In its final bouts in the Friedman Wrestling Center on Feb. 22, the senior class — headlined by No. 30 Josh Saunders, No. 5 Julian Ramirez and No. 6 Chris Foca — led the Red to a commanding win over Bucknell, capping off their home careers in unforgettable fashion.
The Red (11-1, 5-0 Ivy) took control from the start, gaining ground with a forfeit at 126 pounds. While junior Joe Sciarrone would drop a bout at 133 pounds, Saunders would wrestle an amazing match to upset Bucknell’s No. 20 Dylan Chappell by major decision.
Incredibly, just the next day, Saunders would travel to Fairfax, Virginia, where he would go on to win the Patriot Last Chance Open Wrestling Tournament at 141 pounds. Over the course of the weekend, Saunders wrestled a perfect 4-0, which head coach Mike Grey ’11 hopes will help his chances in reaching the upcoming National Collegiate Athletics Association Wrestling Championships.
“Saunders had a great weekend,” Grey said. “He won that match, and then he hustled down to George Mason, which is six hours away, and then won three more matches to help himself qualify for NCAA. He's definitely the man of the weekend.”
Ramirez also picked up a ranked win over Bucknell’s No. 22 Noah Mulvaney, dominating the match to secure a decisive victory by decision. At 184 lbs, Foca followed suit with an equally commanding performance, overpowering his opponent before eventually winning by technical fall.
“The senior leaders, Ramirez and Foca, did a great job,” Grey said. “It was great to see [senior] Owen Finn back out there too. He didn't have the results that he wanted, but it was great for him to strap up and put the C on his chest. Senior Day is all about having a lot of pride for the program. As we move towards graduation, there'll be a ton more time to think about the lasting impact that this year's class did have and will continue to have on Cornell wrestling.”
From here on out, the Red will set its sights on the Ivy League Tournament, and more importantly, the NCAA Wrestling Championships. While veterans like Saunders, Ramirez and Foca provide the backbone of the team, younger standouts like sophomore No. 2 Meyer Shapiro will also be looking to make their mark on the postseason stage.
“We want to win,” Grey said. “It's as simple as that. We expect to wrestle well in the conference tournament and follow it up into the national tournament. We've had a lot of success in the postseason over the last 20 years, so we're going to lean on the training methods and experience from that success, compete with a lot of belief, and have fun while we're doing it.”
As the NCAA Wrestling Championships approach, the Red will look to build on its impressive campaign, with aspirations of individual titles and a strong team finish on the national stage. With plenty of wrestlers hungry to be the next national champion, the journey is far from over — it’s just heating up.
Up next, the Red will travel to Princeton, New Jersey and compete in the Ivy League Tournament on March 9, with coverage of the action available on ESPN+.
