I started to cry. I haven’t cried in a long time.

I don’t know why it happened, but something about his story leveled me. It made me horrified, saddened, inspired and reflective, all at the same time. Maybe you’ll feel the same way.

Adam Frey, a junior and Cornell wrestler, has always been a man of incredible physical and mental strength. On March 25, only a few days after competing in the NCAA championships, Adam was in a car crash. A car came at him in the wrong lane, and going 55 mph his car fishtailed, rolled, hit a tree and sent him flying to the back of the vehicle.

The first time I read the words describing this, I was sitting in my chair at my desk, unaware of what I would learn next. It was Thursday, two days after the accident.

Madness? THIS IS SPARTA … I mean ITHACA!

I am not even kidding: if there has ever been a time to show your school spirit and attend a Cornell sports event, this is it. Cornell sports are absolutely amazing this Friday through Sunday.

You have a chance to see three teams with projected NCAA entrants: that’s three teams with some of our nation’s best athletes, right here, at Cornell!

THIS IS BLASPHEMY!

Cornell sports … advancing on a national level?

The buzzer-beater, the Hail Mary, the walk-off home run: these are the moments the sports world lives and dies by. Cornell’s wrestling team had its own taste of last-minute heroics Saturday night, as junior Steve Anceravage’s takedown with less than a second left in the match swung the score in his favor, electrifying the standing-room only crowd and dashing opponent Hofstra’s hopes for a comeback victory. No. 18 Cornell (2-5) stunned No. 12 Hofstra (11-6), 28-14, in front of the raucous wrestling faithful at Friedman Wrestling Center.

With the dual match win, Cornell goes into next Saturday’s meet against Columbia, the first Ivy League match of the season, riding a wave of newfound confidence.

Sophomore Troy Nickerson, pictured above in a match against Princeton earlier in the season, defeated Indiana's Angel Escobedo 3-0 in yesterday's morning session to earn a third place finish at the NC

Senior Jerry Rinaldi, pictured, ended his final season in a Red singlet by finishing in sixth place at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Nationals.

Deckhead:

Nickerson takes third place at 125 pounds

Body:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich — Four Cornell wrestlers were honored on collegiate wrestling’s biggest stage yesterday. Taking part in the night session’s parade of All-Americans, senior Jerry Rinaldi, sophomore Troy Nickerson, sophomore Jordan Leen and sophomore Josh Arnone all were recognized for their accomplishments at this season’s NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships held inside the Palace of Auburn Hills just outside Detroit. After three days of non-stop wrestling, Nickerson finished third in the country at 125 pounds, Rinaldi finished sixth at 197, while Leen and Arnone finished eighth at 149 and 184 pounds, respectively. Although the team finished in a disappointing 12th place overall, there were still positives to take away from this year’s event.

Deckhead:

Team falls to 13th place after four sessions

Body:

AUBURN HILLS, Mich — Day 2 was one to remember, and yet one to forget for Red wrestling at the NCAA Division I Wrestling championships held inside the Palace of Auburn Hills yesterday. After sitting in sixth place after Day 1, Cornell wrestlers went 2-6 during the day’s morning session, only to rebound in a night session which saw two Cornell wrestlers win their first-ever All-America honors. In all, Cornell was secured of four All-Americans, amongst them sophomores Troy Nickerson, Jordan Leen, Josh Arnone and senior Jerry Rinaldi. Despite the accolades, the Red left the Palace disappointed from a team standpoint after several miscues — all of which resulted in a No. 13 standing after four sessions. Currently, the team sits five team points behind No. 10 Ohio State with the four All-Americans all wrestling in today’s morning session. Unfortunately, Cornell was denied of having at least one finalist in today’s night session for the first time in three years.

Deckhead:

Reserves shining despite absence of injured starting cast

Body:

It’s a huddled mass of bodies that congregate inside the training room of the Friedman Wrestling Center these days. From sprained knees to strained anterior cruciate ligaments, the wrestling team has been bitten hard by the injury bug to start its 2006-07 campaign. Two weeks into the season, the Red has yet to see action from returning national runner-up sophomore Troy Nickerson (back), sophomore Adam Frey (knee), senior Charlie Agozzino and 184-pounder Josh Arnone (sickness).

Body:

It was all in due time — former Cornell assistant wrestling coach Steve Garland, now head coach at his alma mater Virginia, was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year for his work last season transforming Cornell into a perennial wrestling powerhouse.

Deckhead:

That's Kuhls, Baby

Body:

Everything still feels so new, it’s as if they started only yesterday — their makeshift desk sits in the front right corner of the training room inside the Friedman Wrestling Center, which is where they set up camp. Flyers, they admit, might have been a little late getting out to the public. But to Mark DiSalvo and former Cornell assistant coach Clint Wattenberg ’04, everything is unfolding according to schedule in regards to their master project, the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club.