The current NCAA wrestling season has concluded in exhilarating fashion. A multitude of wrestlers have put on a show, providing fans with the thrilling action they have long desired. In the 157 lbs category, Cornell’s Meyer Shapiro had high hopes. But even without the title in the weight class, he succeeded in making a mark, securing a fifth-place finish after a win over Northern Colorado’s Vince Zerban and becoming an All-American. However, are you aware that there is an important story behind this wrestler?

Certainly, Shapiro faced numerous challenges throughout the season due to a number of reasons. On X, FloWrestling shared an interview featuring the Cornell wrestler, who recounted, “February 11th, I was put in the hospital pretty bad. I don’t really remember. I woke up February 14th. I was in a coma for a couple days. Yeah, it’s just been a really tough year. So I had three seizures. I’ve never had a seizure in my life, all in one day. When I was in the first part of the hospital, I almost punctured my lungs. So I had a bunch of blood in my lungs. I almost died.”

Although it is an alarming revelation, it is truly awe-inspiring to witness Shapiro’s resolve. Despite facing numerous health challenges, the Cornell wrestler remained resolute, choosing to continue competing rather than dropping out of the season. Not one to wallow, Shapiro also made a pretty candid self-assessment. “You know, it’s tough. It’s tough. Last year I got third, and I didn’t do as good as I did last year. I kind of lost it a little bit after I lost against Antrel. It was really heartbreaking. Taking a lot of time off the mat this year was tough. I didn’t see my record. I had like 12 matches this year. It was tough.”

At the outset of the NCAA wrestling finals, the Cornell wrestlers appeared strong after securing victories over Noah Castillo, Johnny Lovett, and Vince Zerban. However, upon his defeat to Antrell Taylor and Tyler Kasak, he was unable to match his third place finish from last year.

Additionally, Shapiro disclosed further alarming details, as well as the difficulty of facing question marks over his form. “I was in the hospital for a week. Didn’t stand for a week. About 400 cc’s of blood in my lungs. I was on a ventilator. I couldn’t breathe. It’s tough when people are not necessarily doubting me but telling me I haven’t wrestled anyone. I get it, man. I want to wrestle these guys. I want to do the best I can. It’s tough. I tried really hard.”

For a wrestler of his caliber, navigating through such setbacks is undeniably difficult. But it is highly commendable that Shapiro was able to bounce back from this scary hospitalization and end up as an All-American just over a month later. He may have wanted to better his result from last year but what’s important is that he gave it his best shot. After all, Shapiro is still just a sophomore. But how did he do last season?

Meyer Shapiro’s NCAA wrestling journey

“My dream and my goal is to keep wrestling after college … so I will say right after college, I’m going to stay in Ithaca by Cornell and just train with the wrestling team. And my plan is to make a [United States] Olympic team,” stated Meyer Shapiro as he prepared to embark on his journey to NCAA wrestling. His aspirations were lofty, and if his skill on the mat so far is any indication, then this dream could indeed become a reality in 2028.

The Cornell wrestler delivered impressive performances throughout the 2023-24 NCAA wrestling season. He concluded the season with an impressive 27-3 record, boasting an unblemished 14-0 in dual meets. In a remarkable display of skill, he achieved 19 bonus-point victories and equaled the university’s single-season record with 10 technical falls. Shapiro also clinched the EIWA title at 157 pounds and received unanimous first-team All-Ivy accolades.

During the NCAA Championships, he secured All-American recognition by clinching a third-place finish, successfully avenging a prior defeat against Stanford’s Daniel Cardenas. Shapiro’s freshman season, marked by an impressive 19-match winning streak, highlighted his exceptional talent and established him as one of the leading college wrestlers in the nation.

Despite his evident talent, the health issues he encountered this season hindered his ability to fully leverage it. But we’re talking about a wrestler who was ranked the nation’s top recruit prior to joining Cornell. So one thing’s for certain, and that’s Meyer Shapiro certainly has the will and determination to put this health scare behind him and return to the mat even stronger in his junior year.