Cornell wrestling opens its 2026-27 season Sunday ranked 11th nationally, with four returning Ivy League champions. The Big Red adds a 10-member freshman class ranked third nationally by InterMat.
The Big Red will send 28 wrestlers to the Journeymen Collegiate Classic in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where competition and FloWrestling coverage begin at 9 a.m., according to Cornell's season outlook. The pool format guarantees each wrestler at least three matches against a field that includes Big Ten, ACC, EIWA and Ivy League teams.
Head coach Mike Grey enters his sixth season seeking a rebound from an 18th-place NCAA finish, after Cornell placed seventh a year earlier. The Big Red won its second consecutive Ivy League Tournament title last season and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, but Grey said the national finish fell below the program's expectations.
He described the result as an outlier rather than a reason to overhaul a program that has produced 25 NCAA champions and 104 All-America honorees. Winning both the Ivy regular-season and tournament titles remains a goal.
Freshmen bring international and national experience
Isaiah Cortez arrives after winning his second U20 World silver medal in August. Alessio Perentin placed fifth at the same championships for Italy, while Isaiah's twin brother, Elijah Cortez, won a U.S. Open title in the spring. Jude Correa brings four Prep National championships.
Grey said their experience at major events should help them handle the expectations of college competition. He also said the Cortez twins have raised the level of the practice room and that the newcomers have handled the academic transition well.
Two freshmen extend family connections to Cornell. Elijah Diakomihalis follows brothers Yianni and Greg to Ithaca and will work with Yianni, now an assistant coach. Heavyweight Rocco Dellagatta joins older brother Mikey on the roster.
The team elected five captains: junior Simon Ruiz, sophomore Jaxon Joy and seniors Vince Cornella, Aiden Hanning and Ashton Davis. Grey said the group has emphasized accountability and putting team success ahead of individual position battles.
Ranked options throughout the lineup
At 125 pounds, Isaiah Cortez is ranked No. 11 by InterMat and No. 20 by FloWrestling. That group also includes former NCAA qualifier Marcello Milani, Ernie Perry III and freshman Kai Napadow-Baquero.
Junior Tyler Ferrara, the returning Ivy champion at 133, won his opening NCAA match last season. Elijah Cortez, listed at both 133 and 141, is No. 12 in InterMat's rankings and No. 19 in FloWrestling's. Grey has asked Ferrara to help mentor the younger wrestlers near his weight.
Cornella, ranked sixth by InterMat and seventh by FloWrestling at 141, returns Dec. 20 after winning last season's Ivy title with a 5-3 victory over Penn's CJ Composto. Ethan Qureshi, Carter Tate and freshman Prep Nationals All-American Ben Zuckerman will compete before his return.
Benny Rogers, No. 27 in InterMat's 149-pound rankings, also rejoins the lineup Dec. 20. Mark Botello, Mac Calavitta and two-time New Jersey state champion Adrian DeJesus are among the contenders in the meantime.
Joy moves to 157 pounds after winning the Ivy title at 149 and qualifying for the NCAA Championships as a freshman. InterMat ranks him ninth at his new weight.
At 165, Perentin is ranked 22nd by InterMat. The three-time New Jersey state champion from Delbarton School is joined by fellow freshman David Ogunsanya, a 2026 Fargo All-American.
Ruiz, a 2025 All-American and two-time Ivy champion, is sixth in InterMat's 174-pound rankings and eighth in FloWrestling's. Grey said Ruiz is healthy after struggling to find a rhythm last season.
Mikey Dellagatta drops from 197 to 184 pounds and enters the season ranked 16th by InterMat. He will compete with Louie Cerchio, with 2024 New York state champion Elijah Diakomihalis adding depth.
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Correa is ranked 22nd by InterMat and 24th by FloWrestling at 197. He finished his Wyoming Seminary career as the school's all-time wins leader. Hanning and Zahir McLean-Felix also return at that weight.
The heavyweight competition includes Rocco Dellagatta, ranked 25th by InterMat and a two-time New Jersey state champion; Davis, the 2025 Ivy heavyweight champion; and sophomores Cy Kruse IV and Cash Henderson.
Early tournaments lead into demanding dual schedule
Cornell is ranked 11th in both the NWCA preseason coaches poll and InterMat's dual rankings. Seven dual opponents appear in the NWCA preseason top 25. As of Nov. 2, Penn was No. 24 and Princeton No. 25, giving the Ivy League three ranked teams for the first time since 2022.
The Big Red Invitational is Nov. 22, followed by the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 4-5. NC State and Pittsburgh visit Friedman Wrestling Center on Dec. 20, when Cornella and Rogers are due back.
Cornell makes its first trip to the Soldier Salute in Coralville, Iowa, Jan. 2-3 and plans to take 18 wrestlers. The event typically includes Iowa, Minnesota, Northern Iowa and Wyoming, offering matchups Cornell does not regularly see.
Princeton and Penn visit Ithaca Feb. 6-7. Cornell then travels to Northern Iowa and Iowa State Feb. 13-14 as the dual season builds toward postseason competition.
The Ivy League Championships are March 7 at Penn. The NCAA Championships follow March 18-20 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
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