Five wins lead Lions past No. 21 Lehigh

NEW YORK Columbia led by nine through the first seven bouts and held on for an 18-17 victory over No. 21 Lehigh on Friday night at Levien Gym. The Lions tied the battles with the Mountain Hawks, winning five and losing five, but taking advantage of bonus points on a Nick Babin pin to claim victory.

Columbia improves to 3-5 overall and 3-1 in EIWA action with the win. The win marks the second time in program history the Lions have defeated the Mountain Hawks in a series that favored Lehigh, with most encounters occurring from 1913 to 1931.

“This was a team effort,” wrestling head coach Andrew F. BarthZach Tanellisaid. “It’s been over a century since we beat Lehigh. I’m really proud of every guy on this team because everyone played a part. We knew it was going to be close. We knew we were going to be in a position to win and we’re just thankful to get on the right side of this (match).”

No. 26 Babin (125) turned the momentum in Columbia’s favor to start the game as he pinned Lehigh’s No. 30 Carter Bailey in just over six minutes. Babin now has three falls for the season and is 3-1 in EIWA duals.

“If you look at the score, three bonus points were just the difference,” said Tanelli. “It’s as big as it gets out there, and Nick has proven he’s a pinner. He’s proven he can win at this level. He’s something special. He’s proven it to himself every day.”

Lehigh answered on 133 as No. 5 Connor McGonagle defeated No. 26 Angelo Rini in a 6-1 decision.

The Lions extended the lead to six as number 24 Matt Kazimir earned a 7-3 decision win over No. 28 Malyke Hines at 141. Kazimir remains flawless in EIWA action as he is now 4-0.

Lehigh picked up another win at No. 149 as No. 29 Max Brignola outlasted No. 33 Danny Fungaro in a tight 3-1 victory.

Columbia answered back by winning three consecutive bouts to jump out to an 18-6 lead. No. 21 Cesar Alvin got the streak started at 157 in a 5-4 win against Paul Watkins. Alvan joins Kazimir with a perfect 4-0 record to kick off EIWA action.

No. 16 Joshua Ogunsanya followed up Alvan’s performance with a 4-1 victory over Luca Frinzi at 165. Ogunsanya improves to 3-1 in EIWA duals. No. 26 Lennox Wolak secured the third straight win for the Lions on 174 with a 5-3 decision over Jake Logan. Wolak put in an impressive takedown to earn the sudden victory, which proved crucial to the Columbia team’s win.

The Lions had an 18-6 lead before Lehigh won the last three periods of the night. No. 18 Defeated Tate Samuelson Aaron Ayzerov in a 4-1 decision. No. (3) Michael Beard followed that up with a technical fall victory Jack Wehmeyer. No. 28 Nathan Taylor closed the game with a 12-5 win against Billy McChesney.

“We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing all year,” Tanelli said. “That’s hard fighting every minute and every period. We controlled the action for most of that game. Overall I’m impressed with our guys.”

RESULTS

COLUMBIA 18, NO. 21 LEHIGH 17

New York, NY (Levien Gym)

Individual match results:

125 No. 26 Nick Babin (COL) def. No. 30 Carter Bailey (LEH) | Autumn, 6:10
133 No. 5 Connor McGonagle (LEH) beats. When. 26 Angelo Rini (COL) | Dec 6-1
141 No. 24 Matt Kazimir (COL) def. No. 28 Malyke Hines (LEH) | December 7-3
149 No. 29 Max Brignola (LEH) final. No. 33 Danny Fungaro (COL) | Dec, 3-1
157 No. 21 Cesar Alvin (COL) def. Paul Watkins (LEH) | December 5-4
165 No. 16 Joshua Ogunsanya (COL) def. Luca Frinzi (LEH) | Dec 4-1
174 No. 26 Lennox Wolak (COL) def. Jake Logan (LEH) | December 5-3
184 No. 18 Tate Samuelson (LEH) reports. Aaron Ayzerov (COL) | Dec 4-1
197 No. 3 Michael Beard (LEH) Defeats. Jack Wehmeyer (COL) | T.F., 26-10
HWT no. 28 Nathan Taylor (LEH) beats. Billy McChesney (COL) | December 12-5

Cumulative Score Results:

125| COLUMN 6, EN
133| COLUMN 6, EN
141| COLUMN 9, EN
149| COLUMN 9, EN
157| COLUMN 12, EN
165| COL 15, EN
174| COL 18, EN
184| COL 18, EN
197| COL 18, EN
HWT | COL 18, EN

NEXT ONE

The Lions close out the home stands on Sunday with a double game at 1 p.m. against No. 5 Cornell at Levien Gym. Admission is free and the game will be streamed on ESPN+. Sunday is alumni day and alumni wrestlers will be recognized during a break in the match. The Columbia Women’s Wrestling Club team will also host five matches starting at 11 a.m. Sunday. Entry to the women’s matches is free and fans are allowed to stay in the gym until the men’s match starts.

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