No. 9 Pitt 26, West Virginia 12

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The No. 9 Pitt wrestling team won its 17th-straight match in the EWL, rolling to a 26-12 win at West Virginia on Saturday.

Anthony Zanetta (125), Shelton Mack (133), Tyler Nauman (141), Donnie Tasser (157), Tyler Wilps (165), Ethan Headlee (174) and Matt Wilps (197) posted victories for the Panthers.

Headlee, returning from an injury, made a statement with a 12-2 major decision over No. 22 Lance Bryson. It was the second time Headlee, ranked No. 26, notched a major over Bryson this season, but Pitt's redshirt senior has steadily dropped in the rankings because of multiple injuries.

No. 16 Zanetta and No. 20 Shelton Mack opened the night with wins over ranked opponents. Zanetta held on for a 2-0 decision over No. 26 Shane Young at 125 pounds, while Mack used a five-point move on his way to an 8-6 decision over No. 24 Nate Pennesi at 133.

No. 9 Pitt 26, West Virginia 12
125 - No. 16 Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. No. 26 Shane Young (WVU), 2-0
133 - No. 20 Shelton Mack (Pitt) dec. No. 24 Nate Pennesi (WVU), 8-6
141 - No. 32 Michael Morales (WVU) FALL Travis Shaffer (Pitt)
149 - No. 13 Tyler Nauman dec. Brutus Scheffel (WVU), 1-0
157 - Donnie Tasser (Pitt) maj. dec. Dominic Prezzia (WVU), 8-0
165 - No. 33 Tyler Wilps (Pitt) dec. Kyle Eason (WVU), 4-2 SV
174 - No. 26 Ethan Headlee (Pitt) maj. dec. No. 22 Lance Bryson (WVU), 12-2
184 -  No. 20 Matt Ryan (WVU) dec. No. 32 Andy Vaughan (Pitt), 3-1
197 - No. 4 Matt Wilps wins by forfeit
285 - No. 24 Brandon Williamson (WVU) dec. Joel Yahner (Pitt), 7-2

No. 9 Pitt Wrestling Tops Clarion for 16th Straight Win in the EWL

The Panthers Won Seven of 10 Bouts Over the Golden Eagles

Jan. 20, 2012

PITTSBURGH - The No. 9 Pitt wrestling team continued its recent domination of Eastern Wrestling League opponents, rolling to a 28-10 win over Clarion on Friday at the Fitzgerald Field House.

The Panthers have won their last 16 matches in the EWL and remained in first place in the conference with a perfect 4-0 record against league opponents this season. In their four conference meets this season, they have won 33 of the 40 individual bouts.

Redshirt junior Matt Wilps, ranked fourth in the nation in the year's first NWCA Coaches Poll, cruised to a 11-3 major decision over No. 30 Alex Thomas at 197 pounds. Wilps improved to 24-2 overall and 12-0 in dual meets, posting the lone victory for the Panthers of the three matches between a pair of ranked opponents.

Pitt opened the dual with victories in the first four weight classes. No. 15 Anthony Zanetta  moved his winning streak to 13-straight matches with a major decision at 125 pounds to help the Panthers jump out to a quick 4-0 lead.

Following a decision by No. 20 Shelton Mack at 133, Travis Shaffer added more bonus points for Pitt with a technical fall at 141. Shaffer tilted his way to the 15-0 finish to improve to 16-10 on the season. No. 14 Tyler Nauman followed with a 7-3 decision over Cameron Moran at 149 to put the Panthers up big, 15-0.

Both Mack and Nauman are unbeaten in EWL dual meets this season. Mack faces a pair of tough opponents in No. 24 Nate Pennesi (West Virginia) and No. 6 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) in the final two conference meets of the season.. Nauman's biggest test will come in the final conference meet when he takes on No. 7 David Habat (Edinboro).

Clarion made a small run with its two best wrestlers - No. 5 James Fleming (157) and No. 5 Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (165) - winning back-to-back matches.

Donnie Tasser turned in another solid performance, this time in a losing effort in a match that was much closer than the final 9-2 score. Tasser led 2-0 after one period and was still tied 2-2 with over a minute of riding time in the third period. Fleming took control midway through the final period with a reversal and two sets of nearfall points.

With Clarion cutting the lead to 15-7, P.J. Tasser put Pitt back in control with a 7-1 decision over Nick Milano at 174. It was the third straight EWL win for the redshirt junior since moving into the starting lineup.

Vaughan and Wilps helped the Panthers clinch the match with wins at 184 and 197. Vaughan has won 11 straight matches and is ranked 27th in the first Coaches Poll. The redshirt senior recorded his third fall of the season, over Clarion's Steven Cressley.

Pitt has won 11 consecutive matches over Clarion and now trails the overall series by just one match, 21-20-3.

The Panthers will have two weeks off from competition before returning to action on Feb. 4, when they will travel to West Virginia in search of their 17-straight win in the EWL.

Pitt 28, Clarion 10
125 - No. 14 Anthony Zanetta (P) maj. dec. Trey Hicks (C), 12-1
133 - No. 20 Shelton Mack (P) dec. Joe Waltko (C), 6-1
141 - Travis Shaffer (P) tech. fall Tyler Bedelyon (C), 15-0
149 - No. 14 Tyler Nauman (P) dec. Cameron Moran (C), 7-3
157 - No. 5 James Fleming (C) dec. Donnie Tasser (P), 9-2
165 - No. 5 Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (C) maj. dec. No. 32 Tyler Wilps (P), 13-3
174 - P.J. Tasser (P) dec. Nick Milano (C), 7-1
184 - No. 27 Andy Vaughan (P) FALL Steven Cressley (C), 4:36
197 - No. 4 Matt Wilps (P) maj. dec. No. 30 Alex Thomas (C), 11-2
285 - No. 24 Quintas McCorkle (C) dec. Joel Yahner (P), 8-2

Tasser Brothers Lead Pitt Wrestling Past Bloomsburg, 30-3

Redshirt Junior Donnie Tasser Pulls Off Upset of No. 8 Frank Hickman

Jan. 15, 2012

PITTSBURGH - Redshirt junior Donnie Tasser pulled off a huge upset, topping No. 8 Frank Hickman at 157 pounds to lead the No. 10 Pitt wrestling team to a 30-3 win at Bloomsburg on Sunday.

P.J. Tasser also had a big upset for Pitt with a 4-1 decision over No. 33 Mike Dessino, the returning Eastern Wrestling League champion at 174 pounds. Overall, the Panthers won nine of 10 bouts to notch their 15th straight victory in the conference.

Donnie Tasser, a returning national qualifier, has bounced back strong after an off day at the Pitt Duals with wins in each of the last two dual meets. He never trailed in the match with Hickman on his way to a 7-3 decision.

In what was true for nearly every weight class for the Panthers, Tasser controlled the action from start to finish in his win over Hickman. He scored a takedown in every period, while the only points he allowed came from three escapes.

It was only two weights later that P.J. Tasser made it a two-for-two day for the brothers against ranked opponents. After a scoreless first period, Tasser opened the second period with an escape and added the only points he would need with a takedown for a 3-0 lead. He allowed an escape in the third but tacked on a riding time point for a 4-1 decision.

Two weights featured matchups of ranked opponents, both resulting in easy wins for Pitt. No. 14 Tyler Nauman scored five nearfall points in a 9-0 shutout of No. 30 Bryce Busler at 149, while No. 5 Matt Wilps improved to 11-0 in dual meets with an 11-1 major decision over No. 31 Richard Perry at 197.

No. 16 Anthony Zanetta started the Panthers off with an 11-3 major decision over Sean Boylan at 125 pounds. The junior is 11-0 in dual meets and 22-2 overall this season. No. 20 Shelton Mack (133), Travis Shaffer (141), No. 31 Tyler Wilps (165) and Andy Vaughan (184) all came through with decisions in the win.

Pitt didn't trail in a match the entire night until Vaughan was taken down in the first period at 184. The senior quickly erased the 2-0 deficit with a reversal and went on to win 9-2, racking up over five minutes of riding team in the process. He improved to 15-5 overall with his 10th straight victory.

Much of the Panthers' success this season has been due to their skill in neutral. Sunday was no different as they held a 15-2 advantage over Bloomsburg in takedowns.

Pitt (10-1) has won six straight matches overall. In the last two dual meets, the Panthers have won 17 individual matchups to just three losses.

The Panthers will attempt to make it 16 straight wins in the EWL when they host Clarion on Friday at the Fitzgerald Field House.

Pitt 30, Bloomsburg 3
125: No. 16 Anthony Zanetta (P) maj. dec. Sean Boylan (B), 11-3
133: No. 20 Shelton Mack (P) dec. Nick Wilcox (B), 8-3
141: Travis Shaffer (P) dec. Derek Shingara (B), 9-2
149: No. 14 Tyler Nauman (P) maj. dec. No. 30 Bryce Busler (B), 9-0
157: Donnie Tasser (P) dec. No. 8 Frank Hickman (B), 7-3
165: No. 31 Tyler Wilps (P) dec. Chris Smith (B), 5-3
174: P.J. Tasser (P) dec. No. 33 Mike Dessino (B), 4-1
184: Andy Vaughan (P) dec. Sam Shirey (B), 9-2
197: No. 5 Matt Wilps (P) maj. dec. No. 31 Richard Perry (B), 11-1
285: Zac Walsh (B) dec. Joel Yahner (P), 2-0

Pitt Wrestling Registers 500th Win in Program History

The Panthers Roll to 27-9 Win Over Visiting Lock Haven

Jan. 13, 2012

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team registered the 500th win in program history with a 27-9 victory over visiting Lock Haven on Friday night at the Fitzgerald Field House.

The win also extended the Panthers win streak in the Eastern Wrestling League to 14 matches. They currently sit all alone in first place in the conference with a 2-0 mark this season.

Pitt head coach Rande Stottlemyer is in his 33rd season leading the Panthers and has accumulated 290 of the team's 500 wins.

"It's great for the program," Stottlemyer said. "The University of Pittsburgh has had wrestling for a long time and there wasn't a better coach than Rex Peery and what he did with the program back in the 50s. It's a rich tradition and I'm just proud to be part of it."

Stottlemyer, of course, helped the program pick up some of those wins during his wrestling days, as well. He was a three-time All-American in the late 1970s. Assistant coach Matt Kocher did his part as a wrestler, too, earning All-American status once and tallying 151 career wins on the mat.

The 500th win came in relatively easy fashion for the Panthers as they rolled to their ninth victory of the season. The team's 9-1-0 start is the program's best through 10 matches since the 1975-76 team went 9-1-0 on its way to a 12-4 overall record.

With the opposing coaches choosing to draw the starting weight, Matt Wilps had the opportunity to get Pitt off to a good start at 197 pounds. Wilps, ranked No. 5, cruised to a 18-2 technical fall, keeping his unblemished dual record intact at 10-0. He also has the longest current win streak on the team at 12 matches.

Two bouts later Anthony Zanetta matched Wilps's 10-0 dual record but it wasn't nearly as easy. The Pitt junior, ranked No. 16, jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a takedown in the first period and upped his advantage to 3-0 with an escape in the second. But Rehm, a true freshman for the Bald Eagles, made him work for the win, cutting the lead to 3-2 with a takedown. Leading 4-2 in the third period, Zanetta gave up an escape but held on for the one-point win.

Shelton Mack gave the Panthers an 11-3 lead with his decision at 133 pounds, exacting some revenge in the process. John Trumbetti eked out a 5-4 decision over the Panther last season, but this time around Mack tallied three takedowns in a 8-3 win.

Lock Haven cut Pitt's lead to 11-9 with a fall at 141, but the Panthers finished off the match with five straight wins.

No. 14 Tyler Nauman started the run with a victory in the only match of the night featuring two ranked wrestlers. The redshirt senior showed disparity between the top half of the rankings and the bottom half with an 11-1 major decision over No. 29 Owen Wilkinson at 149.

Donnie Tasser (157), No. 31 Tyler Wilps (165), P.J. Tasser (174) and Andy Vaughan (184) all recorded decisions in their bouts for the Panthers.

