NYU tied its record for most team members to qualify for Nationals, with four wrestlers set to compete for their respective titles. Wrestlers Trent Furman (157), Cooper Pontelandolfo (165), Jason Geyer (184), and Matt Kelly (197) have all qualified as a result of their strong performances at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships.
Furman finished with an overall record of 27-7 and a team-leading 10 falls during the 2021-2022 season. Ranked at #19 in his weight his class, the New Jersey native registered a runner-up finish at the UAA Championship. In the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships in Springfield, Mass., Furman also came in second place, automatically qualifying him for Nationals.
Cooper Pontelandolfo is just the third freshman in program history to qualify for Nationals. The rookie finished with an overall record of 27-4 at 165, recording a team-leading 12 technical falls and shared a tie for the team lead in major decisions (six, Jason Geyer). The UAA Rookie of the Year was the top finisher at the Ned McGinley Invitational earlier in the season and at the UAA Championship before going on to earn a second place spot at the NCAA Northeast Regionals.
When asked on how the season went, he reflected:
"I had more fun this season than ever before with wrestling. I’m just going out there and having fun which seems cliché but it really has made such a big difference in my ability to compete."
Pontelandolfo went on to share how he plans to prepare for Cedar Rapids:
"I plan to change nothing going into Nationals. Just working on fine-tuning my technique right now and am super excited for the experience this weekend."
Matt Kelly finished his first season at NYU with a 12-2 overall record, two falls, five technical falls, and three major decisions. Attending Div. I Binghamton University in 2020-2021, the New York-born wrestler posted a record of 1-1 in the shortened season. The sophomore won the UAA Championship at 197, earning his pair of victories via technical fall and decision. At Regionals, Kelly posted a 10-2 major decision to earn third place.
No stranger to adversity and constantly having to adapt to new surroundings, Kelly shared:
"This season has been crazy for me. It first started with me wrestling at Binghamton with a 5-5 record. Right before coming to NYU, I tore my hamstring in an open tournament. It took me some time to get better, but I was able to persevere and wrestle through it. I didn’t reach all of my goals with NYU this season. I really wanted to win Regionals, but I had to settle for a third place finish. Wrestling back to third honestly lit a fire in me. I lost a tight 2-1 match in the semis that I didn’t wrestle my best in. The next two matches I really opened up and I thought I wrestled a lot better."
Looking to prove his resilience once more, the latest wrestler has big goals in mind.
"Going into Nationals, my plan is to wrestle through every position. I don’t plan on giving up easy and I’m going out there to score. I feel like I need to just let it fly and not hold anything back. I believe in the training I have here at NYU and I believe in what the coaches are telling me. I’m looking forward to wrestling in Cedar Rapids."
In a season unlike any other for this highly experienced coaching staff, they too recognize the success through adversity that the program has displayed.
"This particular season was a special one. We had challenges like every other team had but I felt our guys handled it in the best possible way. Great attitudes and work ethic triumph over adversity. In the end we had a team who held themselves accountable, truly care about the culture of our program, and care about each other. That to me is the highest achievable reward, and the rest of the accolades we achieved this season, although are special, are secondary." - Coach Luce
"Our four qualifiers have shown us throughout the year that they belong on the mat with the best wrestlers in their weight classes. This weekend they get an opportunity to show that to the whole country." - Coach Datollo
Credits:
Vincenzo Dusovic