Beat the Streets New York alumnus Sulayman Bah sparks Columbia's upset win at Cornell

Bah scored a fall to help the Lions edge the No. 22-ranked Big Red for the first time in 40 years.

Beat the Streets New York alumnus Sulayman Bah helped Columbia end a 40-year losing streak to Ivy League rival Cornell on Saturday at the Friedman Wrestling Center in Ithaca, New York.

After surrendering two first-period takedowns to Cornell's No. 26-ranked Greg Diakomihalis at 125 pounds, Bah scored an escape then secured a fall in 4:55 to give the Lions a 6-0 lead to start the dual. Bah's vital victory helped Columbia pull off the 22-21 upset win based on criteria with two six-point wins for the Lions to Cornell's one. It is Columbia's first win against the Big Red since 1986.

In the next dual against Arizona State, Bah also had a 14-8 win against An’ee Vigil in Columbia's 25-15 dual meet victory.

Bah - a Bronx native - started wrestling in the BTS Junior League, New York City's only elementary and middle school wrestling league. Bah excelled academically and on the wrestling mat becoming a two-time National Prep All-American and NHSCA Junior All-American for The Kiski School in Pennsylvania. Bah remained an active participant in the BTS Academy program in high school and through the connections he made with BTS, he earned an internship in information technology at Varonis.

Bah is currently a junior at Columbia, where he is studying computer science, and holds a 17-11 record this season.

Bah and Columbia have three regular-season duals this season (Feb. 14 vs. Harvard, Feb. 15 vs. Brown, Feb. 22 vs. Bucknell). Columbia will host the Ivy League Championships on Sunday, March 8, where Bah will look to qualify for the NCAA Championships (March 19-21) in Cleveland, Ohio.

Since its founding in 2005, Beat the Streets New York has pioneered a movement that now includes more than 110 individual wrestling programs, a youth league and the first girls high school league.

BTSNY works to develop the full human and athletic potential of the urban youth and strengthening New York City's wrestling culture. Through the sport, BTSNY makes a lifelong impact on student-athletes by instilling discipline, perseverance, self-reliance, humility and a strong work ethic. Learn how you can support the mission at btsny.org/donate.