Both Tassers evened their records at .500 with their wins. Donnie Tasser improved to 8-8 with a 5-2 decision over Aaron Fry, while P.J. Tasser moved his record to 7-7 with a 2-1 decision over Aaron McKinney.

P.J. Tasser, who was filling in for an injured Ethan Headlee, erased a scoreless match with an escape in the second period. McKinney escaped in the third period, but not before Tasser had racked up over a minute of riding time to secure the win.

Andy Vaughan continued his recent surge, winning his ninth straight match with a 7-3 decision over Fred Garcia at 184. Vaughan scored in multiple ways, including a takedown, two nearfall points and a reversal.

"The guys are doing a good job," Stottlemyer said. "(Assistant coaches) Jason Peters and Matt Kocher are doing a tremendous job. We're looking to close it out on a high note heading into EWLs and NCAAs."

Pitt looks to stay unbeaten in the conference when it travels to Bloomsburg for a match on Sunday. That match is scheduled for 2 p.m.

No. 10 Pitt 27, Lock Haven 9
197 - No. 5 Matt Wilps (P) tech. fall Matt Parlier (L), 18-2
285 - Harry Turner (L) dec. Joel Yahner (P), 6-1
125 - No. 16 Anthony Zanetta (P) dec. Bobby Rehm (L), 4-3
133 - No. 20 Shelton Mack (P) dec. John Trumbetti (L), 8-3
141 - Matt Bonson (L) FALL Travis Shaffer (P), :58
149 - No. 14 Tyler Nauman (P) maj. dec. No. 29 Owen Wilkinson (L), 11-1
157 - Donnie Tasser (P) dec. Aaron Fry (L), 5-2
165 - No. 31 Tyler Wilps (P) dec. Seth Creasy (L), 6-3
174 - P.J. Tasser (P) dec. Aaron McKinney (L), 2-1
184 - Andy Vaughan (P) dec. Fred Garcia (L), 7-3

Six Pitt Wrestlers Named in Latest National Poll

Panthers Are Ranked 10th in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll

PITTSBURGH - Redshirt junior Matt Wilps leads a group of six Pitt wrestlers recognized in the latest WrestlingReport.com national poll. Wilps, who is ranked fifth at 197 pounds, is joined in the poll by No. 14 Tyler Nauman (149), No. 16 Anthony Zanetta (125), No. 20 Shelton Mack (133), No. 23 Ethan Headlee (174) and No. 31 Tyler Wilps (165).

The Panthers are ranked 10th in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll released on Tuesday, marking the seventh straight week the team has been listed in the top-10. Since a loss to No. 6 Ohio State on Dec. 9, Pitt has won five straight matches, including a blowout victory in the EWL opener at Cleveland State.

Both Matt Wilps and Zanetta are unbeaten (9-0) in dual meets this season and each has reached the 20-win mark. Wilps is 21-2 with nine wins over wrestlers currently ranked, while Zanetta is 20-2 with a 5-2 mark against ranked opponents.

Matt Wilps's two losses on the season are both to wrestlers named in the top-five. The first came to top-ranked Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) in the finals of the season-opening Buffalo Open, while the second defeat was a last-second decision to No. 4 Matt Powless (Indiana) in the semifinals of the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas. His resume includes a pair of wins over No. 9 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) and three wins over No. 13 Max Huntley (Michigan), the most recent coming in the finals of the Mat Town Invitational at Lock Haven.

Zanetta bolstered the quality of his wins list with two victories over ranked opponents on the same day at the Pitt Duals on Saturday. The junior posted decisions over No. 18 Jared Germaine (Eastern Michigan) and No. 22 Garrett Frey (Princeton). He is currently on a 10-match winning streak that also includes decisions over No. 17 Johnni Dijulius (Ohio State) and No. 26 Tyler Iwamura (Cal Bakersfield).

Nauman has been ranked as high as No. 4 this season, but finds himself down to 14th following four losses to a trio of top-flight freshmen. The redshirt senior will still be a threat to win his fourth EWL title of his career. Two of his losses have come to No. 9 David Habat (Edinboro), but he has also beaten the Fighting Scot once. Becoming an All-American for the second time is certainly within reach, as well, as Nauman also holds a win over No. 4 Eric Grajales that helped the Panthers topple then No. 6 Michigan.

Headlee will look to improve on his ranking as the season progresses with the hopes of becoming a four-time national qualifier, while Mack and Tyler Wilps will do the same in their attempt to qualify for their first national tournament.

Pitt will compete against a pair of EWL opponents this weekend as it hosts Lock Haven on Friday at the Fitzgerald Field House and travels to Bloomsburg for a match Wednesday. Following back-to-back undefeated seasons in the conference and the win over the Vikings this season, the Panthers are riding a 13-match winning streak in the EWL.

Pitt against current ranked opponents:

125 - No. 16 Anthony Zanetta (5-2)
No. 11 Steve Bonanno (Hofstra) dec. Zanetta, 11-3
Zanetta dec. No. 17 Johnni Dijulius (Ohio State), 4-3 SV
No. 18 Trent Sprenkle (North Dakota State) dec. Zanetta, 6-5
Zanetta dec. No. 19 Jared Germaine (Eastern Michigan), 9-5
Zanetta dec. No. 22 Garrett Frey (Princeton), 7-5
Zanetta dec. No. 22 (133) Mason Beckman (Lehigh), 9-2
Zanetta dec. No. 26 Tyler Iwamura (Cal-Bakersfield), 3-1 SV

133 - No. Shelton Mack (2-6)
No. 4 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) maj. dec. Mack, 9-1
No. 6 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) dec. Mack, 1-0
No. 7 Ryan Mango (Stanford) dec. Mack, 3-2
No. 17 Ridge Kiley (Nebraska) dec. Mack, 5-3
No. 19 Zac Stevens (Michigan) maj. dec. Mack, 10-2
No. 19 Zac Stevens (Michigan) dec. Mack, 2-0
Mack dec. No. 27 Jamie Franco (Hofstra), 9-7
Mack dec. No. 29 Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia), 6-3

133 - Erik Galloway (0-1)
No. 1 Devin Carter (Virginia) maj. dec. Galloway, 19-9

133 - Zach Grove (1-2)
No. 6 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) tech. fall Grove, 16-0
No. 30 Zach Horan (Central Michigan) FALL Grove, 6:19
Grove dec. No. 32 Mike Demarco (Rutgers), 7-2

141 - Travis Shaffer (0-3)
No. 7 Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) dec. Shaffer, 7-5
No. 15 Adam Krop (Princeton) dec. Shaffer, 5-0
No. 24 Kevin Smith (Buffalo) dec. Shaffer, 5-1

141 - Ronnie Garbinsky (1-0)
Garbinsky dec. No. 33 Bryan Pearsall (Penn State), 12-8

149 - No. 14 Tyler Nauman (4-4)
Nauman dec. No. 5 Eric Grajales (Michigan), 4-2
No. 8 Ian Miller (Kent State) FALL Nauman, 6:40
Nauman dec. No. 9 David Habat (Edinboro), 6-5
No. 9 David Habat (Edinboro) dec. Nauman, 5-2
No. 9 David Habat (Edinboro) dec. Nauman, 5-3
No. 13 Cam Tessari (Ohio State) dec. Nauman, 6-3
Nauman dec. No. 17 Josh Wilson (Utah Valley), 8-6 SV
Nauman dec. No. 28 Justin Accordino (Hofstra), 2-1 tb

149 - Eric Nutter (0-1)
No. 7 Donnie Vinson (Binghamton) maj. dec. Nutter, 14-5

149 Josh Pascazi (0-3)
No. 26 Steve Santos (Columbia) dec. Pascazi, 8-1
No. 26 Steve Santos (Columbia) dec. Pascazi, 8-2
No. 29 Owen Wilkinson (Lock Haven) dec. Pascazi, 9-2

157 - Donnie Tasser (1-6)
No. 19 Corey Mock (North Carolina) FALL Tasser, 1:00
No. 20 Daniel Kolodzik (Princeton) dec. Tasser, 10-3
No. 21 Josh Demas (Ohio State) dec. Tasser, 8-6
Tasser dec. No. 25 (149) Shane Welsh (Lehigh), 6-2
No. 26 Aaron Sulzer (Eastern Michigan) dec. Tasser, 3-2
No. 31 Brandon Zeerip (Michigan) dec. Tasser, 3-2
No. 33 Jake O'Hara (Columbia) dec. Tasser, 10-4

165 - No. 31 Tyler Wilps (2-6)
No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) FALL Wilps, :20
No. 11 P.J. Gillespie (Hofstra) dec. Wilps, 3-2
No. 16 Dan Yates (Michigan) dec. Wilps, 2-0
No. 16 Dan Yates (Michigan) dec. Wilps, 4-2
No. 17 Joe Booth (Drexel) dec. Wilps, 3-2
No. 17 Joe Booth (Drexel) dec. Wilps, 3-2
Wilps dec. No. 33 Eren Civan (Columbia), 3-1
Wilps dec. No. 33 Eren Civan (Columbia), 4-3

174 - No. 23 Ethan Headlee (4-5)
No. 4 Ryan Desroches (Cal Poly) dec. Headlee, 3-2
No. 6 Justin Zeerip (Michigan) dec. Headlee, 4-2
No. 6 Justin Zeerip (Michigan) dec. Headlee, 4-0
No. 10 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) dec. Headlee, 7-2
Headlee maj. dec. No. 18 Lance Bryson (West Virginia), 12-3
No. 19 Patrick Martinez (Wyoming) dec. Headlee, 9-3
Headlee dec. No. 26 Kurtis Julson (North Dakota State), 7-0
Headlee dec. No. 27 Stephen West (Columbia), 2-0
Headlee dec. No. 33 Mike Dessino (Bloomsburg), 3-0

174 - P.J. Tasser (1-3)
No. 12 Jim Sheptock (Maryland) dec. Tasser, 8-6
No. 27 Stephen West (Columbia) dec. Tasser, 13-6
No. 27 Stephen West (Columbia) dec. Tasser, 5-3
Tasser dec. No. 30 Nate Brown (Lehigh), 3-2

174 - Nick Bonaccorsi (0-2)
No. 20 Ryan Leblanc (Indiana) dec. Bonaccorsi, 5-4
No. 20 Ryan Leblanc (Indiana) FALL Bonaccorsi, 6:49

184 - Andy Vaughan (0-2)
No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) dec. Vaughan, 9-3
No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) maj. dec. Vaughan, 18-6

184 - Karl DeCiantis (0-1)
No. 24 Casey Newburg (Kent State) FALL Deciantis, 1:59

184 - Max Thomusseit (0-2)
No. 11 C.j. Magrum (Ohio State) maj. dec. Thomusseit, 13-5
No. 26 Kevin Radford (Arizona State) dec. Thomusseit, 5-2

No. 5 Matt Wilps (9-2)
No. 1 Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) dec. Wilps, 7-2
No. 4 Matt Powless (Indiana) dec. Wilps, 6-5
Wilps dec. No. 9 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh), 2-1 tb
Wilps dec. No. 9 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh), 4-3
Wilps dec. No. 11 Alfonso Hernandez (Wyoming), 5-3
Wilps dec. No. 13 Max Huntley (Michigan), 6-2
Wilps dec. No. 13 Max Huntley (Michigan), 6-4
Wilps dec. No. 13 Max Huntley (Michigan), 3-1
Wilps dec. No. 21 Andrew Campolattano (Ohio State), 4-2
Wilps dec. No. 30 Brandon Palik (Drexel), 8-5
Wilps dec. No. 30 Brandon Palik (Drexel), 6-1

197 - Jordan Shulman (0-1)
No. 31 Richard Perry (Bloomsburg) FALL Shulman, 4:15

285 - Joel Yahner (0-5)
No. 2 Zach Rey (Lehigh) FALL Yahner, 1:01
No. 14 Brendan Barlow (Kent State) maj. dec. Yahner, 11-3
No. 20 Kyle Frey (Drexel) maj. dec. Yahner, 10-2
No. 25 Kevin Lester (Columbia) FALL Yahner
No. 31 Wes Schroeder (Eastern Michigan) maj. dec. Yahner, 11-0

Panthers Finish 4-0 at Pitt Duals

Pitt Tops Columbia, Eastern Michigan, Princeton and VMI on Saturday

Jan. 7, 2012

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team finished a perfect 4-0 at the Pitt Duals on Saturday. The Panthers, who hosted the event at the Fitzgerald Field House, improved to 8-1 on the season with wins over Columbia, Eastern Michigan, Princeton and VMI.

