The most impressive streak in Ivy League athletics history has been extended.
Cornell wrestling attained its 16th straight conference title, the longest run of consecutive titles by any of the Ancient Eight institutions in any sport. The title comes following decisive dual-meet victories over Penn and Princeton on Saturday.
The Red (11-2, 5-0 Ivy) dominated the Quakers in Philadelphia, 32-9, to guarantee Cornell a share of the Ivy title. The team was aided in part by two forfeits and won six of the meet’s seven contested bouts.
With a 22-0 lead halfway through the meet, the win was never in question.
Undoubtedly the dual’s most anticipated match came at 197, when freshman No. 3 Ben Darmstadt faced off against Penn’s No. 9 Frank Mattiace. Darmstadt earned a pair of takedowns in the first period and never looked back, cruising to an 8-1 victory with relative ease.
Cornell would clinch the conference crown outright just several hours later, after a 33-6 victory at Princeton for its 83rd consecutive conference victory.
Standout freshmen Yianni Diakomihalis, Max Dean and Darmstadt continued their dominance for the Red in both matches, winning all five contested matches between them on the day and one by forfeit.
The Ivy title comes off the heels of a 22-13 win over Drexel on Friday evening in Philadelphia. Late bonus points, including a 1 minute, 22 second fall from Diakomihalis, helped lift the Red over the Dragons.
Cornell has one more dual meet against North Carolina on Friday before turning its attention to the EIWA Championships on March 3 in Hempstead, New York. The Red has won at that event in 11 straight seasons.