Cornell @ Ohio State

Ohio State edged Cornell 21-20 in Columbus, OH on January 5, 2024, a back-and-forth dual decided by bonus-point wrestling and a single decisive swing.

Ohio State piled up bonus points in several key bouts. Nic Bouzakis supplied a fall over Ethan Qureshi at 133 pounds for six team points, Jesse Mendez earned a 14-4 major decision over Vince Cornella at 141 for four points, and Rocco Welsh closed with a 20-4 technical fall over Benny Baker at 174 for five points. Those bonus scores accounted for the bulk of the Buckeyes’ 21-team total.

Cornell countered with its own big victories. Meyer Shapiro dominated at 157 with a 15-0 technical fall for five team points, and Chris Foca recorded a fall at 184 that added six points. Those two bonus results kept Cornell within striking distance and nearly swung the outcome their way.

This dual came down to bonus-point exchanges rather than a string of close decisions. The difference in the final 21-20 tally was the Buckeyes’ bonus production, with Bouzakis’ fall providing the decisive margin. Both teams showed the kind of explosive scoring that turned individual bouts into team swings, and Ohio State’s ability to collect three bonus wins proved just enough to separate the programs by a single point.