Anthony Zanetta (125 pounds) and Matt Wilps (197) each posted 4-0 records on the day to keep their perfect dual season intact at 9-0.

Zanetta - ranked No. 15 by WrestlingReport.com - registered a pair of decisions over ranked opponents, beating No. 18 Jared Germaine (Eastern Michigan) 9-5 and No. 22 Garrett Frey (Princeton) 7-5. He controlled Germaine the entire match on his way to a victory, but had to turn in a superb comeback effort in the win over Frey.

Wilps faced little resistance during an unbeaten day, registering a fall, a 9-1 major decision, a 4-0 shutout and a win by forfeit. The redshirt junior is ranked fifth in the nation and has just three losses on the season, all to two wrestlers ranked in the top-five.

No. 21 Shelton Mack and No. 29 Tyler Wilps each finished 3-0 and both had a win over a ranked opponent. Mack posted a decision over No. 27 Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia) while Wilps had a decision over No. 33 Eren Civan (Columbia). It was Wilps's second win in the last week over Civan, who is a two-time national qualifier.

No. 18 Ethan Headlee also had a win over a ranked wrestler with a decision over Columbia's No. 29 Stephen West. He was 2-1 on the day.
In all, Pitt had 12 different wrestlers record victories in the four matches. The Panthers were 27-13 in individual bouts. Tyler Nauman and Travis Shaffer had two wins apiece while Josh Pascazi, Joel Yahner, Victor Konno and Troy Reaghard all notched their first dual win of the season.

Pitt entered Saturday's event with a perfect 11-0 record against their four opponents and upped that mark to 15-0 with the four wins. The Panthers are now 6-0 against Eastern Michigan, 4-0 over Princeton, 3-0 versus VMI and 2-0 in matches with Columbia.

At 8-1-0 the Panthers are off to their best start to a season since also going 8-1-0 during the 1986-87 season. Coach Rande Stottlemyer's squad has started 7-1-1 through nine matches twice since then.

Pitt will return to action on Friday, Jan. 13 when it hosts Lock Haven at the Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers have won 13 straight matches in the EWL.

2012 Pitt Duals
No. 10 Pitt 25, Columbia 12
125 - Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) maj. dec. Robert Dyar (Columbia), 12-1
133 - Shelton Mack (Pitt) dec. Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia), 6-4
141 - Travis Shaffer (Pitt) dec. Elijah Sullivan (Columbia), 13-7
149 - Steve Santos (Columbia) dec. Josh Pascazi (Pitt), 8-2
157 - Jake O'Hara (Columbia) dec. Donnie Tasser (Pitt), 10-4
165 - Tyler Wilps (Pitt) dec. Eren Civan (Columbia), 4-3
174 - Ethan Headlee (Pitt) dec. Stephen West (Columbia), 2-0
184 - Andy Vaughan (Pitt) dec. Nick Mills (Columbia), 3-0
197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) FALL Matt Idelson (Columbia)
285 - Kevin Lester (Columbia) FALL Joel Yahner (Pitt)

No. 10 Pitt 22, Eastern Michigan 15
125 - Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. Jared Germaine (EMU), 9-5
133 - Shelton Mack (Pitt) maj. dec. Andrew Novak (EMU), 14-4
141 - Corey Phillips (EMU) maj. dec. Travis Shaffer (Pitt), 13-5
149 - Tyler Nauman (Pitt) maj. dec. Jaylyn Bohl (EMU), 10-0
157 - Aaron Sulzer (EMU) dec. Donnie Tasser (Pitt), 3-2
165 - Tyler Wilps (Pitt) maj. dec. Lester France (EMU), 18-9
174 - Ethan Headlee (Pitt) maj. dec. Aaron Risch (EMU), 12-0
184 - Kohodor Hoballah (EMU) maj. dec. Karl DeCiantis (Pitt), 11-1
197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) dec. Nick Whitenburgh (EMU), 4-0
285 - Wes Schroeder (EMU) maj. dec. Joel Yahner (Pitt), 11-0

No. 10 Pitt 23, Princeton 13
125 - Anthony Zanetta dec. Garrett Frey (Princeton), 7-5
133 - Chris Perez (Princeton) dec. Erik Galloway (Pitt), 5-2
141 - Adam Krop (Princeton) dec. Travis Shaffer (Pitt), 5-0
149 - Tyler Nauman (Pitt) FALL Zach Bintliff (Princeton)
157 - Daniel Kolodzik (Princeton) dec. Donnie Tasser (Pitt), 10-3
165 - Tyler Wilps (Pitt) maj. dec. Rich Eva (Princeton), 12-3
174 - Andy Lowy (Princeton) maj. dec. Ethan Headlee (Pitt), 13-1
184 - Andy Vaughan (Pitt) dec. Dan Santoro (Princeton), 9-2
197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) maj. dec. Kurt Brendel (Princeton), 9-1
285 - Joel Yahner (Pitt) dec. Bobby Grogan (Princeton), 2-0

No. 10 Pitt 37, VMI 7
125 - Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) wins by forfeit
133 - Shelton Mack (Pitt) wins by forfeit
141 - Travis Shaffer (Pitt) FALL Zeb Stewart (VMI)
149 - Josh Pascazi (Pitt) dec. Luke Todd (VMI), 11-1
157 - Victor Konno (Pitt) dec. Mike Burnett (VMI), 6-2
165 - Troy Reaghard (Pitt) maj. dec. Jonathan Jones (VMI), 12-3
174 - Matt Brock (VMI) dec. P.J. Tasser (Pitt), 4-1
184 - Andy Vaughan (Pitt) dec. John Dommert (VMI), 7-2
197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) wins by fofeit
285 - Andrew Embree (VMI) maj. dec. Joel Yahner (Pitt), 8-0

Princeton 48, Davidson 0
125 - Garret Frey (Princeton) dec. Matt Zarth (Davidson), 6-2
133 - Chris Perez (Princeton) dec. Anthony Elias (Davidson), 6-2
141 - Adam Krop (Princeton) FALL Kevin Birmingham (Davidson), 1:27
149 - Zach Bintliff (Princeton) maj. dec. Scott Ray (Davidson), 11-3
157 - Daniel Kolodzik (Princeton) tech. fall CT Talevi (Davidson), 20-3
165 - Rich Eva (Princeton) dec. Tyler Mullen (Davidson), 9-4
174 - Andy Lowy (Princeton) FALL Ian Solcz (Davidson), 5:43
184 - Dan Santoro (Princeton) FALL, Ike Crews (Davidson), 5:35
197 - Kurt Brendel (Princeton) FALL Ed Isola (Davidson), 2:55)
285 - Bobby Grogan (Princeton) wins by forfeit

Princeton 26, VMI 10
125 - Garrett Frey (Princeton) wins by forfeit
133 - Chris Perez (Princeton) dec. Ryan Goodsell (VMI), 6-2
141 - Adam Krop (Princeton) maj. dec. Zeb Stewart (VMI), 10-2
149 - Zach Bintliff (Princeton) dec. David Yost (VMI), 9-5
157 - Daniel Kolodzik (Princeton) maj. dec. Mike Burnett (VMI), 10-2
165 - Rich Eva (Princeton) dec. Carry Joseph (VMI), 4-3
174 - Matt Brock (VMI) dec. Ryan Callahan (Princeton), 2-0
184 - Conor Black (VMI) dec. Dan Santoro (Princeton), 6-2
197 - Kurt Brendel (Princeton) dec. John Dommert (VMI), 5-4
285 - Andrew Embree (VMI) maj. dec. Bobby Grogan (Princeton), 8-0

Columbia 46, VMI 3
125 -Robert Dyar (Columbia) wins by forfeit
133 - Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia) maj. dec. Ryan Goodsell (VMI), 10-2
141 - Matt Bystol (Columbia) dec. Zeb Stewart (VMI), 6-3
149 - Steve Santos (Columbia) FALL David Yost (VMI), 1:34
157 - Shane Strumwasser (Columbia) dec. Mike Burnett (VMI), 3-1
165 - Eren Civan (Columbia) FALL Carry Joseph (VMI), 1:20
174 - Matt Brock (VMI) dec. Adam Fondale (Columbia), 6-1
184 - Shane Hughes (Columbia) inj. def. Conor Black (VMI)
197 - Matt Idelson (Columbia) FALL John Dommert (VMI), 3:32
285 - Wyatt Baker (Columbia) FALL Andrew Embree (VMI), 4:26

Columbia 49, Davidson 0
125 - Robert Dyar (Columbia) dec. Matt Zarth (Davidson), 1-0
133 - Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia) maj. dec. Anthony Elias (Davidson), 10-2
141 - Matt Bystol (Columbia) dec. Kevin Birmingham (Davidson), 18-12
149 - Steve Santos (Columbia) FALL Scott Ray (Davidson), 3:34
157 - Jake O'Hara (Columbia) tech. fall CT Talevi (Davidson), 19-4
165 - Eren Civan (Columbia) maj. dec. Tyler Mullen (Davidson), 16-6
174 - Stephen West (Columbia) FALL Ian Solcz (Davidson), 2:46
184 - Shane Hughes (Columbia) FALL Ike Crews (Davidson), 1:55
197 - Matt Idelson (Columbia) FALL Ed Isola (Davidson), 3:47
285 - Kevin Lester (Columbia) wins by forfeit

Eastern Michigan 41, Davidson 3
125 - Jared Germaine (EMU) dec. Matt Zarth (Davidson), 8-2
133 - Andrew Novak (EMU) dec. Anthony Elias (Davidson), 10-7
141 - Corey Phillips (EMU) tech. fall Kevin Birmingham (Davidson), 17-1
149 - Jaylyn Bohl (EMU) FALL Scott Ray (Davidson), 2:09
157 - Aaron Sulzer (EMU) maj. dec. CT Talevi (Davidson), 12-3
165 - Tyler Mullen (Davidson) dec. Aaron Risch (EMU), 6-3
174 - Lester France (EMU) dec. Ian Solcz (Davidson), 5-3
184 - Mike Curby (EMU) FALL Ike Crews (Davidson), 1:39
197 - Nick Whitenburg (EMU) tech. fall Ed Isola (Davidson), 18-2
285 - Wes Schroeder (EMU) wins by forfeit

Eastern Michigan 25, VMI 10
125 - Jared Germaine (EMU) wins by forfeit
133 - Jake Byers (EMU) dec. Ryan Goodsell (VMI), 9-2
141 - Zeb Stewart maj. dec. Seth Schaner (EMU), 9-0
149 - Jaylyn Boh; (EMU) dec. David Yost (VMI), 8-1
157 - Aaron Sulzer (EMU) dec. Mike Burnett (VMI), 6-2
165 - Lester France (EMU) maj. dec. Carry Joseph (VMI) 15-2
174 - Matt Brock (VMI) dec. Phillip Joseph (EMU), 4-0
184 - Conor Black (VMI) dec. Mike Curby (EMU), 12-10
197 - Nick Whitenburg (EMU) dec. John Dommert (VMI), 5-0
285 - Wes Schroeder (EMU) dec. Andrew Embree (VMI), 3-1

Columbia 30, Eastern Michigan 12
125 - Jared Germaine (EMU) FALL Robert Dyar (Columbia), 5:17
133 - Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia) maj. dec. Andrew Novak (EMU), 13-3
141 - Corey Phillips (EMU) dec. Elijah Sullivan (Columbia), 6-3
149 - Steve Santos (Columbia) tech. fall Jaylyn Bohl (EMU), 19-4
157 - Aaron Sulzer (EMU) dec. Jake O'Hara (Columbia), 3-1
165 - Eren Civan (Columbia) FALL Lester France (EMU), :55
174 - Stephen West (Columbia) dec. Phillip Joseph (EMU), 10-6
184 - Shane Hughes (Columbia) dec. Khodor Hoballah (EMU), 7-2
197 - Nick Mills (Columbia) FALL Nick Whitenburg (EMU), 3:33
285 - Kevin Lester (Columbia) dec. Wes Schroeder (EMU), 8-4

Pittsburg- Anthony Zanetta, Matt Wilps Win Titles at Lock Haven Invitational

Zanetta Wins His Second Tournament of the Season

Dec. 29, 2011

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Juniors Anthony Zanetta and Matt Wilps won individual titles in the Mat Town Invitational at Lock Haven University on Friday, leading the Pitt wrestling team to a second-place finish in the 11-team event.

