2023 NCAA Division I The Season: Cornell (NY)

 *NOTE* - I want to make it clear what this is and what this is not.  What this is NOT is an overview of the entire team. What this is, is a who’s who preview of THIS season 2022-2023. Meaning that I am going to talk about the starters who I feel will have an impact THIS year. Those who will win big matches in duals. Those who will earn placings in major tournaments like CKLV, RENO, MIDLANDS, MATMEN INVITE, SOUTHERN SCUFFLE, CONFERENCES & NCAA’s.  In some cases a weight class will have multiple talented wrestlers. I will note that & I will also be making posts later on about the best wrestle-offs to look forward to this season.  Then after that is determined I will make post later into the season of who our best backups are in the nation.

This post will NOT include redshirts. Those who are redshirting this season will be included in a separate post entitled “22’-23’ Best Redshirts.”  

It'll be a dog fight by the time it is all said and done, but as of the preseason, Cornell is most certainly the favorite to win the EIWA team championship. As of right now, from my vantage point, the Big Red could easily send their entire varsity wrestler to the NCAA championships. 10/10? Yes, that's what I said.  Quick shout out to Hunter Richard. A gritty son of a gun who always laid his heart out on the line every time he stepped on the mat. A two time NCAA qualifier, 4th in the Southern Scuffle this past season. 

125 lbs
Greg Diakomihalis 

13-6 on the season last year, Greg Diakomihalis took an impressive 7th place finish at the Southern Scuffle this past season. He has some very stiff competition in the EIWA. Being realistic, a title or even making the finals probably isn't going to happen this year, but making the consolation finals is more than doable. If any of his brother's magic/talent rubs off on him I may very well eat the words I just typed by year's end. As of right now though, Pat Glory of Princeton & Jaret Lane of Lehigh seem like a tall order. 

133 lbs
Vitali Arujau

I think the biggest question on everyone's minds for 133 lbs this season is do we see Daton Fix Oklahoma State Vs Roman Bravo-Young part III in the finals, or is their anyone out their who might stop this smash hit & it's sequel from becoming a trilogy? That anyone out their wears carnelian red and white & his name is Vitali Arujau.  The 2021 PAN-AMERICAN gold medalist earned All American honors in 2019 with a 4th place finish & he was 3rd this past season.  Thus far nearly all of his accomplishments have been at 125 lbs, but in the few matches he has competed at 133, he has a win over two time EIWA champion Chaz Tucker as well as an 11-5 decision over Pittsburgh's Mickey Phillippi. 

141 lbs
Vince Cornella     OR     Josh Saunders 

Cornella of Cornell, that's fun to say isn't it? The redshirt freshman had 23 victories last season, most impressive a 3-1 sudden victory over Minnesota's Marcos Polanco & a 6-1 decision over Air Force's Cody Phippen. I'm anxious to see where he shapes up within the EIWA this season, IF he's the starter.  Josh Saunders had himself a pretty respectable showing last year as well. 13-4 on the season, he was 8th at the Southern Scuffle. Should be a fun wrestle-off. 

149 lbs
Yianni Diakomihalis 

To think in 22'-23' we could crown two four time NCAA DI champions. That's just insane isn't it? Iowa's Spencer Lee is one of them. The other? Yianni Diakomihalis. There are no guarantees in this sport, but by God this guy has lost exactly once in 95 career matches.  Ridge Lovett of Nebraska took him into sudden victory & Jaden Abas of Stanford gave him a good match last year, so you can't overlook anyone but if I be a betting man, lay my money down on another undefeated season. 

157 lbs
Colton Yapojian 

The only reason we haven't seen Colton Yapojian at the NCAA championships yet is 100% because of injury. With wins over Zach Hartman of Bucknell, Elijah Cleary of Pittsburgh & Marcus Hartman of Army, it's safe to say that he'll be a top 33 wrestler this season, if not much better. 

165 lbs
Julian Ramirez 

I question where this guy's ceiling is at. Is it out of line to ask if he is NCAA champion material? I think not. 22-10 on the season last year, he showed signs of potential. First and foremost a 3-2 victory over 2021 NCAA champion Shane Griffith of Stanford. 4th in the CKLV, I'll tell you what stuck out to me most last season.  Ramirez got thumped 16-3 by Zach Hartman of Bucknell in the EIWA consolation finals. He turned around and pinned Hartman in the first period at the NCAA's. 

174 lbs
Chris Foca 

An NCAA qualifier last season, Foca went 1-2 at the championships, but I wonder how much of that was a result of not being 100%. He did medical forfeit to a 6th place finish at the EIWA championships, so I'm going to wager that we didn't see Foca at his best at the NCAA's. Where he impressed me most last year was when he came back from a second round loss at the CKLV's to take 3rd. 

184 lbs
Jonathan Loew

When I think of Jonathan Loew the image that comes to my head is the old saying of "pick yourself up, dust yourself off & start again."  He did so numerous times last year. At CKLV suffered a tough loss in the semi-finals & then came back with a vengeance to take 3rd. After winning an EIWA title, he lost in round two of the NCAA championships & came back with very impressive wins over Britt Wilson of Northern Illinois, John Poznanski of Rutgers & Zac Braunagel of Illinois to earn his first All American honor. Do I think he's capable of making the NCAA finals this season? Yes, I do. 

197 lbs
Jacob Cardenas 

23-8 on the season, Jacob Cardenas was 5th in the EIWA this past season, an NCAA qualifier. I see him having a similar season this year. 

HWT 
Lewis Fernandez 

An EIWA finalist last season & R12 at the NCAA's I was impressed with Lewis Fernandez by year's end last season. He battled at the NCAA's, including a huge victory over Wisconsin's Trent Hillger. An EIWA title & All American honors for the Biggest of the Big Red? Certainly possible.