Going into his final few weeks of collegiate action at Cornell, Julian Ramirez has been through a lot for the Big Red since he arrived on campus six years ago.

Ramirez is a two-time EIWA champion (this year he will be going for an Ivy League title instead), and three-time NCAA qualifier who has reached the Round of 12 every trip to nationals.

This year was a bit of a different start to the season for Ramirez. Due to Ivy League rules, he was forced out of the Cornell lineup during the first semester as he was not enrolled in school. Ivy League rules only allow a student-athlete to compete for eight semesters, and the COVID year of 2020-21 was eventually canceled altogether.

Ramirez returned to Cornell’s lineup for his final season on December 2 for a home dual against NC State. In that matchup, he scored a ranked win over #32 Derek Fields, 4-1. 

Since his return after the first semester, Ramirez is a perfect 10-0, outscoring his foes 94-12 to go along with a pair of pins.

He will be the top seed and heavy favorite at the inaugural Ivy League Championship on March 9, as he blitzed his conference foes in duals going 5-0, all bonus-point wins.

“It was an interesting start to the season,” Ramirez said. “I was almost like an RTC athlete to an extent. I wasn’t going to school, and my main responsibility was just wrestling. I got a lot of really good work in, and mixing in some time off with some two-a-days. 

“It was a good process to get ready for this final season, all the while not having to make weight to compete every weekend. Being in my sixth year now, it is hard, so I really think it was a good change-up to start the season.”

Cornell head coach Mike Grey agreed with Ramirez and called the first semester out of the lineup a benefit in the long run for his final campaign.

“I think Ramirez has looked better at this point of the season than he has in previous ones,” Grey said. “With the way his first semester went, he was not wrestling week in and week out. I think that really lined him up to have a great performance this March. 

“He is doing a really good job for us. Quite simply, he is ready to show the wrestling world what he has against some really good competition. He is super talented and confident, and he is excited for the opportunity to do something really special to finish out his career.

Ramirez has climbed to #5 in the national rankings at 165 pounds and will have one final home match this weekend, as Cornell hosts Bucknell Saturday afternoon to close out the regular season.

“I couldn’t be more excited to wrestle at my home gym one last time,” Ramirez said. “Of the different venues we have wrestled at here at Cornell, Friedman (Wrestling Center) is my favorite place to wrestle. I love the environment in Friedman, and I’m super excited.”

Ramirez’s mom and his grandfather will be in attendance. It’s the first time his grandfather will be making the trip up to Cornell to see Ramirez in action.

“It will be great to have them with me,” Ramirez said. “I’m just super grateful for the opportunity to wrestle.”

Ramirez will be going through Senior Day with classmate and fellow team captain Chris Foca, currently ranked #8 nationally at 184 pounds.

The two arrived on Cornell’s campus in the fall of 2019, and according to Ramirez he never thought they would end up at the same college after a long rivalry in the prep ranks.

“Our relationship is super interesting,” Ramirez said. “In high school, he was my biggest rival as I was his. I disliked Foca more than any wrestler in the country in high school.

“But I committed (to Cornell) and he decommitted from Iowa State and came here, and during our gap year we became good friends, and the rest is history.”

Originally from Miami, Ramirez wrestled at Blair Academy in New Jersey, while New Jersey native Foca was at Bergan Catholic. On FloWrestling’s 2019 Big Board, Ramirez was the #10 recruit nationally, while Foca was close behind at #21.

“At this point, he is one of my best friends and literally my roommate as we live right next to each other,” Ramirez said. “Our relationship has grown immensely as captains and leaders of this team. We really captured that role together for this squad, and we are able to maximize each other’s strengths to benefit our team.”

The two not only became teammates, they became good friends. They have provided leadership both on and off the mat for this year’s Cornell squad that will be hard to replace for Grey and his staff following their final runs at the NCAA Championships in a month.

“They are great leaders for us,” Grey said. “Ramirez has two younger brothers, so he has been in that role for quite a long time and that transitioned to his relationships and being a role model up here. He does a good job in motivating and leading this team.”

Ramirez’s time leading the Cornell program will soon be coming to an end, but both he and the coaching staff have high expectations for these final few weeks of action.

“For our seniors, right now, every single day is one less rep,” Grey said. “They are less than five weeks away from their collegiate careers being over. It can be scary, but I also know for them it is really exciting. 

“They get to go out there and leave their mark on Cornell wrestling and finish with a bang.”

During this interview, Ramirez was very clear how many days he has until the mats are rolled out in Philadelphia for his last trip to the NCAA Championships March 20-22.

“I think I’m wrestling well as we get closer to March,” Ramirez said. “I’m firing on all angles in terms of technically, mentally, physically, spiritually, recovery-wise. 

“I’m trying to do everything I possible I can to maximize my performance. In retrospect with wrestling, there is never a day you are not fine-tuning technique. You always must continue preparing, and I want to continue feeling the best I can.”

There are some decisions to be made after the NCAA Championships for Ramirez. He will continue his wrestling career post college, aiming to train and compete in freestyle for Brazil, as he is currently finishing up the transfer process.

“I will say my plan is to stay here (at Cornell) if everything works out,” Ramirez said. “I would love to start my coaching career while I continue to train and compete for the RTC here. I love this school, I love these coaches, and I know they have my best interest at heart.

“I have made some of my best relationships during this journey here.”