Zanetta won Pitt's first title of the night with a 6-3 decision over Lock Haven's Robert Rehm at 125 pounds. The two-time national qualifier never trailed, scoring two takedowns, two escapes and a point for riding time. Zanetta improves to 16-2 with his second tournament title of the season.

Wilps nabbed his first tournament championship of the season with a perfect 3-0 record. He clinched the title with a 3-1 win over No. 15 Max Huntley (Michigan) in the finals. Wilps beat Huntley for the third time this season.

In all, the Panthers had five wrestlers vie for tournament titles. No. 18 Shelton Mack (133), No. 14 Tyler Nauman (149) and No. 19 Ethan Headlee were all perfect on the day before falling in the championship round. All three lost to quality opponents with Mack dropping a decision to No. 17 Zac Stevens (Michigan), Nauman losing to No. 9 Ian Miller (Kent State) and Headlee falling to No. 11 Justin Zeerip (Michigan).

Earlier in the tournament Headlee tied current Pitt assistant coach Matt Kocher on the school's all-time pins list, recording the 29th fall of his career in the quarterfinals.

Freshman Travis Shaffer turned in one of the best performances of his short college career, defeating two ranked opponents on his way to a third-place showing. Wrestling No. 25 Frank Cimato (Drexel) in the consolation finals, Shaffer broke a scoreless tie with a third-period takedown and rode out the remainder of the match. Earlier in the day, Shaffer rolled to an 8-3 decision over No. 21 Matt Bonson (Lock Haven) in the quarterfinals.

Tyler Wilps also finished third for the Panthers and had a solid win of his own in the consolation finals. He wrapped up the day with a 4-1 record, the final victory coming via decision over two-time national qualifier Eren Civan (Columbia).

Andy Vaughan battled back from an opening round loss to advance to the consolation finals, where he was to wrestle teammate Karl DeCiantis. That match did not take place. Deciantis opened the tournament with two wins over seeded wrestlers.

Rounding out the Pitt placewinners were freshman Chace Small (fifth at 125) and sophomore Erik Galloway (sixth at 133).

No. 9 Pitt Wrestling Wins 13th-Straight EWL Match

The Panthers Roll to a 39-3 Win at Cleveland State on Sunday

CLEVELAND - The No. 9 Pitt wrestling team won its 13th straight match in the Eastern Wrestling League with a 39-3 victory at Cleveland State on Sunday.

The Panthers (4-1) posted wins in nine of the 10 bouts against the Vikings, earning bonus points in eight of the wins.

Redshirt seniors Tyler Nauman and Ethan Headlee both recorded second period pins for Pitt. Nauman is third all-time at Pitt with 37 career falls, while Headlee is now all alone in seventh with 28 career pins.

Anthony Zanetta, Shelton Mack, Travis Shaffer, Donnie Tasser, Max Thomusseit and Matt Wilps all had major decisions for the Panthers, while Tyler Wilps just missed adding another with a 12-5 decision at 165.

Zanetta and Matt Wilps both remained unbeaten in dual meets this season at 5-0. Zanetta was fresh off a win over No. 15 Johnni Dijulius in the Ohio State match. Matt Wilps has beaten ranked opponents in four of his five dual meet victories.

As in all of their its this season, Pitt was dominant in neutral. The Panthers finished with 29 takedowns in their nine individual victories, two of which didn't go past the second period.
Pitt will have over two weeks off before it returns to action. The Panthers will next compete at the Lock Haven Invitational on Thursday, Dec. 29.

125 - No. 17 Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) maj. dec. Ben Willeford (CSU), 9-1
133 - No. 18 Shelton Mack (Pitt) maj. dec. Nick Flannery (CSU), 16-5
141 - Travis Shaffer (Pitt) maj. dec. Josh Palivoda (CSU) 10-0
149 - No. 12 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) FALL Mike Mencini (CSU), 4:33
157 - No. 32 Donnie Tasser (Pitt) maj. dec. Tanner Lemon (CSU), 14-0
165 - No. 33 Tyler Wilps (Pitt) dec. Corey Carlo (CSU), 12-5
174 - No. 18 Ethan Headlee (Pitt) FALL Aric Thurn (CSU), 2:15
184 - No. 28 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) maj. dec. Corbin Boone (CSU), 19-8
197 - No. 5 Matt Wilps (Pitt) maj. dec. Nick Anthony (CSU), 14-5
285 - Chris Weber (CSU) dec. Joel Yahner (Pitt), 3-1

No. 9 Pitt Wrestling Suffers First Loss of Season to No. 6 Ohio State

Matt Wilps, Zac Thomusseit and Anthony Zanetta Register Wins for the Panthers

Dec. 9, 2011

PITTSBURGH - The tough schedule may have caught up to the Pitt wrestling team as the No. 9 Panthers suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of No. 6 Ohio State.

The Buckeyes won seven of the 10 matches to notch a 22-9 victory over the Panthers on Friday at the Fitzgerald Field House. It was the first battle of top-10 wrestling teams at the venue in nearly 50 years.

Anthony Zanetta (125), Matt Wilps (197) and Zac Thomusseit (HWT) picked up wins for the Panthers, who dropped to 3-1 overall this season. The Buckeyes remained unbeaten with their fifth straight win.

The loss snaps an eight-match winning streak dating back to last season for the Panthers. Their last loss was also to a top-10 team as they fell to then-No. 2 Penn State on Jan. 21, 2011.

With Pitt trailing 10-0 after three losses to open the contest, Matt Wilps put the Panthers on the board with a 4-2 decision at 197, improving to 13-2 on the season.

WIlps, ranked fifth in the nation, faced an almost identical situation to the one he was in during a win over Max Huntley in the Michigan dual. With the score tied 2-2, Wilps started the third period on top, needing to ride out most of the period to get a riding time point and, hopefully, not allow Ohio State's Andrew Campolattano to escape with minimal time to retaliate. Once again, he came through, forcing a stalling call to take a 3-2 lead and tacking on the riding time point at the end.

Zac Thomusseit and Zanetta made it three matches in a row for Pitt, giving their team a chance down the stretch. Thomusseit's decision cut the Buckeyes' lead to 10-6, and Zanetta's decision, coupled with a penalty point on the Ohio State coach during the match, tied the match at 9-9.

Ohio State went on to clinch the match with wins in the final four bouts.

Thomusseit turned in one of his most impressive matches of the season, controlling the bout from start to finish in a 12-6 victory over No. 11 Peter Capone. The Pitt senior, ranked 17th in the nation, found himself against an undersized heavyweight similar in weight to him for one of the first times this season and took advantage with an aggressive performance.

Thomusseit used two takedowns, including a double leg where he lifted Capone completely off the mat, to take a 4-2 lead after one period. A reversal in the second period put him up 6-2, before he added six more points in the final period to come up just short of the major decision.

Both Thomusseit and Zanetta beat wrestlers that were fresh off solid performances at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas last weekend. Capone finished runner-up in the 34-team event, while Zanetta's opponent, No. 15 Johnni Dijulius, took fourth.

Zanetta had one of the more quirky wins possible in college wrestling. He used two stalling points, two escapes and a penalty point in sudden victory for a 5-4 win.

After a scoreless first period, Dijulius struck first with an escape and takedown early in the second period for a 3-0 lead. Repeated standup attempts where Dijulius kept dropping to Zanetta's legs forced three stalling calls and two points awarded to Zanetta during the period. The Panther junior tied the match with an escape with seconds to go before the final period.

Zanetta took a 4-3 lead with an escape in the third period, but while Dijulius was giving up stalling points, he was also racking up riding time, which led to a point and a 4-4 tie after regulation. In an anticlimactic ending, Dijulius was whistled for an illegal hold early in sudden victory, giving Zanetta his fourth dual meet win of the season.

Freshman Travis Shaffer showed signs of what he is capable of in a losing effort. Squaring off with No. 6 Hunter Stieber, who defeated Michigan's two-time national champion Kellen Russell last weekend, Shaffer was right in the match before giving up a late takedown in a 7-5 loss.

It wasn't the first time Shaffer and Stieber had competed against one another. Shaffer upset Stieber, a four-time Ohio state champion, at the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic last year in high school.

Pitt has wrestled top-10 teams in three of its last four matches, posting wins over then-No. 6 Lehigh and then-No. 6 Michigan before Friday's loss to No. 6 Ohio State.

The Panthers will return to action with their first Eastern Wrestling League match of the season when they travel to Cleveland State on Sunday. That match is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

Ohio State 22, Pitt 9
165 - Derek Garcia (Ohio State) dec. No. 33 Tyler Wilps (Pitt), 7-5
174 - No. 5 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) dec. No. 18 Ethan Headlee (Pitt), 7-2
184 - No. 13 C.J. Magrum (Ohio State) maj. dec. No. 28 Max Thomusseit (Pitt), 13-5
197 - No. 5 Matt Wilps (Pitt) dec. No. 23 Andrew Campolattano (Ohio State), 4-2
HWT - No. 17 Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. No. 11 Peter Capone (Ohio State), 12-6
*125 - No. 17 Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. No. 15 Johnni Dijulius (Ohio State), 4-3 SV
133 - No. 3 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) maj. dec. No. 18 Shelton Mack (Pitt), 9-1
141 - No. 6 Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) dec. Travis Shaffer (Pitt), 7-5
149 - No. 15 Cam Tessari (Ohio State) dec. No. 12 Tyler Nauman (Pitt), 6-3
157 - No. 22 Josh Demas (Ohio State) dec. No. 32 Donnie Tasser (Pitt), 8-6

Pitt Wrestling Ranked in Top-10 for First Time Since 1963

The Panthers are Eighth in the Most Recent Coaches Poll

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team jumped one spot to eighth in the most recent NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Panthers were ranked ninth last week, appearing in the top-10 for the first time since 1963.

Pitt is unbeaten in three dual meets this season with two victories over highly-ranked teams. The Panthers knocked off then No. 6 Michigan 19-13 on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Fitzgerald Field House. That win came just a week after the Panthers upset then No. 6 Lehigh 18-16, ending the Mountain Hawks' 26-match home winning streak.

The Panthers are the only team from the Eastern Wrestling League recognized in the top-25. They are also ranked first in the most recent conference poll.

Individually, Pitt placed a season-high eight wrestlers in the WrestlingReport.com rankings.

Leading the way for the Panthers are a pair of wrestlers ranked in the top-10. Tyler Nauman is fourth at 149 pounds. The senior All-American is a perfect 7-0 this season with wins over No. 12 Eric Grajales (Michigan), No. 20 David Habat (Edinboro) and No. 30 Kyle Rosser (Lehigh). Matt Wilps is listed sixth at 197 and holds a record of 7-1. Notable victories for the redshirt junior came over No. 8 Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) and No. 23 Max Huntley (Michigan).

Junior Anthony Zanetta is ranked 13th at 125. The junior is undefeated this season at 7-0 and has solid wins over No. 27 Mason Beckman (Lehigh) and No. 30 Kory Mines (Edinboro).

Rounding out the Pitt wrestlers in the national polls are No. 15 Zac Thomusseit (HWT), No. 19 Shelton Mack (133), No. 21 Ethan Headlee (174), No. 22 Max Thomusseit (184) and No. 31 Donnie Tasser (157).

Pitt will wrestle a top-10 team for the third time in four matches when it hosts No. 6 Ohio State on Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers and Buckeyes will both be at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. this Friday and Saturday.

