Harvard Alum Jesse Jantzen '04 To Be Inducted Into EIWA Hall of Fame

Jantzen owned a career record of 132-13 with the Crimson.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard wrestling great Jesse Jantzen '04 has been chosen for induction into the EIWA Hall of Fame, association officials announced Monday.

Jantzen will be one of four inductees from the Class of 2014 which also includes Kyle Dake (Cornell '13), David Pottruck (Penn '70) and Matt Valenti (Penn '07). The ceremony will take place Sunday, March 9 at 3:45 p.m. prior to the championship finals of the 110^th EIWA Championships, being held this year at The Palestra. For ticket information, click here.

A native of Shoreham, N.Y., Jantzen will be the third former Crimson to be enshrined as one of the greatest wrestlers in EIWA history. Former national champion John Harkness '38 was inducted in 2009, while Pat Johnson, the NCAA's Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1933, was inducted in 1996.

From the EIWA release:

JESSE JANTZEN, HARVARD '04
Jesse Jantzen became an accomplished wrestler at a very early age. He became the first-ever four-time state champion in the history of the New York State Championships. His career high school record for Shoreham Wading River on Long Island was 221-3, losing only while placing 3rd at States in both 7th and 8th grade. He was named ASICs National Most Outstanding Wrestler as a senior in 2000 and also won a national high school title the same year.

Competing for Harvard University, Jantzen won a 149-pound NCAA title in 2004 and earned the Outstanding Wrestler Award after winning his semis and finals bouts, by 11-4 and 9-3 margins. He became the Crimson's second-ever national champion and first in 66 years. By then his renowned "Jantzen Ride" was familiar to rivals and fans alike, having placed 3rd nationally in both 2002 and 2003. Those thirds were Harvard's highest in half a century and his win-loss record his final three seasons was a remarkable 114 wins vs. just six losses.

Jantzen polished off more hardware awards in the EIWA Championships, by earning three league titles, the Outstanding Wrestler and Sheridan Awards in 2002, and also the Fletcher Award for most career points at both the 2003 and 2004 Easterns. His only EIWA loss in four finals came vs. a NCAA runner-up. As a freshman, Jantzen was selected to the 2001 All-Rookie first-team by Amateur Wrestling News and followed that with third place finishes at the University Nationals Freestyle Tournament and the U.S. Open Freestyle Tournament.

Among post-graduate freestyle honors, Jantzen placed 2nd at the 2004 NYAC International Open, won the 2004 Henri DeGlane and the 2005 University World Games, placed 4th at the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials, and 3rd at the 2005 Schultz International Memorial.

Andrew Chesebro

Assistant Director of Athletic Communications

Harvard University

617-495-7692

GoCrimson.com

@GoCrimson | @ADChesebro