey, and Corey Hamabata. As a sophomore, Bridge saw action at both 133 and 141 pounds. Going 7-7 for the season, he took sixth at the New York State Championships.
Also competing at 133, will be Blair Academy standout, Adam Frey. He won three national prep championships as well as a high school national championships. In Fargo, N.D., he won a double Junior National title. With his talent on the mat, Frey could become Cornells next freshman All-American.
Another contender for the starting spot will be Walnut, Calif. native Corey Hamabata. The junior college transfer won a California Junior College title and will work to continue his success at the Division I level.
141: In order to add more depth to the Big Red lineup, NCAA qualifier Dickey has dropped a weight class for his capstone year wearing the Cornell singlet. His junior season, he wrestled in 11 of Cornell's 14 dual matches going 10-9 overall. Dickey went 3-0 at the Southern Scuffle, and as the No. 7 seed at the EIWA Championships, he finished in fourth place. At the NCAA Championships, Dickey picked up two wins.
Also returning at 141, will be senior Matt Easter. He will be returning after a season ending injury that he suffered late last season. Easter competed in nine dual meets for the Big Red last season picking up wins over opponents from Lock Haven, Columbia, and Brown.
Other competitors at 141 will be junior Evan Schiedel and freshmen Corey Manson and Brian Alves. Manson won two Tennessee state championships, and Alves is a two-time California state place winner.
149: At 149, Leen will be looking to once again wrestle in the starting spot for the Big Red. The 2005 NCAA qualifier will wrestle up a weight class after making the All-Ivy First Team and Ivy League Rookie of the Year during his freshman campaign. He posted a 25-16 overall record and also placed third at the EIWA tournament. Against Ancient Eight wrestlers, Leen went undefeated.
Sophomore Tim Ironman and freshmen, Josh Basting and Josh Knecht, will be competing with Leen for the start in the Cornell lineup. Basting was a North Dakota state champion and three time finalist. Knect placed fourth and seventh at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships.
157: Four time All-American Dustin Manottis vacancy at the 157 spot will create an opportunity for a battle for the starting spot in the lineup. Possibly the deepest weight class in the Big Red wrestling room which includes contenders, senior David Post, junior Charlie Agozzino, and sophomores Drake Hovis and Curtis Roddy.
Post has seen starting time in each of his seasons at Cornell and will drop a weight class for his final year. The Big Red will hope to use his veteran experience throughout the year. For his junior campaign, Post went 7-4 for the year at 165. At last years Body Bar, Post took fifth place and also finished third at the New York State Championships.
Agozzino will look to earn a place in the starting lineup after being out last season due to injuries. His sophomore season he went 4-1 at the Southern Scuffle to take second place. Agozzino also competed in three dual matches for the Big Red.
After taking a year off of school, Hovis will look to make a run at the 157 position. Hovis won three Missouri state titles and achieved All-American status in the freestyle Junior National Tournament.
165: After finishing last season an impressive 25-8, NCAA qualifier Steve Anceravage will work keep the starting spot at 165. His sophomore campaign saw him take second at the Body Bar Invitational, third at the Las Vegas Invitational, and second at the Southern Scuffle and EIWA Championships. Anceravage will look to earn his first All-American honor this season.
Junior Mike Mackie will challenge Anceravage for the starting spot after dropping two weight classes. At 184 last season, Mackie finished fifth at the New York State Championships. At 174, Mackie went 3-3 which included a win for the Big Red in a dual meet against Princeton.
Freshman Justin Kerber will also look to battle his way into the 165 weight class. A high school All-American, Kerber was a two-time Iowa state champion. He will look to grow into a powerful upper-weight for the Big Red.
174: There should be an intense battle for the starting spot at 174 between junior Joey Hooker and senior Luke Hogle. Last season, then senior, Dan Miracola went to the NCAAs at this weight and Hooker and Hogle will hope to follow in his footsteps.
Hooker took third in the 165 weight class at the Body Bar Invitational last season and will move up a weight class for his junior campaign. In 2005, Hooker took fourth at the EIWA Championships to earn his way to the NCAAs. Going 24-14 for his sophomore campaign, Hooker earned a spot on the All-Ivy Second Team.
Hogle will look to return to the Big Red lineup after suffering a season ending injury last season. He expects to be back 100 percent by the Body Bar Invitational. Very dangerous from all positions, Hogle went 19-6 during his sophomore campaign. He took third at the Body Bar Invitational and won the crown at the New York State Championships.
184: The contenders for the 184 position in the lineup will look to continue the Big Reds past success in this weight class. In 2005, now coach, Tyler Baier was the runner-up at the NCAA Championships earning All-American status. Last season, then senior, Joe Mazzurco took sixth place at the NCAAs.
After taking third place at the Body Bar Invitational last season, Josh Arnone's freshman career was cut short due to injury. Largely untested at the collegiate level, Arnone will look to earn a chance to compete at the national level.
Freshmen Nate Holley and Matt Panasevich will look to challenge Arnone for the 184 spot. Holley is a two-time state place winner from Illinois, and Panasevich placed twice at the Pennsylvania State Championships as well as placing fifth at the high school national championships.
197: The Big Red will return senior All-American Jerry Rinaldi at the 197 weight class. During his junior campaign, Rinaldi took first place at the Body Bar Invitational and Southern Scuffle. He also took second at the EIWA Championships and fourth place at the NCAAs to go 28-3 for the season. Rinaldi will join Nickerson and wrestle at the NWCA All-Star Classic next week.
Freshman Carl Landers will back up Rinaldi at 197. Landers placed third at the Virginia State Championships in 2006 and will join the Big red at the conclusion of the Cornell Football season.
285: Three Cornell upper classmen will contend for the starting spot at 285. The Big Red returns last years starter Zach Hammond. Despite missing most of the season due to injuries, Hammond placed fifth at the EIWA tournament and went 8-8 for the year.
Senior Jason Manross will hope to challenge Hammond for the starting role. Manross wrestled at the Body Bar Invitational and Southern Scuffle for the Big Red last season. Also looking to stake his claim on the 285 spot is junior Doug Weidner. Weidner, a 2003 state runner-up in Pennsylvania, will use his strength and agility to contend for the starting role as he moves up from the 197 weight class.
The Big Red will open its season Saturday as it hosts the Body Bar Invitational held in Newman Arena in Bartels Hall.
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