GARDEN PARTY: Princeton University wrestler Brett Harner, top, controls a foe. Last weekend at the NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City, junior star Harner came up big, placing in the top 8 at 197 pounds to earn All-American status. He became the first Tiger to achieve that honor since Greg Parker did so in 2003. Earlier this month, he won the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) title at 197, becoming the first Tiger to win an an Eastern crown since Parker in 2003. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

In the Princeton University wrestling room in Jadwin Gym at the E level four floors below the ground, there is a wall containing the names of program standouts who have won the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIAW) title or achieved All-American status.

There hasn’t been an entry on the board since Greg Parker achieved both feats in 2003 but in the last few weeks, junior star Brett Harner has risen up to add two new lines.

Earlier this month, he won the EIAW title at 197 pounds on Carril Court in Jadwin. Last weekend, he headed to Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York for the NCAA Championships and came away placing in the top 8 to earn All-American honors.

For Harner, the road to his big weekend at MSG started not long after he learned to walk, taking up wrestling before he entered kindergarten.

“My dad was the head coach of our youth program at the time and my uncle was the head coach of our high school team so I pretty much started before I can remember,” said Harner, a native of Norristown, Pa. “I didn’t have much to say in it.”

After dabbling a little in football and baseball in grade school, Harner focused exclusively on wrestling in high school, emerging as a star from his freshman year at Norristown High. He placed eighth in the state tournament in his debut season and took fourth, third and second in states the next three years on the way to going 190-24 in his career.

Looking at several Ivy League schools and Stanford in the course of his college recruiting process, Harner fell in love with Princeton.

“As soon as I visited here, something just clicked, sometimes you just know and have that gut feeling,” said Harner.

“I went with it and it is the best choice I have made. Talking to coach (Chris) Ayres, and all the coaches, (Joe) Dubuque and (Sean) Gray, I saw how passionate those guys were and how well they articulated their plan; how myself and the other guys in my class would be crucial movers and kind of get that plan going. You could just feel from their conviction that it was something they truly believed in. I bought in immediately.”

Making an immediate impact as a freshman, Harner went 28-13 at 184 as he successfully juggled the demands of college academics and wrestling.

“It was time management, figuring out how efficient I could be in certain situations and how I could allot my time efficiently throughout the day,” said Harner.

“The quality of the wrestling is higher and that might have made it easier because you are constantly surrounded by guys who are there for the right reasons. Everyone wants to get everyone better, everyone wants to get after it and sharpen their skills.”

As a sophomore, Harner suffered a setback, injuring his foot right before the EIAWs. Due to his outstanding regular season record, Harner ended up getting an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships, gaining a lot from the experience even though he wasn’t at 100 percent physically.

“I think it was definitely helpful going forward, adjusting my goals,” said Harner, joking that he got by on adrenaline and Advil to get through the competition, ending the season with a 28-9 mark.

“It made everything a little more tangible, a little more feasible. Instead of watching the guys on ESPN, I am in line with them for weigh-ins. I wasn’t able to give it my best shot last year but once the whistle blows, it is the same as if I am wrestling in Dillon Gym or even at home wrestling at my high school. It makes no difference.”

Coming into his junior season, Harner made the jump to 197 pounds from 184.

“I was getting stronger, I was putting on the weight pretty well,” said Harner.

“My quality of life is much better this year, I can eat a lot more. Coach Nick Heflin helped me in the beginning of the year, he had been in the national finals in that weight class. I took some lumps in the summer but once I started getting in shape, we were legitimately in there scrapping every day and I was wondering why can’t I do that. There is no reason I can’t build on that, there is no reason I can’t beat anyone in my weight class.”

For Harner, a turning point this winter came when he placed third at Midlands Championships in late December.

“I lost in the quarters and I have got nothing to lose now in the consolation bracket; if I lose I am out so I loosened up and let things fly a little bit and ended up stringing together a bunch of good wins and getting third place,” said Harner.

“That was huge for me, seeing how I need to really relax and trust in my training and not try to control things so much and just try to take things one situation at a time.”

Heading into the EIAW Championships in early March, Harner knew that competing at home in Jadwin was a good situation for him.

“Being able to sleep in my own bed was huge; not having to travel, I can sleep in a little later,” said Harner.

“It is absolutely huge, not to mention having a ton of alumni there. A lot of them rented an RV and a bunch of them came down from New York and were sleeping in the parking lot. Seeing all of them there was definitely one of the more rewarding things.”

After a close call in the EIAW semis with a 3-2 win over Frank Mattiace of Penn, Harner saved his best for last, defeating Army’s Bryce Barnes 14-4 in the championship match.

“I think that was a factor, letting it rip, I matched up particularly well with the guy from Army,” said Harner.

“I was in my home gym, wanting to open up and see what I can do as well as wanting to solidify my claim to the national tournament.”

While Harner was thrilled to get the crown, he was even happier for head coach Ayres.

“For me, I think it was more meaningful in the sense that this is something that coach Ayres has been wanting for a while,” said Harner.

“He hasn’t had one since he has been here. I think doing it for him in his home gym was probably the most rewarding part of that.”

Coming into the NCAAs as the seventh seed at 197, Harner was confident that he could achieve his goal of becoming an All-American.

“I am definitely in a good spot to make it happen, I like my spot in the bracket,” said Harner, who lost to eventual champion J’den Cox of Missouri in the quarters and then defeated Preston Weigel of Oklahoma State with a third period fall in the Round of 12 to clinch All-America status.

“I have got to take advantage of it by getting after it early in the first period, the first round and not taking anything for granted, not assuming that if I don’t score now, I could score later. You never know so I think I really have to score as many points as possible, as fast as possible to put the heat on kids and try to let my training speak for itself.”

With Princeton placing fifth in the team standings at the EIAW Championships, its highest finish in 38 years, and Jordan Laster, Ray O’Donnell, and Jonathan Schleifer joining Harner at the NCAAs, Tiger wrestling is in a good spot.

“Since my freshman year, it has just been we have been getting better and we have been expecting more,” added Harner, who posted a 36-5 record this season.

“Good has become the norm, it is to the point now where we expect each other to perform.”

Princeton head coach Ayres credits Harner with raising expectations for the program.

“It’s perfect that it was Brett who did it,” said Ayres in a quote on the Princeton sports website as he assessed Harner’s NCAA performance.

“It’s what’s supposed to happen. Especially this class, and not to say we haven’t had really important classes before, but with Jordan and Ray here, they’ve all been change agents for the program, but especially Brett as the lead guy. Now anybody that comes here, he gives them permission to become All-American. It seems like a tough thing to do, but they’ll see him next to them, and they know they can do it. We’ll have some really motivated guys this spring.”

As a team captain, Harner relishes his role in motivating the Tigers, believing that Princeton’s recent run of success is just the beginning of what’s to come.

“It has been super rewarding, being the leader on a team like this,” said Harner.

“It is weird because it is an individual sport but one of the things is leading through example by caring for yourself but at the same time, there is a thin line about only wanting to get yourself better and getting your team better. The bar is getting higher each year. I think when we came in as freshmen, we kind of scared the seniors and juniors; it was like calm down a little bit, we are coming in a little intense. Then I am a sophomore last year and these freshmen come in and I think they are crazier. The new guys coming in this year are even nuttier, it propels itself.”