The Columbia wrestling team, ranked 23rd nationally, is preparing to compete in the Ivy League Tournament this Sunday. The team aims to secure its first tournament title and automatic entries into the NCAA Championships later this month.
The tournament will begin with first-round matches at 10 a.m., followed by semifinals at 10:45 a.m. Consolation rounds are set for 12:30 p.m., and championship bouts will start at 4 p.m. All matches will be streamed live on ESPN+, while the finals will air nationally on ESPNNews.
Columbia ended its regular season with a strong performance, defeating Bucknell 30-6 and winning eight out of ten matches. This victory extended the Lions’ winning streak to nine and brought their overall dual season record to 11-3, marking their best season since finishing 12-6 in 1996-97.
Several Columbia wrestlers received high seeds for the tournament. Cesar Alvan (165), Joe Curtis (184), and Vincent Mueller (285) each earned No. 1 seeds in their respective weight classes. Nick Fine (174) and Jack Wehmeyer (197) were seeded second. Other pre-seeded wrestlers include Sulayman Bah (125), Evin Gursoy (133), Lorenzo Frezza (141), Richard Fedalen (149), and Kai Owen (157).
Cornell leads the league with four top seeds, while Penn has two, and Brown’s Andrew Reall rounds out the No. 1 seeds at 197 pounds.
In recognition of individual achievements, six Columbia wrestlers were named to All-Ivy League teams as announced Thursday afternoon by the Ivy League. Cesar Alvan, Sulayman Bah, Joe Curtis, Nick Fine, Vincent Mueller, and Jack Wehmeyer all received honors. The coaching staff led by Donny Pritzlaff was named Ivy League Coaching Staff of the Year.
Alvan, Bah, Curtis, and Mueller earned unanimous first-team selections; Fine and Wehmeyer made second team. This is Columbia’s highest number of All-Ivy selections since 2012 and most first-team honorees since 1981.
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