The Big Red will kick off its season on Nov. 18 when it will serve as host for the Body Bar Systems Invitational. Teams competing will include Army, Drexel, Sacred Heart, Old Dominion, Maryland, Ithaca College, Kent State, No. 26 Pittsburgh and perennial powerhouse the No. 9 Michigan. Last year, Cornell took the team championship and won six individual titles.
On Nov. 26, the Big Red will hold its first home dual against No. 14 Ohio State. That match, along with the home duals against No. 7 Penn State (Jan. 7) and Arizona State (Jan. 21), will be held in Newman Arena at Bartels Hall. The three highly anticipated matches are likely to have sold-out crowds.
Cornell will travel to Las Vegas on Dec. 1-2 for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational where the team placed second overall last season. In 2005, then-freshman Troy Nickerson won an individual title at 125 pounds. The team also had five other place-winners.
After the Christmas break, the Big Red will travel to Greensboro, N.C., to the Southern Scuffle where Cornell took third place in 2005. The team also took three individual titles, including Nickerson at 125 and then-junior Jerry Rinaldi at 197 pounds.
On Jan. 13-14, the Big Red will head west to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the National Duals. Last January, the team went 1-2, defeating Northern Iowa but falling to Michigan and Oklahoma.
Assistant coach Cory Cooperman will head with the Big Red back to his Alma matter, No. 19 Lehigh on Jan. 21. Cornell won the match between the two schools last year at home, 19-14.
A premier match for Cornell will be against No. 10 Hofstra at the New York Athletic Club in New York City at 1 p.m. Later that night, the Big Red will wrestle Columbia for its first Ivy League matchup. Last year in the Ivy League, Cornell finished 5-0 to capture its fourth consecutive Ancient Eight crown.
Continuing with Ivy League matches, Cornell will face Penn on Feb. 9 and Princeton the next day both at home. The following weekend the Big Red will travel to No. 22 Harvard, then to Brown to wrestle the Bears and Delaware.
The EIWA championships will be March 2-3 in East Stroudsburg, Pa. Last season, the Big Red took second. During his rookie campaign, Nickerson took the 125-pound title. Cornell also had four second-place finishers, including Rinaldi and Steve Anceravage.
This year's NCAA championship is being held in Detroit, Mich. from March 16-18. In Oklahoma City last year, Cornell placed fifth as a team and Nickerson placed second and Rinaldi fourth in their weight classes.
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