The Penn wrestling team found itself in an unusual position Saturday, having to wait only hours to avenge a loss.
After falling to Harvard, 23-19, in the morning, the Quakers recovered with an afternoon win over Brown, 30-7.
“Harvard beat us to the punch a lot,” admitted coach Rob Eiter. “They were attacking more. They were more aggressive than we were. And we had to do the same thing against Brown, where we came out stronger.”
Saturday’s journey for the Red and Blue (5-6, 1-2 Ivy) began in Cambridge, Mass., where the Crimson (5-6, 1-2) put the Quakers in an early hole that they were unable overcome.
Harvard jumped ahead, 12-0, in the first three matches. The Quakers would then outscore the Crimson, 19-11, for the remainder of the match, but it was too late to avoid defeat.
After dropping its first three decisions, freshman Mark Pinero grabbed Penn’s first win of the day at 149, wrestling up a weightclass in his first start of the season.
“I found out that the kid that I was going to wrestle was on my visit to Penn last year,” explained Pinero. “That just made it even more of a personal thing. Coach Eiter told me to make sure I beat this kid.”
The rest of the match proved to be more competitive, as the remaining six matchups were split, 3-3. Though pins from junior Micah Burak and freshman Lorenzo Thomas gave Penn an edge in that series, it wouldn’t be enough undo the damage.
After the Harvard loss, the Red and Blue then made the trek to Providence, R.I., determined they wouldn’t lose twice in the same the day. After Brown took the opening matchup, Penn ran away with six consecutive wins. A Burak major decision and forfeit at the end resulted in an easy victory for the Quakers.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.