Wrestling traveled to New Jersey on Sunday for the Ivy League wrestling tournament, hosted by Princeton. All 10 participating Lions secured podium finishes, with five qualifying for the NCAA championships set for March 20-22 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

After clinching a 25-16 win over Bucknell University in its regular season finale last month, the Lions (6-7, 2-3 Ivy) stepped onto the mats at Jadwin Gymnasium, determined to earn championship bids. Sophomore Lorenzo Frezza, junior Richard Fedalen, junior Cesar Alvan, senior Jack McGill, and junior Nick Fine clinched their spots and will represent the Lions in Pennsylvania.

Sophomore Sulayman Bah kicked off action against Cornell’s Marcello Milani. Bah struck first with an escape in the opening period, but Milani responded with an escape of his own in the third, sending the match into sudden victory. With less than a minute remaining, Milani attempted a shot but failed to execute, allowing Bah to capitalize with a decisive 3-point takedown for a 4-1 win. Advancing to the semifinals, Bah faced Princeton’s Marc-Anthony McGowan, who shut him out with an 11-0 defeat before going on to claim the 125-pound title. Despite the setback, Bah rebounded to secure fourth place with a dominant 17-5 win over Brown’s Jared Brunner.

In the 133-pound division, first-year Connor Smith took on Brown’s Hunter Adrian. Adrian wasted no time, securing a 3-point takedown in the first minute for an early lead. Smith responded with an escape, but Adrian extended his advantage with another take down and a 4-point nearfall, putting Smith in a deep deficit. Despite a late reversal, Smith couldn’t close the gap and ultimately fell by technical fall, 18-3. A bye in the consolation round helped Smith finish sixth overall.

Frezza took a turn on the mat in the 141 division and came in blazing: In the first period, he earned a pair of takedowns to collect six points against Brown’s Ian Oswalt. Earning 2 escape points, Oswalt was seemingly ready to close the gap, but the pair of points was the extent of his run. Frezza continued attacking in the third period, walking off the mat victorious, 11-2. Despite a loss in the semi-finals to CJ Composto, Frezza picked up an additional win in the consolation bout against Harvard’s Dante Frinzi, ultimately placing fourth in his division and securing his spot in the NCAA championships.

Junior Kai Owen stepped up for the 149-pound division to take on Brown’s Joey Iamunno. The first-year struggled against Owen, who launched a powerful shot in the first period, earning 3 points for a takedown. Owen repeated this in the second period, extending his lead 6-0. Entering the third, Owen took bottom position and earned a 2-point reversal, ultimately finishing with a major decision, 11-0. Like Frezza, Owen struggled against Penn, taking a loss to Cross Wasilewski but earning a win in the consolation round, ending fourth in his weight class. Despite making it onto the podium, Owen was unable to clinch a spot in the championships.

Fedalen and Alvan represented the 157- and 165-pound divisions, respectively. After an early loss to Brown’s Blake Saito, Fedalen was in the hot seat and was immediately sent to the consolation rounds. However, it was the only loss he took that day: He soon entered the semis to face Harvard’s Jimmy Harrington for a 3-0 victory. Having secured this win, Fedalen was set to face Saito once more for third place. The first period proved difficult as neither wrestler was able to score in the first couple of minutes. With 20 seconds left in the first, Fedalen earned 3 off a takedown and an additional 2 on a near fall, as he had Saito bound to the mat. Ultimately, Fedalen earned a spot in the national championships.

Alvan joined Fedalen and Frezza in securing a spot. He took a bye to immediately dive into the semi-finals, where he faced off against Princeton’s Blaine Bergey. Alvan came in fierce, claiming Bergey’s leg and executing a trip for a 3-point takedown. A 1-point escape and a 3-point takedown in the second made Alvan’s lead 7-1. A final takedown in the third secured Alvan’s win, and while he came up short in the finals, his second place finish secured his spot in the championship.

McGill and Fine were the final two Lions to qualify for the championships. McGill earned a bye in the quarter finals, facing off against Penn’s Nick Incontrera and winning in a 4-1 decision. McGill battled in the finals for the title but fell short. However, his second-place finish in the 174-pound division earned him the necessary spot to continue his fight in Philadelphia. Nick Fine battled in the 184-pound division, quieting Brown’s Andrew Reall with a 5-0 win. Moving up to the semi-finals, Fine fell short against Cornell’s Chris Foca, ranked eighth in the nation, in a tough 2-11 loss. In the end, he took home top 3 to clinch his spot.

Frezza, Fedalen, Alvan, McGill, and Fine now turn their focus to the NCAA championships in Philadelphia, where they’ll take the mat from March 20-22, looking to make their mark on the national stage.