Sports

Wrestling: Two SWR grads headed to NCAA Championship

HARVARD ATHLETICS PHOTO | Harvard junior Steven Keith will wrestle at the NCAA Championship starting March 15.

Former Shoreham-Wading River wrestlers Corey Jantzen (’07) and Steven Keith (’09) earned a trip to the NCAA Championship after placing in the top six at the EIWA Championship last weekend in Princeton, N.J.

Both Harvard wrestlers will be making their third trip to the NCAA Championship.

Keith, a two-time state champion in high school, leads Harvard in victories with a 30-8 record while wrestling at 133 pounds as a junior. He finished third at the EIWA Championship. He entered the tournament as the top seed and received a first-round bye. He then won a 6-1 decision in the quarterfinals against Christopher Perez of Princeton.

Keith lost 3-1 in the semifinals to Aaron Kalil of Navy. He bounced back with two victories to win the consolation finals and take third.

Keith was named first team All-Ivy League for the first time in his career. Keith has been ranked as high as ninth in the country in his weight.

Jantzen, a senior who has been riddled with injuries throughout his college career, wrestled for the first time in over a month as the No. 2 seed at 149. He won a 9-0 major decision in his first match against Andrew Murano of Marshall. He pinned Alex Pellicciotti of Bucknell in 36 seconds in his next match before dropping out of the tournament due to injury and settling for sixth place.

Jantzen was also a two-time state champion in high school.

The NCAA Championship begins March 15 in St. Louis.