Wrestling earns second-straight title

Penn has an easy time disposing of three Ivy League opponents. "It's just one of those things that came along the way to bigger and better things," senior Sean O'Hara said of the Penn wrestling team's Ivy League title which was captured this weekend at the Palestra. Despite shutting out three teams in a row this past weekend and defending their Ivy title, the Quakers' wins were, in a sense, insignificant in the scope of the entire season. "They were certainly happy to win this back-to-back championship," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "It's almost anti-climactic because the goals of the team are at Easterns and the NCAAs." While many teams train for a shot at an Ivy championship to end their seasons, the Quakers still have six weeks to achieve what, to them, would be the ultimate climax to a successful season. The Quakers (7-2-1, 5-0 Ivy League) did not expect many challenges this weekend. Friday night, Penn's first victim was Harvard, by a score of 34-9. The weekend was highlighted by O'Hara, who dominated all three of his opponents. O'Hara won by technical fall, 22-7 against Harvard's Tom Kiler, and on Saturday pinned both opponents, one of them just 36 seconds into the match. The lightweights, whose early bouts set an important tone for the rest of the match performed strongly, a key to the team's momentum for the rest of the match. Junior Ben Hatta, the first to wrestle, went 3-0 this weekend and has did not lose an Ivy League match this season. The Red and Blue's only losses came from the 150- and 158-pound weight class, where Harvard's Joe Killar and Ed Mosly, the top-ranked Eastern wrestlers beat Penn's Bart Murphy and tri-captain Josh Bailer. Killar pinned Murphy, who is breaking into the rankings with every match this season. Saturday, Murphy faced more tough competition against Brown's Mike Francesca, the defending Eastern champion, who did not allow Murphy to capitalize on several opportunities. "[Murphy] knows he's capable of beating both of them," Reina said. "He came out with a newfound confidence." The other tough competition came at the 158-pound class where Bailer faced returning Eastern champion Mosly. Bailer lost in overtime in a controversial penalty-point call for stalling. Bailer then faced Brown's undefeated Abel and lost 8-4. The two have met twice before, including an Easterns matchup two years ago that Abel won. Despite these two challenges, Penn was dominant and ended up beating Princeton 38-0 and Brown 28-9. In sweeping the Tigers, the Quakers had three falls, three major decisions and three technical falls. "It was just a stepping stone to the NCAAs," Penn tri-captain Brandon Slay said. "It was apparent in each of these duels who the better team was." Penn, which has climbed to No. 12 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, is making an unprecedented attempt at breaking into the top 10. Just two years ago, the Quakers' wrestling program was hoping to break the top 20. Last season, Penn sent seven wrestlers to Nationals. This year, they hope to take all 10. "We have our minds set on higher goals," Hatta said. "We're looking towards getting All-Americans and national champions." The wins gave Penn consecutive Ivy titles, a feat the Quakers have not accomplished since the 1968-69 seasons. "It was fun to decide the championship at home," Reina said. "It was one step in the process of all our goals, for what we hope to be a very successful year to come."