Pitts- Wilps Named EWL Wrestler of the Week

The Redshirt Junior Had The Match-Clinching Win at No. 6 Lehigh

PITTSBURGH -University of Pittsburgh redshirt junior Matt Wilps was named the Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the Week for his performance in a pair of dual meets this past weekend.

The returning national qualifier from Pittsburgh, Pa. earned the award after posting wins in two Panther victories, including an upset of No. 6 Lehigh, 18-16, on Saturday, Nov. 12, and a 25-13 win over Drexel the following day.

With Pitt leading 15-10 against Lehigh, Wilps, ranked seventh in the nation at 197 pounds by InterMat Wrestling, came through with a thrilling come-from-behind win over the ninth-ranked Kennedy to clinch the match for the Panthers.

Kennedy looked poised to avenge a 2-1 overtime loss to Wilps in the semifinals of the Buffalo Open. The Lehigh senior scored a third-period takedown to take a 3-1 lead. But a late flurry resulted n an escape and a double-leg takedown by Wilps for the win.

"That's what you expect out of an upperclassmen and a guy who wants to be on the podium at the NCAAs this year," said Pitt coach Rande Stottlemyer following the match.

Wilps improved to 6-1 on the season with an 8-5 decision over Brandon Palik of Drexel on Sunday.

The Panthers (2-0) are on a seven-match winning streak dating back to last season and are ranked No. 17 in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. They will look to make it eight in a row in their home opener against No. 8 Michigan on Saturday, Nov. 19. The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Fitzgerald Field House.

No. 18 Pitt Defeats No. 6 Lehigh

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -  The 18th-ranked Pitt wrestling team notched one of its biggest wins in years Saturday, upsetting 6th-ranked Lehigh 18-16 at Grace Hall.

Beating Lehigh in its home gym is no easy task as the Panthers' win ended the Mountain Hawks' 26-match home winning streak.

"This was a total team effort," Pitt coach Rande Stottlemyer said. "And we did it in their gym. That was a hard-fought win."

The key match of the night, as many expected it would be, was at 197, a rematch between Pitt national qualifier Matt Wilps and Joe Kennedy.

With Pitt leading 15-10, Wilps, ranked seventh in the nation by InterMat Wrestling, came through with a thrilling come-from-behind win over the ninth-ranked Kennedy to clinch the match for the Panthers.

Kennedy looked poised to avenge a 2-1 overtime loss to Wilps in the semifinals of last week's Buffalo Open. The Lehigh senior scored a third-period takedown to take a 3-1 lead. But a late flurry resulted n an escape and a double-leg takedown by Wilps for the win.

"That's what you expect out of an upperclassmen and a guy who wants to be on the podium at the NCAAs this year," Stottlemyer said.

Knowing Lehigh had four wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in the final five weight classes, Pitt did exactly what it needed to early in the match. The Panthers took a 15-0 lead with decisions in the first five matches.

Junior Anthony Zanetta got things rolling for the Panthers with a 9-2 decision over freshman Mason Beckman. In a battle of former Pennsylvania state champions, Zanetta improved to 5-0 on the season, fueled by three takedowns.

Pitt sophomore Shelton Mack followed Zanetta by defeating Chris Dinnien for the second time this season.  Mack had four takedowns in a 10-5 win.

The Panthers continued their dominance on their feet with freshman Travis Shaffer's win at 141. Wrestling in his first career college dual meet, Shaffer used an escape and a takedown in the third period to shut out Alex Abreu, 3-0.

The Mountain Hawks finally tallied their first takedown at 149 as Kyle Rosser took an early 2-0 lead over Pitt All-American Tyler Nauman. Rosser fell to Nauman, ranked third in the country, at the Buffalo Open in a match that wasn't really close, but nearly pulled off the upset this time around. In a match that was tightly contested from start to finish, Nauman turned a Rosser takedown attempt into one of his own late in the final period to seal a 7-6 win.

Returning national qualifier Donnie Tasser's 6-2 win at 157 finished off the run for Pitt. Also, his two takedowns gave the Panthers a 12-1 advantage (24-2 in points) from the neutral position through five matches.

Coach Stottlemyer was pleased with his team's performance, giving credit to everyone involved, including assistant coaches Jason Peters and Matt Kocher for having the team ready for each opponent.

Three of the Panthers' four losses came to nationally-ranked wrestlers.

Pitt consistently has an elite program, but Lehigh has always been a tough match, as evident by the 15-38 all-time record the Panthers had against the Mountain Hawks entering Saturday's match. Even during an outstanding 2009-10 season that saw the Panthers finish 17-1-1, the Mountain Hawks were the lone blemish on the schedule.

"This is a great start, but we'll keep our feet on the ground," Stottlemyer said. "it's a long season."

The Panthers will have little time to dwell on the victory as they have a match at Drexel on Sunday. The match with the Dragons is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

Three Pitt Wrestlers Win Titles at Buffalo Open

PITTSBURGH - Three Pitt wrestlers opened the season by winning titles at the Buffalo Open on Saturday. Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks), Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) and Zac Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) placed first, while another five Panthers finished as runner-up.

Zanetta rolled to the title at 125 pounds, outscoring his four opponents 56-14. The junior opened the tournament with a pair of 23-6 technical falls before advancing to the finals with a 4-2 win over Caleb Richardson. He wrapped up a perfect 4-0 day with a 6-2 win over third-seeded Korey Mines (Edinboro) in the championship match.

Nauman, ranked third in the nation at 149, won his bracket with a 10-3 win over second-seeded Kyle Rosser (Lehigh). The senior's only close match of the day came in the semifinals where he edged Edinboro's David Habat 6-5. Prior to that he had pinned Korey Gillen (Lock Haven) in the first period and posted a 12-3 major decision over Josh Micek (Buffalo).

Thomusseit wrestled unattached and went 3-0 to win his first competition at heavyweight. A returning national qualifier at 197, Thomusseit proved he can have success moving up a weight as he was in control the entire tournament. After easy 8-1 and 7-0 wins in his first two matches, he topped Ernest James, a returning starter for Edinboro, 3-2 in the finals.

Pitt had wrestlers in seven of the 10 championship matches. Shelton Mack (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) (133), Donnie Tasser (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) (157), P.J. Tasser (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) (174), Andy Vaughan (Gibsonia, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) (184) and Matt Wilps (Oakdale, Pa./Chartiers Valley) (197) all came up one match short with second-place showings.

Wilps, a redshirt junior, had one of the toughest early season tests, competing against nationally-ranked wrestlers in back-to-back matches. Wilps, who is ranked in the top 10 in some polls, notched an impressive win in the semifinals with a 2-1 overtime victory over eighth-ranked Joe Kennedy (Lehigh). Wilps and Kennedy could meet again when Pitt travels to Lehigh on Saturday, Nov. 12. The championship match between Wilps and Edinboro's Chris Honeycutt is almost certain to be the first in multiple battles between the two this season. Honeycutt is ranked fifth at 184 and won this time, 7-2.

Mack and Vaughan also lost to nationally-ranked wrestlers in the finals. Mack posted decisions over Chris Dinnien (Lehigh) and Dan Riggi (Binghamton) before falling 1-0 to Aaron Schopp (Edinboro) in a matchup between two of the favorites in the EWL this season. Vaughan had decisions over Zack Zelcs (Gannon) and Jake Waste (Buffalo) in his first two matches. His only loss was a 9-3 verdict to one of the top wrestlers in the country in second-ranked Robert Hamlin (Lehigh).

Donnie Tasser and P.J. Tasser each posted 3-1 records on the day. Donnie's day included a major decision in the quarterfinals and a 3-2 win over Edinboro's Johnny Greisheimer in the semifinals. P.J. was noted by the Pitt coaching staff as having one of the best tournaments of his college career. He opened his season with a pin and followed that with a decision over Chris Hrunka (Edinboro). The redshirt sophomore handed second-seeded Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) a 3-2 loss to advance to the championship match, where he just missed winning his first tournament, falling to John-Martin Cannon (Buffalo) 3-1 in overtime.

In all, Pitt had 12 wrestlers place in the tournament. Rounding out the Panther place-winners were freshman Travis Shaffer (Derry, Pa./Derry) (4th at 141), freshman Nick Bonaccorsi (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) (5th at 174), senior Zach Grove (York, Pa./Central York) (7th at 133), freshman Ronnie Garbinsky (Tyrone, Pa./Tyrone) (7th at 141) and senior Victor Konno (Kempton, Pa./Northern Lehigh) (7th at 157).

Pitt, ranked 15th in the nation by WrestlingReport.com, will wrestle its first dual meet of the season this Saturday at fifth-ranked Lehigh. The two-day trip to eastern Pennsylvania also includes a match at Drexel on Sunday.

Pitt Wrestling Ranked 15th in Preseason National Rankings

PITTSBURGH -The Pitt wrestling team is ranked as high as 15th in the numerous preseason national rankings. Additionally, seven different student-athletes represent the Panthers in the individual polls.

The Panthers have been picked as a top-25 team in all of the notable polls. The selection at 15th came in the list done by WrestlingReport.com.

Senior Tyler Nauman is the highest ranked Pitt wrestler this preseason. The three-time national qualifier is listed as high as third and appears in the top 10 in every list at 149 pounds.

Redshirt junior Matt Wilps and senior Zac Thomusseit join Nauman with a ranking in the top 10. Wilps has been selected as high as fifth while Thomusseit appears as high as sixth. Both wrestlers appear in the rankings at two different weights, 197 and heavyweight.

Anthony Zanetta is ranked as high as 14th and named as a top-20 wrestler in nearly every poll. He has proven to be clutch for the Panthers, winning conference titles in each of his first two seasons.

Sophomore Max Thomusseit (17th at 184), senior Ethan Headlee (21st at 165), sophomore Shelton Mack (26th at 133), and redshirt junior Donnie Tasser (33rd at 157) round out the Pitt wrestlers recognized in the national polls.

Pitt qualified eight wrestlers to the national tournament on its way to a 34th-place finish last season. The Panthers dominated the Eastern Wrestling League, posting their second consecutive undefeated season in the conference before winning their first EWL tournament title.

The Panthers open the season on Sunday, Nov. 6 at the Buffalo Open.

Pitt Tops EWL Preseason Rankings

PITTSBURGH -The Pitt wrestling team has been selected to finish first in the Eastern Wrestling League this season in the WrestlingReport.com preseason rankings.

Pitt has captured the past two EWL regular season titles and added its first-ever EWL tournament championship last season. The past two regular season titles came down to Pitt's match with Edinboro. That match is once again scheduled to be the final conference tilt for the Panthers this season. Edinboro is ranked fourth in the preseason.

There is a two-way tie for second place between Bloomsburg and West Virginia. Clarion, Lock Haven and Cleveland State round out the teams from fifth to seventh.

Four Pitt wrestlers top the individual rankings, including senior Tyler Nauman, a three-time EWL champion. Nauman, who bumps up to 149 pounds this season, is looking to become the first Pitt wrestler and just the fifth wrestler from any school to win four EWL titles.

Anthony Zanetta is ranked first at 125 pounds after winning the conference title in each of his first two seasons. Both of Zanetta's titles were clinched with wins over West Virginia junior Shane Young, who is ranked second.

Pitt senior Ethan Headlee leads the pack at 165. A three-time national qualifier, Headlee won his first conference title last season. Clarion's Bekzod Abdurakhmanov finished third at the conference tournament and is ranked second in the preseason poll.

Matt Wilps is the fourth Panther wrestler ranked first at his weight. The junior redshirted last season, but was a national qualifier two years ago as a sophomore. While competing in open tournaments last season, Wilps finished 18-2, including a championship run at the highly competitive Midlands Championships. His conference title two years ago came via a 12-4 major decision over Clarion's Alex Thomas, who is ranked second this preseason.

Returning national qualifier Max Thomusseit is ranked second at 184 for the Panthers. Chris Honeycutt, who topped Thomusseit 7-2 to win the EWL title, is ranked first.

