Last weekend, Bruno wrestlers were outmatched and defeated, falling 35-6 to No. 17 Penn and 27-18 to the unranked Princeton at home on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Head Coach Jordan Leen expects his athletes to put up their best fight and outwork their opposition, he said in an interview with the Herald. According to Leen and multiple athletes, this expectation for tenacity and aggression on the mat was not met in the team’s tepid showing against Penn.
Even after the prior weekend’s losses to Cornell and Binghamton, for Leen, last Saturday marked the first time he felt the team did not perform well. The team’s trouble against Penn centered less around particular technical deficiencies and more around their timidity and risk aversion, according to Leen and some players.
“Sometimes when the match got tough, I wouldn’t say we gave up, but we didn’t make the hardest decision every time,” No. 22 Andrew Reall ’28, one of two players who won their matches against Penn, said in an interview with The Herald.
Reall explained that as a whole, the team balked from staying on the defensive when they were behind a superior opponent. “Instead of fighting all three periods, (some team members) chose to sit on bottom and just let the match finish out, instead of trying to score the next position or score the next point,” he explained.
Despite winning his own match against Penn’s Martin Cosgrove with a score of 4-0, Reall noted he did not take opportunities to widen his lead by attempting more attacks.
No. 28 Alex Semenenko ’26 showcased superior speed and timing throughout the bout against Penn’s John Pardo, putting up the Bears’ only other win on Saturday. In one sequence, Semenenko capitalized on Pardo’s forward pressure, executing a rear body lock takedown.
Reall emphasized the importance of “no matter if you’re winning or losing,” always trying to gain another point — a mindset that the team lacked against Penn, but improved when facing Princeton.
The Bears were able to somewhat recoup themselves by Sunday, giving trouble to Princeton even though Bruno ultimately fell. With four players winning their matches to an electrified Rumble and Tumble crowd, Bruno showcased the ferocity that was missing against Penn.
Khimari Manns ’29 continued to shine as a promising first-year student, picking up Bruno’s first arm raise against Princeton. Manns turned up the crowd volume with two explosive takedowns — one of which entertained the audience with a hard fought, well-timed single leg takedown.
Another standout performance came from Austin McBurney ’26, bringing an upset into the horizon against Princeton’s No. 10 Eligh Rivera. McBurney racked up two escape points and came close on several re-attacks. Despite the loss, the performance seemed a promising sign for McBurney’s career.
“I’m super close (to beating) these top 15 guys … I’m right on the cusp,” McBurney told The Herald. “I just need to break through.”
Reall and Semenenko finished the meet with a pin and a forfeit win respectively, bringing the score to 27-18 in Princeton’s favor. Reall’s win raised the crowd volume in the Pizzitola Sports Center, finishing a powerful double leg takedown to force the pin and seal his victory.
The team looks to face-off against Columbia on Feb. 15 at an away game in New York.
Chiupong Huang is a senior staff writer covering sports.
