Roster shifts plagued the Crimson in its afternoon competition as well, as junior Jackson Salovaara (157) joined the list of grapplers competing above their weight class.
“Guys went out there and battled, and that’s all they could do,” O’Connor said.
Unfortunately for Harvard, Boston University was not interested in consolation points. The Terriers sealed the inaugural Charles Cup—a trophy dedicated this year to the rivalry between the only two Division I wrestling programs in Massachusetts—with the same three falls between 133 and 149 pounds.
Despite excellent showings from Keith and O’Connor, as well as a forfeit at 184 pounds, Harvard simply could not keep pace. Salovaara—competing in just his second bout of the season—also fell to his opponent in the 174-lb. class, but rather than show disappointment, Weiss noted the importance of giving inexperienced grapplers more time on the mat.
“We had guys wrestling that needed an opportunity to wrestle,” the coach said. “Are they ready? Maybe not, but I enjoy watching those guys, [who] put in the time every single day, go out and compete.”
Although the final result did not favor the Crimson, Keith once again stormed out of the gate to open the dual meet, taking down Ryan Dowd early and often. The rookie earned six points in the first frame without relinquishing his top position, demonstrating his ability to dominate riding time.
“That [skill] is what he came in with,” Weiss said. “[Keith] is real good on top, very hard to counter.”
After notching two more takedowns in the final frame, the young grappler solidified an 11-1 major decision to post another victory in a strong rookie campaign.
But O’Connor had the strongest bout of the afternoon, as the top-ranked grappler asserted himself with a technical fall. BU’s Andrew Swank scored his only two points when O’Connor consented to let him escape, only to take down the Terrier once more. The 18-2 win marked the biggest offensive output of the day for Harvard.
“Earlier in the season I was having a little problem scoring points, so it was nice to run the score up on somebody and get my offense going,” O’Connor said. “My confidence is high, but I’m [still] getting it to where it needs to be to make a push for a national title.”
—Staff writer Max N. Brondfield can be reached at mbrondf@fas.harvard.edu.