Other Pitt wrestlers appearing in the preseason individual conference rankings are returning national qualifier Donnie Tasser (third at 157), Shelton Mack (third at 133), either Tyler Wilps or Karl DeCiantis (third at 174) and either Travis Shaffer or Ronnie Garbinsky (honorable mention at 141).

Fans will get their first chance to view this year's Pitt wrestling team on Thursday when the Panthers host their annual Blue-Gold Match. The match begins at 6 p.m. at the Fitzgerald Field House.

University of Pittsburgh Releases 2011-12 Wrestling Schedule

PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team released its 2011-12 schedule on Thursday. The slate includes 16 dual meets and three tournaments.

In dual meet competition, the Eastern Wrestling League champion Panthers will take on six teams that finished in the top 30 at last season's NCAA tournament. Included in that group is the defending national champion, Penn State.

During its six-match EWL schedule, Pitt will host three matches at Fitzgerald Field House. The final conference match will be at home against Edinboro (Feb. 17). The Panthers and Fighting Scots have combined to win the past eight EWL dual meet titles, including the previous two by Pitt.

In addition to hosting Edinboro, other home opponents include Michigan (Nov. 19), Ohio State (Dec. 9), Lock Haven (Jan. 13), Clarion (Jan. 20) and Hofstra (Feb. 10).

On Jan. 7, the Panthers will wrestle four matches when they host the Pitt Duals. Teams scheduled to attend are Columbia, Davidson, Eastern Michigan, Princeton and VMI. The complete schedule for the event will be finalized at a later date.

The Panthers' road opponents are Lehigh (Nov. 12), Drexel (Nov. 13), Cleveland State (Dec. 11), Bloomsburg (Jan. 15), West Virginia (Feb. 4) and Penn State (Feb. 19).

Scheduled tournaments include the Buffalo Open (Nov. 6), Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas (Dec. 3) and the Lock Haven Invitational (Dec. 29). The Cliff Keen Invitational could be some of the toughest competition Pitt sees during the season as 12 of the top 25 teams from last year are expected to attend.

The 37th EWL Championships will be held at Clarion University on Sunday, March 4. Pitt is the defending team champion in the event after winning its first-ever title last season. Individually, Tyler Nauman will attempt to become Pitt's first-ever four-time EWL champion and only the sixth wrestler from any school to accomplish the feat.

Pitt returns six national qualifiers from a team that set a program-record with eight wrestlers making the NCAA Championships. Returning qualifiers for the Panthers are seniors Nauman (141), Ethan Headlee (165) and Zac Thomusseit (197), juniors Donnie Tasser (157) and Anthony Zanetta (125), and sophomore Max Thomusseit (184). Matt Wilps, who redshirted last season but won the highly competitive Midlands Tournament, was a national qualifier in 2010. The NCAA Championships will be held March 15-17 in St. Louis, Mo.

Fans will get their first chance to check out this year's team at the Blue vs. Gold Match on Thursday, Oct. 27 at Fitzgerald Field House.

Pitt Wrestling Finishes 2011 NCAA Championships With 15.5 Points

Philadelphia, Pa. - The Pitt wrestling team concluded its stellar season on Friday after the remaining six qualifiers were eliminated at the 2011 NCAA Championships at Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia.

The Panthers combined for eight wins at the tournament, totaling 15.5 points.

Junior Zac Thomusseit (197) fell one match short of garnering All-America honors. Thomusseit won his opening two matches before falling to No. 2-seeded Clayton Foster of Oklahoma State and No. 9-seeded Sonny Yohn of Virginia Tech.

Earlier in the day, sophomore Anthony Zanetta (125) and redshirt junior Tyler Nauman (141) each won their opening matches in the consolation bracket.

Zanetta recorded a 5-3 decision over Steve Bonanno of Hofstra before succumbing to Sean Boyle of Michigan.

Nauman advanced with a shutout win over Hicks Manson of Cornell, 3-0. The Middletown, Pa., native used an escape and a takedown. In a match decided in the final seconds, Nauman was ousted by Stephen Dutton of Lehigh, 7-6.

Redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser (157), freshman Max Thomusseit (184) and redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (285) all dropped their only match of the day.

Tomei finishes his career at Pitt with a 109-34 record. His 40 career falls are second only to Pat Santoro's record (43).

The Panthers finished the season with a perfect 6-0 record in conference action to claim back-to-back EWL dual season titles. The team also earned its first ever EWL Conference Championship earlier this month in Bloomsburg, Pa.
Pitt Wrestling Team Garners EWL Wrestler of the Week Honors; Wilps Brothers Shine

PITTSBURGH - After successfully notching its second consecutive EWL dual title on Saturday, the entire Pitt wrestling team garnered EWL Wrestler of the Week honors, the league announced Monday.

The Panthers finished the dual meet season with a 13-6 overall record and an unblemished 6-0 mark in the conference.

"It's a great accomplishment for our entire team to earn the award," Pitt Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer said Monday. "When you think about winning a dual title, it's all about competing as a team and carrying each other when someone might not have their best day. That's what our team was about all season long."

Pitt defeated Edinboro, 19-16, in the team's final dual match of the season on Saturday. Redshirt senior Ryan Tomei earned 3-0 decision in the final bout to clinch the match and the dual title for the Panthers.

"I like being the heavyweight guy and going out last because a lot of times, it comes down to my performance," Tomei said. "It's a pressure situation but great athletes prove what they're made of in the clutch."

Not only was Tomei clutch, he was dominant. In his six dual matches against EWL opponents, the Irwin, Pa. native was a perfect 6-0 and accumulated 30 team points including four wins by fall. For his efforts, Tomei will receive the "Most Points Team Award" trophy at the conference championship in Bloomsburg on March 6.

While the dual meet team was in Edinboro on Saturday, several Pitt teammates were busy competing at the National Collegiate Open held at Clarion University.

Junior Matt Wilps, who is redshirting the season, continued his outstanding season by claiming the 197 title. Wilps went 3-0 on the day, pinning his opponent at the 2:26 mark in the final. After already earning titles at Penn State and Midlands, Wilps' season record now stands at 18-1.

At 165-pounds, freshman Tyler Wilps (Matt's younger brother) finished runner up with a 3-1 record. Wilps, like his brother, is also redshirting the season. He earned his first pin of the season in the semifinals.

Redshirt freshman P.J. Tasser also placed at the tournament with a fourth-place showing at 174. Tasser won five of seven matches throughout the competition.

The Panthers have two weeks off from competition before traveling to Bloomsburg to compete in the EWL Championships on Mar. 6.
Pitt Wrestling Outlasts Edinboro, 19-16, Claims Back-to-Back EWL Titles

Edinboro, Pa. - The No. 22-ranked Pitt wrestling team claimed its second consecutive EWL dual season title, defeating Edinboro, 19-16, Saturday at McComb Fieldhouse.

Both teams claimed five bouts each, but the Panthers added four bonus points to the Fighting Scots one.

The win marks the 12th consecutive conference match victory for the Panthers, who have now finished the past two seasons with a perfect 6-0 record in the EWL.

"I'm really proud of our guys for the effort they've put in all season," Pitt Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer said following the match. "These guys took things one match at a time and worked hard to get to where we are now."

Sophomore Anthony Zanetta (125) got the Panthers off to a 6-0 start with his first pin of the season just 3:18 into the match. Zanetta led 8-3 at the time of the fall.

Edinboro cut the deficit to three with a tightly contested 5-3 decision.
In the third bout of the night, redshirt junior Tyler Nauman (141) put the Panthers back up six points with a 1-0 decision. Nauman earned an escape in the second period to record the only point of the match.

The Fighting Scots took the 149 match with a final second takedown to score a decision, pulling the match back to within three points.

In a thrilling matchup at 157-pounds, redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser scored two takedowns in the final period, including the eventual winner with less than 15 seconds remaining. Tasser took the decision, 7-5.

Redshirt junior Ethan Headlee (165) used 4:22 of riding time en route to a 10-1 major decision. The Waynesburg native used two takedowns while adding two back points to increase the Pitt lead to 10 points.

Edinboro rebounded to take the next three bouts and even the score. The lone bonus point came in the 184 match, with the Fighting Scots' Chris Honeycutt picking up the major decision. Honeycutt is currently ranked first in the nation at 184.

In his final dual match as a Panther, redshirt senior Ryan Tomei closed out the match in dramatic fashion with a team clinching

With the dual season complete, the Panthers will now prepare for the EWL Championships on Mar. 6 in Bloomsburg, Pa.

125: Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) FALL (3:18) Bijan Banks (Edinboro) 6-0 Pitt
133: Eric Morill (Edinboro) dec. Shelton Mack (Pitt), 5-3 6-3 Pitt
141: No. 8 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. Kasey Davis (Edinboro), 1-0 9-3 Pitt
149: No. 18 Torsten Gillespie (Edinboro) dec. Dane Johnson (Pitt), 8-7 9-6 Pitt
157: Donnie Tasser (Pitt) dec. Johnny Greisheimer (Edinboro), 7-5 12-6 Pitt
165:  Ethan Headlee (Pitt) maj. dec. Ethan Saylor (Edinboro), 10-1 16-6 Pitt
174: Chris Hrunka (Edinboro) Adam Counterman (Pitt), 4-1 16-9 Pitt
184: No. 1 Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) No. 18 Max Thomusseit (Pitt), 11-2 16-13 Pitt
197: Shawn Fendone (Edinboro) dec. Phil Sorrentino (Pitt), 1-0 16-16 tie
285: No. 7 Ryan Tomei (Pitt) dec. Ernest James (Edinboro), 3-0 19-6 Pitt
Pitt Wrestling Moves to 5-0 in the EWL, Throttles Cleveland State, 41-3

PITTSBURGH- Pitt wrestling moved one step closer to earning back-to-back EWL dual titles, Friday night, as the Panthers defeated Cleveland State 41-3 at the Fitzgerald Field House.

The win moves the Panthers to 12-6 overall and 5-0 in the EWL. The victory marks the second straight season in which the Panthers did not drop a conference match at home while extending their EWL win streak to 11 matches.

The Panthers claimed nine of the 10 matches, adding bonus points in eight bouts.

Prior to the match, five members of the Pitt wrestling team were honored on senior night, including student manager Liz Rice, and wrestlers Christian Fagan (149), Kyle Patton (149), Adam Counterman (174) and Ryan Tomei (285).

Sophomore Anthony Zanetta (125) set the pace for the Panthers with an 11-1 major decision. Freshman Shelton Mack (133) followed with a major decision of his own, defeating Nick Flannery of Cleveland State, 14-5.

Redshirt junior Tyler Nauman (141) extended the Panthers lead to 14 points with his third straight and 34th career pin. With the fall, Nauman moved into sole possession of fourth place on the Pitt all-time pins list.

At 149, redshirt freshman Dane Johnson won his 16th match of the season with an 8-2 decision.

With the Panthers already leading 17-0, redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser (157) earned seven back points while adding two reversals, a takedown and nearly four minutes of riding time for the 14-3 major decision.

The Vikings picked up their lone win of the match at 165 with a tightly contested 4-3 decision.

In his final match at Fitzgerald Field House, Counterman quickly jumped to an early lead at 174 and rolled to a 15-4 major decision. In the bout, the senior from Nazareth, Pa. added five takedowns while only allowing points on escapes to clinch the match for the Panthers.

Freshman Max Thomusseit (184) used seven takedowns to claim a 16-6 major decision.

Senior Phil Sorrentino (197) nabbed his first career pin to improve the lead to 35-3. Sorrentino was able to turn his opponent over early in the third period to end the match. Although a senior, Sorrentino does have a year of athletic eligibility left and will return for the Panthers next season.

In the final match of the day, Tomei finished his career at the Fitzgerald Field House just as he ended most of his matches - with a pin. The redshirt senior from Irwin, Pa. improved to 104-32 all-time with his 38th career fall. Tomei now stands just five pins short of Pan Santoro's all time Pitt lead in the category with 43.

Pitt can clinch the EWL dual title with a win in its final match of the season on Saturday, Feb. 19, at Edinboro, or with a win by West Virginia over the Fighting Scots on Friday, Feb. 18.

