Weiss said that each of these athletes could be surprisingly successful this weekend.
“[For Harvard to win] the guys seeded three through six have got to wrestle above their seeds, which they are capable of doing,” Weiss said.
Freshmen Jon Mankovich and Jonas Corl will make their first appearances in post-season collegiate competition, wrestling at 141 and 197 lbs, respectively. El-Hayek, a three-time EIWA tournament veteran, says he will advise the freshman not to take the opportunity for granted.
“I am going to encourage those guys to not act like they have another year left,” El-Hayek said. “Very rarely do guys go in and make an immediate impact as freshmen, because they expect they’ll be there the next year. I’ll tell them to look at it like it’s their last shot.”
Rounding out the ten man competitive roster is sophomore P.J. Jones at 174 lbs.
First and second round action begins Saturday at 11 a.m. The semifinal rounds will be played at 7:30 p.m. that night, with the finals at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Place matches will be at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday.