The Quakers may be the only people in history to be proud of their actions after a weekend in Vegas.
An impressive third-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational was another milestone for the wrestling team. During the competition, the No. 15 Quakers benefited from solid performances by key grapplers and a breakout performance from senior Matt Eveleth.
"Our guys really stepped up," head coach Zeke Jones said. "This was definitely [Eveleth's] coming-out party."
Eveleth defeated three ranked opponents during his run to a third-place finish. His matches included victories against the 15th-, 13th- and fourth-ranked opponents in the country in the 125-pound weight class.
The senior focused on his team's performance and goals.
"We clicked at the right time," Eveleth said. "It was good because we saw new teams and different styles, which will help us in the future."
Nationally recognized grapplers Matt Valenti and Matt Herrington both placed second in their respective weight classes of 133 and 174 pounds.
Valenti's match was certainly strange. The bout was suspended when his opponent, Matt Keller, accidentally poked Valenti in the eye on more than one occasion. Another break came when the scoreboard's power failed. This lack of continuity may have caused Valenti to lose some momentum in the eventual overtime loss.
Other notable performances were Zack Shanaman's fourth-place finish at 165 pounds and Lior Zamir's seventh-place showing at 184 pounds.
Penn may have finished even higher if No. 10 Matt Dragon, who rolled through his first two matches, had not been forced out of the tournament due to injury.
Penn's third-place finish is particularly meaningful compared to the Quakers' league foes. Ivy League rival Harvard finished seventh, while reigning EIWA champion Cornell only finished 14th. Both of the teams ahead of the Quakers, Missouri and Michigan, hail from the powerhouse Big 10 Conference.
Penn returns home for a long hiatus. Due to winter break, the Quakers will not wrestle until a Jan. 6 meet with York College. This will be their first dual meet.
Jones was not concerned about the break slowing the team's momentum.
"We are going to work our butts off," Jones said. "We know... the things we need to do to be successful."
And it is a rarity to leave Vegas in better shape than before arriving.
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