Princeton @ Harvard

Princeton edged Harvard 20-16 in a February 3, 2024 dual at Harvard University in Boston. The margin came down to bonus-point outcomes, with a few high-impact matches determining the team score rather than a sweep of close decisions. Princeton’s bonus work proved the difference.

At 197 pounds Luke Stout turned in an emphatic performance, beating Alex Whitworth 18-2 by technical fall to notch five team points for Princeton. That result created a sizable swing on the scoreboard and gave Princeton a clear edge in bonus production.

Heavyweight Matthew Cover delivered the other big blow for Princeton, taking Nick Marcenelle by fall and adding six team points. Cover’s pin, combined with Stout’s technical fall, supplied the bulk of Princeton’s bonus scoring and ultimately pushed the Tigers past Harvard’s totals.

Harvard’s strongest showing came at 174 pounds, where Philip Conigliaro defeated Michael Squires 15-3 by major decision, earning four team points and keeping the Crimson within striking distance. In the end the three featured bonus-point bouts — Conigliaro’s major, Stout’s technical fall, and Cover’s fall — were the decisive factors in a tight 20-16 finish.