PHILADELPHIA – Let March Matness Begin!
 
The 2019 EIWA Championships are set for March 8-9 at Binghamton University, with a full field of wrestlers competing for not only EIWA trophies but automatic bids to the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Pittsburgh.
 
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Penn's Probable Lineup For The 2019 EIWA Championships
125: No. 29 Carmen Ferrante, Fr. (21-6) - 3rd seed*
133: Doug Zapf, Fr. (12-13) - 8th seed*
141: A.J. Vindici, Sr. (7-8) - 9th seed*
149: No. 16 Anthony Artalona, Fr. (21-5) - 2nd seed*
157: Joe Oliva, Sr. (9-9) - 10th seed*
165: Evan DeLuise, So. (9-14) - 12th seed*
174: Jake Hendricks, Fr. (8-15)
184: Robert Ng, Sr. (3-8)
197: Greg Bensley, Fr. (8-12)
285: Ben Goldin, Fr. (8-14) - 12th seed*
Rankings Reflect 3/1 NCAA Coaches Panel
*Based on pre-seeds announced Wednesday, March 6
 
Automatic Bids On The Line
A total of 47 automatic bids are on the line this weekend.
125: 4
133: 4
141: 3
149: 5
157: 6
165: 4
174: 5
184: 6
197: 6
285: 4
 
Fresh Faces Fill Lineup
Of Penn's 10 entrants at EIWAs, eight are making their first trip to the EIWA Championships. Included among that group are six true freshmen who have combined for 67 matches against EIWA opponents this season and 143 total matches of experience this season.
 
Been There Before
The only two Quakers with previous EIWA Championships experience are 141-pounder A.J. Vindici and 157-pounder Joe Oliva. Vindici competed in 2016 at EIWAs, while Oliva wrestled at 149 in 2017 and 2018.
 
Audacity Of Youth
Based of probable entrants this weekend, Penn is bringing the youngest team to Binghamton. Only Columbia (five true freshmen) is expected to have close to as young a team as the Quakers. With eight new EIWA starters, Penn is bringing a combined seven matches of experience to EIWAs this season between Vindici and Oliva.
 
Reina At EIWAs
Roger Reina is the only head coach to guide Penn to an EIWA team title – he coached the Quakers to four consecutive EIWA titles from 1996-1999. The 183.0 points Reina's 1997 team scored on its way to an EIWA title remain the highest team score in the 114-year history of the meet. Reina has coached 30 of Penn's 64 individual EIWA champions, guiding those wrestlers to EIWA titles over a 10-year span from 1996-2005 with at least one champion in each of those 10 years.
 
Artalona And Ferrante Climbing Freshman Ranks
Both Anthony Artalona and Carmen Ferrante enter this weekend with 21 wins this season, the most by a Penn freshman wrestler since Lorenzo Thomas and Steven Robertson each had 23 in 2012. Penn's all-time record for wins in a season by a freshman is 33, set by eventual two-time NCAA champion Matt Valenti '07 during the 2002-03 season.