With a multitude of injuries, the Penn wrestling team was forced to go to its second team this weekend, but still managed to dominate Brown, 25-13, and Harvard, 29-8, while demonstrating one of its greatest strengths -- its depth.
With sophomores Matt Herrington and Paul Velekei, both top-20 wrestlers, out with injuries, the trio of Dustin Wiles, Greg Hallahan and Ethan Bullock filled in at 174 and 184 pounds.
Although the group only went 2-2 collectively over the weekend, last weekend Wiles and Bullock each had pins against Columbia and Hallahan produced a monumental upset over No. 13 Tyler Baier of Cornell.
The injuries are "a significant hit," Penn coach Roger Reina said. "On the other hand it provides an opportunity ... and at both those weights we had guys that could step in.
"That's a mark of a successful team -- to have individuals who are ready to step in and compete successfully when and if injuries do occur."
Sophomore Matt Eveleth saw the performances off the bench as a signal to the whole team.
"I just feel like, especially with the Hallahan win against Cornell, it's just a huge boost to our program," Eveleth said. "When you have second-string guys on the team stepping up and winning in dual meets it's a confidence boost to everyone in the room.
"You just never know when you're going to be called upon and coming in and stepping up like that is huge."
Eveleth began to step up his own play this weekend, mounting a three-game win streak. He lost a string of meets during the middle of the season at the Midlands Open and Lone Star Duals, where he faced many of the top 10 wrestlers in the country. However, he has begun to wrestle well as of late and is implementing things which he took away from the defeats.
"I think it's going to help me in the long run, so I go out and just wrestle hard," said Eveleth, who wrestles at 133 pounds. "I'm right there and I had a couple of mental mistakes that cost me some wins. I'd rather wrestle tough guys and lose than wrestle easy guys and win. It's really just improving my game."
Despite his current streak, Eveleth has a tough weekend ahead of him. He is set to face Seth Lisa of Penn State, who he fell to at the Lone Star Duals, and Hofstra's 11th-ranked Ricky LaForge.
The Quakers focused on cutting down the riding times of their opponents and being explosive on the bottom throughout the weekend.
In practice, "we had little competitions to see who could get up the fastest," Wiles said. "Everybody got up a lot quicker, and we looked a lot better on bottom anyway."
The Red and Blue have a tough weekend ahead, as they face two of the top teams in the country in Hofstra and Penn State, but sophomore Matt Valenti feels confident.
"We're coming off of a high this weekend where we are all excited about the upcoming duals and showing the country the kind of team we can be," Valenti said.
Brown 13, PENN 25
125 -- No. 6 Valenti def. Pace, MD;16-4
133* -- M. Eveleth def. Appello, D;2-0
141 -- No. 11 McGraw def. Gill, MD;12-0
149 -- No. 18 Dies def. Hitschler, D;4-1
157 -- Vanderveer def. Savino, MD;10-1
165 -- Jenkins def. Ferguson, D;5-3
174 -- Santee def. Hallahan, D;3-2
184 -- No. 18 Carcia def. Bullock, MD;12-3
197 -- No. 15 Schontube def. Mosley, MD;13-0
285 -- No. 3 Feast pinned Beane, Fall 3:33
Harvard 8, PENN 29
125 -- No. 6 Valenti def. Kalesako Tfall 4:11 (19-4)
133 -- M. Eveleth def. Cook, MD;16-3
141* -- Metzler def. No. 11 McGraw, D;3-1
149 -- Jantzen def. Matteo, Tfall 5:18 (19-4)
157 -- Vanderveer def. Kaufman, MD; 13-4
165 -- Ferguson def. Latessa, D;6-0
174 -- Wiles def. G. Jones, D;11-5
184 -- Bullock def. P.J. Jones, D;6-2
197 -- No. 15 Schontube def. Lee, D;7-3
285 -- No. 3 Feast def. Ogunwale, D;4-2
* First bout of match
