Top Moments in Harvard Wrestling History: #11-#15

Feb 5, 2014 by FloWrestling Staff

Top Moments in Harvard Wrestling History: #11-#15

Pictured to the right is Walter Peppelman '13 who ranks fifth in program history with 111 career wins and is third with 31 career pins.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - First established in 1913, the Harvard wrestling team is celebrating its 100^th anniversary in 2013-14, making the Crimson one of the oldest collegiate wrestling programs in the nation. As part of that celebration GoCrimson.com is releasing the "Top Moments in Harvard Wrestling History," continuing this week with No's. 11-15.

Make sure to follow the Crimson throughout this historic season via Twitter (@HarvardWrestlin) and use the hashtag #HW100Years to join in the conversation.

#25-#21 (released Jan. 8)
#20-16 (released Jan. 22)
#15-11 (released Feb. 5)
#10-#6 (released Feb. 19)
#5-#1 (released March 5)

To learn more about the history of Harvard wrestling, visit the team's Media Center by clicking here.

#11 To His Back:
Jim Phills '83 (pictured below) set a program record by recording 17 pins as a senior in 1982-83. The heavyweight would go on to win an EIWA championship that year, and at the time of his graduation he ranked as Harvard's all-time leader in wins (84), win percentage (.857) and falls (42).

#12 Coach 'Em Up:
Jay Weiss, The David G. Burning '88 Head Coach for Harvard Wrestling, has twice been honored as the EIWA Coach of the Year. He first earned the award in 1998 after the team placed fourth at the EIWA Championships, its best finish in 57 years. Weiss' second honor came just three years later as Harvard was crowned the 2001 EIWA champions.

#13 Join The Club:
Harvard's 100-win club gained two more members in 2012-13 as teammates Walter Peppelman '12-13 and Steven Keith '13 each eclipsed the milestone. This marked the third time in program history that teammates had gone over 100 wins in the same season after Louis Caputo'09-10 and J.P. O'Connor '10 did so in 2009-10, and Joey Killar '00 and Ed Mosley '00 did so in 1999-00.

#14 Freshman Phenom:
J.P. O'Connor '10 became the first freshman in Crimson history to earn All-America honors when he placed fifth at 149 pounds at the 2007 NCAA Championships. O'Connor was one of just two true freshmen to earn All-America status that year as he finished the season with a 37-7 record and was named both the EIWA and Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

#15 Grappling With Greatness:
John H. Lee Jr. '53 (pictured below with head coach Robert Pickett) won the 1951 National AAU wrestling championship at 125 lbs. A two-time All-American at Harvard, Lee would become an assistant coach in 1956 and began a 17-year tenure as the Crimson's head coach in 1968. Lee amassed a record of 165-121-5 at the helm of the Crimson and saw 27 of his wrestlers reach the podium at the EIWA Championships.