Pitt 41, Cleveland State 3
125: Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) maj. dec. Ben Willeford (CSU), 11-1 4-0 Pitt
133: Shelton Mack (Pitt) maj. dec. Nick Flannery (CSU), 14-5 8-0 Pitt
141: No. 8 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) WBF (4:52) Josh Palivoda (CSU) 14-0 Pitt
149: Dane Johnson (Pitt) dec. Lawrence Covello (CSU), 8-2 17-0 Pitt
157: Donnie Tasser (Pitt) maj. dec. Matt Donohoe (CSU), 14-3 21-0 Pitt
165: Robbie Michaels (CSU) dec. Ethan Headlee (Pitt) 4-3 21-3 Pitt
174: Adam Counterman (Pitt) maj. dec. Aric Thurn (CSU), 15-4 25-3 Pitt
184: No. 19 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) maj. dec. Corbin Boone (CSU), 16-6 29-3 Pitt
197: Phil Sorrentino (Pitt) WBF (4:39) Nick Anthony (CSU) 35-3 Pitt
285: No. 7 Ryan Tomei (Pitt) WBF (6:39) Chris Weber (CSU) 41-3 Pitt
Pitt Wrestling Thumps Clarion, 32-9

Clarion, Pa. - Pitt wrestling improved to 4-0 in the EWL and 11-6 overall with a dominating 32-9 victory Thursday night at Clarion.

The Panthers won the final four bouts and seven of the 10 overall. The win marks the 10th consecutive conference match victory for the Panthers

Clarion chose to start the match at the 149-pound weight class and claimed the opening two bouts with three point decisions.

With the Panthers trailing by six, redshirt junior Ethan Headlee (165) put the Panthers on the board with a thrilling 3-2 decision. Facing a one point deficit late in the match, Headlee grabbed two points on a reversal to take the lead and ultimately the bout.

Making his EWL season debut, junior Karl DeCiantis (174) evened the team score at 6-6 with a 3-2 decision.

Freshman Max Thomusseit (184) continued his dominance with a fall at 1:32 into the first period. With the pin, Thomusseit earned his 10th victory in his last 11 dual matches.

The Knights pulled back within three with a 1-0 decision at 197. The only point in the match came by riding time.

Redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (285) quickly diminished any Clarion hopes of a comeback, notching the second pin of the match for the Panthers. His eighth pin of the season, Tomei now stands at 37 career falls.

Sophomore Anthony Zanetta (125) earned his fourth consecutive victory with over three minutes of riding time en route to a 10-7 decision over Thomas Gowing of Clarion.

The Panthers clinched the match with a five-point technical fall courtesy of freshman Shelton Mack. Mack used a pair of takedowns along with several back points on his way to the 17-2 decision.

In the final match of the day, redshirt junior Tyler Nauman pinned Clarion's Hunter McGraw, giving the Panthers a 32-9 overall victory.

149: Anthony White (Clarion) dec. Dane Johnson (Pitt), 7-3 SV1 3-0 Clarion

157: No. 13 James Fleming (Clarion) dec. Donnie Tasser (Pitt), 8-1 6-0 Clarion

165:  Ethan Headlee (Pitt) dec. Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Clarion), 3-2 6-3 Clarion

174: Karl DeCiantis (Pitt) dec. Scott Joseph (Clarion), 3-2 6-6 Tie

184: No. 19 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) WBF (1:32) Josh Sadler (Clarion) 12-6 Pitt

197: Alex Thomas (Clarion) dec. Phil Sorrentino (Pitt), 1-0 12-9 Pitt

285: No. 7 Ryan Tomei (Pitt) WBF (5:24) Quintas McCorkle (Clarion) 18-9 Pitt

125: Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) Thomas Gowing (Clarion), 10-7 21-9 Pitt

133: Shelton Mack (Pitt) TF-5 (3:27) Nick Flannery (Clarion), 17-2 26-9 Pitt

141: No. 7 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) WBF (3:13) Hunter McGraw (Clarion) 32-9 Pitt
No. 22 Pitt Wrestling Looks to Stay Unbeaten in the EWL, Faces Clarion and Cleveland State

PITTSBURGH--The No. 22-ranked Pitt wrestling will look to remain undefeated in EWL competition with back-to-back matches beginning Thursday, Feb. 10, when the Panthers travel to Clarion, followed by the final home match of the season on Friday, Feb. 11, against Cleveland State.

Coming off of a win against rival West Virginia, the Panthers enter Thursday with a 3-0 conference mark, also posting wins over Lock Haven and Bloomsburg earlier this season. Clarion currently holds a 1-2 conference record, defeating Edinboro in its EWL opener, followed by losses to Bloomsburg and West Virginia.

The Panthers have won nine consecutive EWL dual matches dating back to last season. During the streak, Pitt defeated Clarion last season 28-8 en route to the EWL dual title.

Clarion holds the all time series lead between the two teams, 28-18-3, despite the fact that Pitt has won the last 9 meetings dating back to 2001. 

Leading the Panthers' are four wrestlers ranked in the top-20 in their respective weight classes: redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (No.7 at 285), junior Zac Thomusseit (No.7 at 197), redshirt junior Tyler Nauman (No. 8 at 141), and freshman Max Thomusseit (No. 19 at 184).

Pitt faces a Clarion team with strong ties to the city of Pittsburgh and also the University. As a former three-time NCAA qualifier and All-American at Pitt, Zach Sheaffer, enters his first season as the assistant coach for the Knights.

In addition to Sheaffer, Clarion's roster features three wrestlers from the Pittsburgh area, led by James Fleming (157), a sophomore from West Mifflin, Pa., who is currently ranked No.13 in the country. Also from the area is sophomore Joe Waltko (133), a graduate of North Allegheny High School, and Scott Joseph (174), from Kiski Area High School. 

The match will be broadcast live online at <http://www.redzone.com>www.redzone.com.

At the conclusion of the Clarion match, the Panthers return home to face off against Cleveland State on Friday night.

The Vikings enter the weekend with a (3-10) overall record and a 0-3 mark in conference competition with losses to Lock Haven, Edinboro and Bloomsburg.

Pitt leads the all-time series between the teams, 18-14-1. In the last meeting, Pitt defeated CSU, 43-3 in 2010.

Prior to the match, four Pitt senior wrestlers will be honored: Tomei (285), Adam Counterman (165), Kyle Patton (149) and Christian Fagan (149).

The Vikings are led by their lone senior, Robbie Michaels (165), who enters the match with an overall record of 19-6, tops among the team this season.

The match will be streamed live on Pittsburgh Panthers All-Access: http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/allaccess/?media=226760 and will air on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 11 a.m. on Pitt Panthers Television.
Pitt Wrestling Welcomes Bloomsburg for EWL Home Opener

PITTSBURGH-The Pitt wrestling team will host its first EWL dual match this season when it takes on Bloomsburg Sunday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m. The No. 23-ranked Panthers enter the match with an 8-6 overall record and a 1-0 mark in EWL action.

The matchup features the top two conference teams in total wins on the season. Bloomsburg enters the weekend with an 11-3 overall record and is 0-1 in the conference. The Huskies will host Edinboro on Friday before traveling to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers.

Following a tough loss to No. 1 ranked Penn State, Pitt looks to rebound strong and continue its seven- match unbeaten streak in conference competition.

The Panthers' roster features three wrestlers ranked in to the top-10 in their respective weight classes: redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (No.7 at 285), redshirt junior Tyler Nauman (No.7 at 141) and junior Zac Thomusseit (No. 8 at 197).

An Irwin, Pa. native, Tomei will look to become the 18th Pitt wrestler ever to reach the 100-career win plateau, and the second to do so this season. Nauman earned his 100th career win on Jan. 9 against Drexel. Tomei enters Sunday with a 99-32 Pitt record, and currently ranks tied for second on Pitt's all-time pins list with 35.

The Huskies are led by three grapplers ranked in the first Coaches Panel Poll. Senior Nate Graham (No. 23 at 184) and sophomore Frank Hickman (No. 24 at 157) lead the team with 19 wins. Sophomore Josh Veltre is the No. 32-ranked wrestler at 165. Earlier this month, Graham was named the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) Wrestler of the Week.

In its only conference dual this season, Bloomsburg fell to West Virginia, 19-12.

Pitt is 18-16 all-time against Bloomsburg. Last season, the Panthers knocked off the Huskies in Bloomsburg, 23-12.

The match will be streamed live on the Panthers All-Access website and will be shown on tape delay Sunday, Feb. 6, on Pitt Panthers Television.

Following the EWL home opener, the Panthers will host rival West Virginia for their annual "Fill the Fitz" promotion on Friday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m.
No. 2 Penn State Improves to 12-0, Defeates No. 21 Pitt Wrestling, 30-7

State College, Pa. - The Pitt wrestling team fell to 8-6 on the dual season, dropping a 30-7 match against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

The Lions improved to (12-0) in front of a jam-packed Recreation Hall. The announced attendance was 5,827.

The Panthers jumped out in front to a 4-0 lead thanks to a strong performance by sophomore Anthony Zanetta (125), who used seven takedowns to record a 14-5 major decision over Penn State's Eric Caschera. Zanetta picked up a takedown in the first and then three takedowns in both the second and third periods.

Penn State then turned the tide, taking the next four matches and a 15-4 lead after five bouts.

The Panthers rebounded with

Although dropping his contest, redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser (157) became just the second wrestler this season to record a takedown against Nittany Lion standout David Taylor. Ranked No. 3 in the country, Taylor improved to 24-0 with the win.

At 165, redshirt junior Ethan Headlee put the Panthers back in contention with a 4-0 shutout decision. Headlee scored a takedown in the first period, followed by an escape in the second and a bonus point for riding time (2:19). The win pulled the Pitt within eight points, 15-7.

Penn State then regained control with a pin by No. 2 ranked Ed Ruth (174) at 5:45. Ruth became the first opponent to beat senior Andy Vaughan in his six dual matches.

The Nittany Lions were able to clinch the dual meet in the 184 bout with a 12-7 decision by No. 7 Quentin Wright over Pitt freshman Max Thomusseit. Thomusseit stayed close throughout the match, picking up two takedowns and a reversal, and trailing 9-7 early in the third period. Wright picked up an escape and a late takedown to pick up the five point victory.

At 197, senior Phil Sorrentino filled in for No. 11 junior Zac Thomusseit, who was forced to miss action for the sixth consecutive match with an injury. Sorrentino again provided a valiant effort, wrestling nearly 13 pounds lighter than his opponent. Penn State's Nick Ruggear picked up the only takedown and each grappler exchanged two escapes each as Ruggear took the bout 4-2.

In the final bout of the day, No. 9 Cameron Wade was able to knock off Pitt redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (285), 3-2. Wade picked up a takedown in the first period and held Tomei from earning an escape in the second period. In the third period, Wade took a 3-0 lead with an escape. With time ticking away, Tomei picked up a takedown to pull within one point, but Wade was able to hold on for the 3-2 decision.

Penn State will likely move up to the top spot in the nation, after current No. 1 Cornell fell to Lehigh on Friday night.

The Panthers return home to host Bloomsburg on Sunday Jan. 30 in their second EWL conference match of the season. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House.

Penn State 30, Pitt 7

125: Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) maj. dec. Eric Caschera 14-5 4-0 PITT

133: No. 5 Andrew Long (PSU) maj. dec. Shelton Mack (Pitt), 17-5 4-4 Tie

141: No. 5 Andrew Alton (PSU) dec. No. 7 Tyler Nauman (Pitt), 8-4 7-4 PSU

149: No. 6 Frank Molinaro (PSU) dec. Dane Johnson (Pitt), 8-2 10-4 PSU

157: No. 3 David Taylor (PSU) TF-5 (7:00) Donnie Tasser (Pitt), 26-11 15-4 PSU

165: Ethan Headlee (Pitt) dec. Jake Kemerer (PSU), 4-0 15-7 PSU

174: No. 2 Ed Ruth (PSU) FALL (5:45) Andy Vaughan (Pitt) 21-7 PSU

184: No. 7 Quentin Wright (PSU) dec. Max Thomusseit (Pitt), 12-7 24-7 PSU

197: Nick Ruggear (PSU) dec. Phil Sorrentino (Pitt), 4-2 27-7 PSU

285: No. 9 Cameron Wade (PSU) dec. No. 3 Ryan Tomei (Pitt), 3-2 30-7 PSU
No. 22 Pitt Wrestling to Face No. 2 Penn State Friday on National T.V.

