Freshman Garrett Frey accomplished his major mission on Saturday by upsetting two seeds to qualify for the 2010 NCAA Championships. The seventh-seeded Frey had the chance to make it a dream weekend Sunday by knocking off the reigning NCAA champion, Cornell's Troy Nickerson, in the Eastern final. That dream would have to wait, though, as Nickerson won his third EIWA title with a third-period pin.

Frey, who became Princeton's first EIWA finalist since Greg Parker in 2003, pinned the second seed, Rutgers' Joe Langel, in the quarterfinal and followed it up with a 6-1 victory over third-seeded Jasen Borschoff of American University. Those wins guaranteed him a spot at the national championships in Omaha in two weeks; the last Princeton wrestler to reach the NCAAs was Jake Butler in 2005.

But Frey wasn't able to reel in the biggest fish, as Nickerson proved why he is one of the elite wrestlers in any weight class this year. After a scoreless stretch to open the match, Nickerson got in on a takedown and scored back points to take a 5-0 lead into the second period. Frey chose down to start the second period and eventually escaped, but not before Nickerson held a big edge in riding time.

Nickerson moved the lead to 6-1 to start the third with a quick escape and eventually got in on a single leg; Frey attempted to flip out of the hold, but Nickerson caught him at a perfect time and put the Tiger freshman on his back. Frey fought off a pin in the first period, but he would have no such luck this time. Nickerson defended his 2009 EIWA crown with a pin in 5:44.

The only other Princeton competitor on Sunday was junior co-captain Travis Erdman, who wrestled for seventh place at 174 pounds. He went up against Columbia's Stephen West, who Erdman edged by one point in the dual meet. The rematch would be another close one, but Erdman came out on top once again with an 8-5 victory. Though that win won't earn Erdman an NCAA ticket, it was a nice ending for his strong junior season.

Check back in the next couple weeks as GoPrincetonTigers.com provides full coverage of Princeton's return to the NCAA Championships in freshman Garrett Frey.