Lehigh Sports Forum

2020-21 Cornell & Lehigh Projected Lineups and likely edge:

125: Dom LaJoie (CU) , Brandon Paetzell (LU)

133: Vitali Arujau (CU) , Nick Farro (LU)

141: Josh Saunders (CU), Field (LU) - toss up

149: Yianni Diakomihalis (CU), Jimmy Hoffman (LU)

157: Colton Yapoujian (CU), Josh Humphreys (LU)

165: Julian Ramirez (CU), Brian Meyer (LU)

174: Chris Foca (CU) , Jake Logan/Edmond Ruth (LU)

184: Max Dean (CU), Chris Weiler (LU)

197: Ben Darmstadt (CU) , Jake Jacobsen (LU)

285: Lewis Fernandes (CU), Jordan Wood (LU)

Cornell favored but don't be surprised if Lehigh closes the gap and surprises at several weights

Man, Cornell has some horses back and new ones coming in.....they will be really rugged. No matter, so will we.

***** In hindsight, taking the ORS turned out to be fortuitous for the Big Red. None of their AAs lost a year! Yianni = 2 years left, Max 2 years, Vito 3 years.

mookie wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 9:48 am 2020-21 Cornell & Lehigh Projected Lineups and likely edge:

125: Dom LaJoie (CU) , Brandon Paetzell (LU)

133: Vitali Arujau (CU) , Nick Farro (LU)

141: Josh Saunders (CU), Field (LU) - toss up

149: Yianni Diakomihalis (CU), Jimmy Hoffman (LU)

157: Colton Yapoujian (CU), Josh Humphreys (LU)

165: Julian Ramirez (CU), Brian Meyer (LU)

174: Chris Foca (CU) , Jake Logan/Edmond Ruth (LU)

184: Max Dean (CU), Chris Weiler (LU)

197: Ben Darmstadt (CU) , Jake Jacobsen (LU)

285: Lewis Fernandes (CU), Jordan Wood (LU)

Cornell favored but don't be surprised if Lehigh closes the gap and surprises at several weights

Pretty accurate, but don't take Yapoujian and Fernandes too lightly. For instance, Yapoujian lost to Hidlay only 4-0; he is very hard to score on. Fernandes was winning 7-1 over Slavikouski when he cradled and pinned him.

Also, Yianni said in a Flo interview that he thought there would be some guys coming in as true freshman (he didn't say who, in case he was wrong). I'd assume that this would happen if they/Koll thought said freshman could make an immediate impact. He also said he'd have no problem either staying at 141 or going up to 149, depending on what Koll thinks is best for the team.

Finally, don't discount the idea that Arujau stays at 125 (after all, next year might be an Olympic year, and he still has 57kg aspirations) and someone like JJ Moore fills in at 133. Even more finally, Yianni hinted that if the NCAA and the Ivy League conspire to give some seniors another shot at NCAAs, some Cornell guys would take the opportunity. Tucker said he might do it.

Lots of variables for Cornell, and we're all just speculating, of course.

Did any of you listen to the Kutler interview on Flo?

If 125 is too steep a cut, Vito should stay at 133. He can always drop for Trials since there are different weight cutting rules. Of course, I have no idea how hard it was -- he looked sucked out to me.

"**** In hindsight, taking the ORS turned out to be fortuitous for the Big Red. None of their AAs lost a year! Yianni = 2 years left, Max 2 years, Vito 3 years."

That was the plan. Other than Yianni, the others (add in Berreseya) had extremely limited chance of Olympics. However, Koll has stacked the deck for title runs in 2021 and 2022. That would be NCAA team tile, not EIWAs. More power to him.

Disagree. They sacrificed a year for what? Even possible that Yianni D. and possibly Vito defers again.

mookie: you can look at it either way. Yianni is a freak. He may not need another ORS. Vito should concentrate on the next cycle IMO. Dean is going no where with the current depth chart at his weight. Berryessa probably won't start for Cornell anyway.

So maybe they just move forward with what they were going to do and let Yianni do his thing when the time comes.

mookie wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 2:07 pm Disagree. They sacrificed a year for what? Even possible that Yianni D. and possibly Vito defers again.

In his Flo interview, Yianni gave every indication of wrestling 141 or 149 for Cornell next year.

Had Yianni not taken the ORS, he would not have had a chance to be a 4x NCAA champion. See Lee, Spencer.

Kutler will be missed greatly. Even if he's given a 6th year I doubt very much that he would use it.