"On our team, we don’t have just one or two leaders," Peppelman said. "I have a team of 20 leaders. So my job as captain is to bring the best out of everyone. But I’m blessed to be at Harvard, and it’s really easy because I am surrounded by so many great leaders."

Peppelman’s leadership prowess has gone from athletic to academic, as the junior believes some of his coursework has helped him become a better leader.

"I actually took a sociology class with Professor [David] Ager on leadership and organization that was really interesting," Peppelman said. "I’ve gotten really interested in leadership and I’ve learned a lot about empowering my teammates."

Peppelman’s decisive victory earned him immediate national recognition, as the NCAA released the first coach’s panel ranking of the season. Peppelman now finds himself ranked fourth in the country in the 157-pound weight class.

While Peppelman feels honored by the NCAA acknowledgement, he is focused on his long term goal of claiming a national championship.

"It’s always nice to be ranked high," the grappler said. "But it is not what is important right now. The goal is to win a national title, and there is a lot of work that needs to be done before that can happen."

Peppelman will next see action on Saturday, when Harvard takes on Army at home. But Peppelman has set an ambitious goal for himself as he tries to help his team push towards the EIWA championships.

"I’d like to win out," Peppelman said. "It’s an ambitious goal."

But given Peppelman’s recent results and his impressive leadership this season, one can be sure he will be the one to watch as the Crimson pushes through its dual meet season.

—Staff writer Peter G. Cornick be reached at pcornick@college.harvard.edu.