Columbia's Zach Tanelli warns of any dismissal ahead of CFFC Match Day clash: 'I don't back down from challenge'

Lions have already faced the nation's absolute best and are ready to shine at Sunday's Battle on the Boardwalk.

Columbia University will unquestionably be the underdogs when they step on the mats against West Virginia in their upcoming contest at CFFC Match Day's "Battle on the Boardwalk," but Lions head coach Zach Tanelli believes writing off his squad would be a terrible mistake.

"We have one of the toughest, most challenging schedules in the country in Division I wrestling," Tanelli said. "I don't back down from challenge as a head coach, and I don't want these guys backing down from anything either.

"We've got a really salty and gritty team – people I'm proud of. I think they embody who we are as a coaching staff. I think they embody New York City and the attitude of what it takes to make it in this environment here, so I feel really good about our team, and more importantly, you know, I see it every day. I see what we've got in the room, so I know how good we are, so everyone else can kind of sleep on us."

On paper, the Lions are just 1-3 on the season. However, those losses came to perennial powerhouses and current top-ranked teams Iowa, Michigan and Ohio State. The win came against a Northern Iowa program that was ranked at the time and only departed the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll after the result.

Now Columbia welcomes in another ranked squad, the West Virginia University Mountaineers, for a special dual meet on Sunday, January 7 at New Jersey's Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City that will stream live on UFC FIGHT PASS.

Tanelli knows he's facing another talented program but wouldn't want it any other way.

"We've got a good opponent," Tanelli said. "We want worthy opponents. We don't really train to beat guys that we're not going to see at the national tournament. That's it. I mean, I think if we're doing the right things and beating the opponents that we're really shooting for in these ranked matchups, we'll be ready come March, and that's ultimately in this sport what it's all about, so we feel really good about the matchups individually and the matchup as a team, and we're certainly going there to win the match, without a doubt. 

"They'll be ready. We want them to be ready. We want everyone healthy, we want everyone ready, and we want their A game."

While the Lions may be lurking outside of the national rankings, the same cannot be said for several of the athletes on the team who have made their way onto InterMat's current individual rankings. Ahead of Columbia's debut appearance on CFFC Match Day, Tanelli believes there are a few names you'll want to remember to watch especially closely.

"I think Angela Rini is tough," Tanelli said. "He's really strong, top to bottom, all three positions. He's just a hammer. He wants to score points. He's probably the most dynamic guy we have from a point-scoring standpoint. Lennox Wolack is exciting, brings a lot of energy and fight, so I think he's a guy that I'd circle, as well. 

"We've got some young bucks in the lineup that I think are making splashes. I think it may be a little bit inconsistently, but we've had some glimpses showing their ceiling. We've got to raise that floor a little bit. I think we're taking a couple bumps around, you know, on the road, but I feel good about it. Nick Babin is a force. He was 2-2 at nationals. He's a pinner. You know, he's had a couple losses this year already, all to top-ranked guys, people that have beaten No. 1-ranked kids in the country. He's right there, so we've got some hammers up and down the lineup, and I think just top to bottom, a really solid, solid team."

Whether or not the Lions can string together enough points across the 10-match contest to claim victory remains to be seen, but Tanelli wants to make it clear his squad isn't heading to Atlantic City with the intention of being anyone's stepping stones. Instead, he's planning to put up quite the fight, and he believes his team could provide a few shocks at the end of the day.

"This is about the warrior, and the warrior doesn't care about the arena," Tanelli said. "I'm expecting my guys to go perform. That's it."