Harvard Grapplers Travel to Nevada for Cliff Keen Las Vegas

Photo courtesy of DSPICS.com.

The Particulars
The Harvard wrestling team will travel to the 28th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational held Dec. 4-5 in Primm, Nev. Several of the top teams in the nation will compete at the prestigious tournament. The Crimson has had at least one finalist in each of the last three years with two wrestlers earning individual titles.

Schedule of Events
Friday, Dec. 4 (all times are Eastern Standard)
12 p.m. – Pigtail Rounds
1 p.m. – Round 1 & 2, Consolation Pigtails
10 p.m. – Quarterfinals & Consolation Round 1 & 2

Saturday, Dec. 5 (all times are Eastern Standard)
12 p.m. – Consolation Round 3
1 p.m. – Semifinals and Consolation Round 4
2:30 p.m. – Consolation Semifinals
3:30 p.m. – Consolation Finals (third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth places)
6 p.m. – Championship Finals (first and second places)

Last Time We Where Here
Harvard had three placewinners at the 2008 CKLV Invitational. Corey Jantzen ’11-12 won the 141 pound title, while Louis Caputo was second at 184 and J.P. O’Connor was third at 157 pounds.

The Players
A few injuries have at this point in the season and will have only seven grapplers suit up in Nevada.

133 – Fermin Mendez
141 – Paul Ligouri
149 – Walter Peppelman
157 – No. 3 J.P. O’Connor
165 – Adam Hogue
174- Bryan Panzano
197 – Sean Murphy

The National Rankings
J.P. O’Connor maintains his No. 3 ranking in the Intermat College Rankings. Louis Caputo sits at No. 12.

The Numbers
O’Connor leads the Crimson with an 8-0 record so far this season. Steven Keith sports a 7-2 record at 125 pounds, while Walter Peppelman is 6-2 at 149 pounds.

On the Horizon
The Crimson returns to the mat Dec. 29-30 at the Midlands Championships held on the Northwestern campus in Evanston, Ill.