Wrestlers out to rewrite Quaker record books

ARI BERMANARI BERMANDaily Pennsylvanian Sports Writer The competition holds two integral objectives for the Quakers -- to capture their first Ivy League title in 22 years and to tie the school record for wins in a single season. This will be easier said than done. It will require a three-team sweep by the rising Quakers (14-5, 4-0 Ivy League) over East Stroudsburg, Princeton and Franklin & Marshall, all Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) rivals. Penn will open against Princeton. A win will give the Quakers a sweep of the Ivies. They have already beaten Cornell, Brown and Harvard. Penn is expected to bring its top grapplers to the mat in hopes of seizing the Ivy title and building momentum for the remaining two matches. "Good things happen to champions," Penn senior tri-captain Gary Baker said. "The Ivy League championship is a nice honor, but it's not the end of the season for us. Our goal as a team is to win each situation in preparation for the Easterns." Penn is on pace to set the record for most wins in a season in their 97-year history. Having already knocked off Eastern powers Cornell and Brown, the Quakers are scorching a path toward the Top 25. In fact, this past week Penn received Top-25 votes for the first time ever. "It's nice to see that people recognize our accomplishments and all of the work we've done," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "We're still in the position of proving ourselves, being the team that's trying to move into that upper echelon." Somewhat uncharaceristically, Penn is the team to beat. The Quakers defeated all three of tomorrow's opponents last season, and are currently ranked higher than all three in the EIWA. East Stroudsburg, however, notched an impressive win Wednesday night, beating Rutgers 25-11 in New Brunswick, N.J. In contrast, Penn lost to Rutgers February 5, 18-15. The loss came immediately after Penn's three wins over Brown, Harvard and Albany St. that same weekend. Physical exhaustion may have set in for the Quakers. Freshman Brandon Slay will have his hands full as he enters perhaps his most challenging day of wrestling of his still budding career. Slay, at 167 pounds, is expected to square off against his highest ranked opponent in F&M;'s Vic Bernadino, and then do battle with East Stroudsburg's Steve Elicker. Bernadino, a senior, is currently ranked second in his weight class in the EIWA and is undefeated on the season. Elicker is right on Bernadino's heels and ranked third in the EIWA. "I know I don't have anything to lose," Slay said. "But I definitely think that I have a good chance to beat both of these guys. At this point in the season, people are starting to get sore, worn out and practice is getting to you a little. But you've got to just suck it up and go out there and wrestle." Slay heads a heralded group of first-year wrestlers who have made their presence felt on mats along the East coast. Along with Josh Bailer and Mike Gaugler, Penn's freshmen have provided the depth necessary for a run at the Eastern championships. "So far, the freshman have been holding up well," Reina said. "They're individuals who have the mental toughness to persevere better than their competition -- that's the name of the game." This weekend's matches are pivotal for the Quakers as the Easterns approach. Every match can make a vital difference for future seeding, which is essential for a major tournament. Penn's ultimate goal is to place as many wrestlers in the Easterns, March 4-5, and there is little room for error. "This is the final push," Baker said. "It's when we go for broke and put everything we have on the line." And time to make history.