PITTSBURGH-The Pitt wrestling team will travel to State College, Pa., Friday, Jan. 21 for a top-25 showdown against Penn State. The match is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET and will air live on the Big Ten Network.

The Panthers enter Friday's action with an 8-5 dual season record and a 1-0 EWL mark. Most recently, the Panthers trounced the Lock Haven Bald Eagles, 33-6, in the conference opener.

Despite facing six opponents currently ranked in the NWCA/USA Today top-25 poll, Pitt will face arguably its tallest task yet. The Nittany Lions are ranked No. 2 in the nation and boast an undefeated 11-0 dual record.

Penn State is led by Head Coach Cael Sanderson, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist who accumulated a combined 159-0 record while winning four national championships in his collegiate career at Iowa State. The Nittany Lions feature a ranked grappler at eight of the 10 weight classes.

Last season, the two squads squared off at Fitzgerald Field House, with both teams wrestling to an 18-18 tie. In one of the most exciting finishes last year, redshirt senior Ryan Tomei recorded a takedown in the final seconds of the match to pick up a major decision and give Pitt the tie.

The live broadcast, alongside an expected capacity crowd of 6,486 is something Pitt Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer believes will bring out the best in wrestlers.

"Rec Hall is an intense wrestling setting and one that all our guys are really looking forward to experiencing," Stottlemyer said. "Many of our guys who have postseason aspirations know that this is a golden opportunity for themselves to showcase their talent. It's certainly going to be a challenge, but one that our entire team is looking forward to."

Sanderson is also looking forward to the matchup.

"Pitt has a real strong team this year," Sanderson said in his weekly segment. "They're a solid team with some real stars in their lineup. It's going to be fun."

Both squads share some familiarities. David Taylor, Penn State's standout freshman starter at 157, was classmates with Pitt freshman Max Thomusseit (197) at St. Paris Graham High School in Ohio. The two newcomers are a combined 43-8 this season.

Pitt redshirt freshman Dane Johnson (149) attended the same high school (Shady Side Academy) as Penn State freshman Frank Martellotti (125).

Perhaps most unique, is the fact that both schools feature a roster with three sets of brothers, including Pitt's Donnie and P.J. Tasser, Max and Zac Thomusseit, and Matt and Tyler Wilps.

Pitt assistant coach Matt Kocher hails from State College, where he was a four time district champion, earning a PIAA state championship his senior year. At State College High School, Kocher compiled an impressive 123-20 record. At Pitt, Kocher was a four time NCAA qualifier and an NCAA All-American in 2007.

The two teams will meet for the 61st time, with Penn State leading the all-time series, 46-11-3.
Pitt Wrestling Routs Lock Haven, 33-7, in EWL Opener

PITTSBURGH - Looking to defend as the EWL dual champion, the Pitt wrestling team cruised to a 33-6 victory over host Lock Haven on Friday night. The Panthers won the final eight bouts of the dual, including three by fall.

Pitt improves to (8-5) overall and (1-0) in EWL action. Lock Haven drops to (4-6) on the season and (0-1) in the EWL.

The Bald Eagles took the opening two matches with one point decisions to lead the contest by seven. The Panthers were docked a penalty point after the 125-bout.

In a showcase matchup, redshirt junior Tyler Nauman (141) put the Panthers on the board with a 12-10 decision over Matt Bonson. Nauman improved to 16-2 on the season and handed Bonson just his second defeat in 18 matches.

The Panthers pulled to within one point when redshirt freshman Dane Johnson (149) claimed a 10-4 decision over Owen Wilkinson.

Redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser (157) gave the Panthers their first lead of the evening with a 9-0 major decision. Tasser capitalized on several shots while defending his ground for the shutout.

With the momentum clearly in the Panthers favor, redshirt junior Ethan Headlee (165) picked up his 20th win of the year and team-leading eighth fall, pinning Dylan Caprio at the 2:23 mark. Headlee was in control in the first period when he forced the pin on the outer edge of the circle.

Senior Andy Vaughan (174) continued his undefeated dual season with a 7-2 decision. Vaughan stands at 5-0 in dual action after winning all four of his matches at the Pitt duals this past Sunday.

Pitt sealed the match in the eighth bout when freshman Max Thomusseit (184) notched his third fall of the season over the Bald Eagles' Dylan Caldwell at 6:06. Thomusseit joined Headlee in earning his 20th victory of the season.

With junior Zac Thomusseit out of the lineup, senior Phil Sorrentino (197) claimed his first win of the season with a 2-1 tiebreak decision. Sorrentino missed the first-half of the season due to injury, but made a spirited return at the Pitt duals. With the match locked up at 1-1, Sorrentino started on top in the extra session and held his ground. The senior then earned the deciding point with an escape in the second half of the tiebreaker and held on for the win.

In the final match of the night, redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (285) capped a dominating night for the Panthers with his sixth fall of the season at 1:16 into the first period. The win put Tomei in a four-way tie for first place in wins by a Panther this season, joining Zac Thomusseit along with Headlee and Max Thomusseit with 20 wins each.

The Panthers will travel to State College, Pa. for a top-25 clash against in-state rival Penn State on Friday, Jan. 21. The scheduled match time is 6 p.m. and the contest will air live on the BIG TEN network.

Pitt 33, Lock Haven 6

125: Nick Hyatt (LH) dec. Anthony Zanetta (P), 5-4 (3- (-1) Lock Haven

133: John Trumbetti (LH) dec. Shelton Mack (P), 5-4 6- (-1) Lock Haven

141: No. 9 Tyler Nauman (P) dec. Matt Bonson (LH), 12-10 6-2 Lock Haven

149: Dane Johnson (P) dec. Owen Wilkinson (LH) 10-4? 6-5 Lock Haven

157: Donnie Tasser (P) maj. dec. Seth Creasy (LH), 9-0 9-6 Pitt

165: Ethan Headlee (P) WBF (2:23) Dylan Caprio (LH) 15-6 Pitt

174: Andy Vaughan (P) dec. Michael Khoury (LH), 7-2 18-6 Pitt

184: Max Thomusseit (P) WBF (6:06) Derek Caldwell (LH) 24-6 Pitt

197: Phil Sorrentino (P) dec. Jacob Bachman (LH), 2-1 TB1 27-6 Pitt

285: No. 4 Ryan Tomei (P) WBF (1:16) Henry Turner (LH) 33-6 Pitt
Pitt's Nauman Reaches 100 Wins, Wrestling Finishes 3-1 at Pitt Duals

PITTSBURGH-The Pitt wrestling team finished 3-1 as hosts of the Pitt Duals on Sunday at Fitzgerald Field House, with wins over Drexel, Davidson and Millersville. The Panthers improved to 7-5 overall on the season.

Redshirt junior Tyler Nauman (141) became only the 17th wrestler in Pitt history to reach the 100-win plateau with a tech-fall in his first match of the day against Josh Yurasits. Nauman finished the day with an undefeated 3-0 record, adding wins over Millersville and Northwestern.

"Tyler's a great kid and he deserves a lot of credit," Pitt Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer said following the matches. "Getting 100 victories isn't an easy thing to do and he still has another year and a half to go."

Senior Andy Vaughan (174/184) won all four of his matches while entering the lineup for the first time this season. Redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (285) and freshman Max Thomusseit (184/197) also posted 4-0 records on the day.

The Panthers opened up the Duals with a convincing 41-3 victory over Drexel. Pitt won nine of the 10 bouts. Tomei capped off the win with a fall while Nauman and redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser (157) added five point tech-falls.

In the second match of the day, Pitt rolled over Davidson, 24-7. Tasser added his second victory in as many matches with a fall just 45 seconds into his bout. Vaughan also won by fall when he pinned Ike Crews at the 4:10 mark.

Pitt improved to 3-0 following a 33-13 win over Millersville. Tomei highlighted the Panther win with the quickest fall of the season by a Panther, pinning Bradley Ladd of the Marauders just 12 seconds into the match. Tasser added his second fall while Vaughan picked up a five point tech-fall. Junior Josh Pascazi (149) won his debut in dual action with a 10-3 victory.

In the marquee matchup of the day, the No. 20 Panthers fell just short of No. 21 Northwestern, 17-15. Despite falling behind, 14-3, after the initial five bouts, the Panthers rallied to take four of the final five bouts, but a Northwestern victory at 197 was enough to hold on for the victory.

Redshirt junior Ethan Headlee (165) jump-started the Panthers run, with a 5-2 decision over Kevin Bialka. Vaughan and Thomusseit added decisions to pull the match score to 14-12. Tomei finished off his unblemished day with a 3-1 decision over Ben Kuhar to make the final score 17-15 in favor of Northwestern.

"I thought our guys really gave it their best today," Stottlemyer added. "The last match against Northwestern was tough, but it was a great atmosphere. The fans were really pulling for us and our guys gave a spirited effort. That's what wrestling is all about."

Northwestern finished the day with a 3-0 record while Davidson and Drexel went 1-2 each, and Millersville falling to 0-3.

Pitt will begin EWL conference play on Friday, Jan. 14 at Lock Haven. The match is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

No. 20 Pitt 41, Drexel 3

125: Anthony Zanetta (P) win by forfeit
133: Shelton Mack (P) dec. Frank Cimato (D), 8-5
141: No. 4 Tyler Nauman (P) TF-5 (6:50) Josh Yurasits (D), 15-0
149: Dane Johnson (P) win by forfeit
157: Donnie Tasser (P) TF-5 (4:42) Charles Aungst (D), 18-3
165: Ethan Headlee (P) dec. Joe Booth (D), 5-2
174: Andy Vaughan (P) dec. Justin Wieller (D), 6-5
184: Max Thomusseit (P) maj. dec. Shawn Fausey (D), 13-4
197: Brandon Palik (D) dec. Phil Sorrentino (P), 9-3
HWT: No. 4 Ryan Tomei (P) WBF (4:05) Jack Callender (D)

Pitt 34, Davidson 7

125: Anthony Zanetta (P) dec. Matt Zarth (D), 11-5
133: Shelton Mack (P) dec. Alex Radsky (D), 7-5
141: Vitaly Radsky (D) maj. dec. Mike Tully (P), 9-1
149: Dane Johnson (P) maj. dec. Scott Ray (D), 14-2
157: Donnie Tasser (P) WBF (0:45) Brent Mowry (D)
165: Tyler Mullen (D) dec. Ethan Headlee (P), 6-1 SV
174: Adam Counterman (P) dec. Scott Patrick (D), 14-7
184: Andy Vaughan (P) WBF (4:10) Ike Crews (D)
197: Max Thomusseit (P) win by forfeit
HWT: No. 4 Ryan Tomei (P) dec. Charlie Wolff (D), 4-1

Pitt 33, Millersville 13

125: Anthony Zanetta (P) win by forfeit
133: Daniel Calzarette (M) win by forfeit
141: No. 9 Tyler Nauman maj. dec. Aaron Trimpy, 15-3
149: Josh Pascazi (P) dec. Steve Hess (M), 10-3
157: Donnie Tasser (P) WBF (1:51) Dakota Kuhn (M)
165: Brandon Vernalli (M) maj. dec. Kyle Flick (P), 10-2
174: Shane Smith (M) dec. Adam Counterman (P), 3-2
184: Andy Vaughan (P) TF-5 (7:00) Jason Ford (M), 16-1
197: Max Thomusseit (P) dec. Daniel Cox (M), 15-9
HWT: No. 4 Ryan Tomei (P) WBF (0:12) Bradley Ladd (M)

Northwestern 17, Pitt 15

125: No. 1 Brandon Precin (N) dec. Anthony Zanetta (P), 8-1
133: Levi Mele (N) maj. dec. Shelton Mack (P), 10-1
141: No. 9 Tyler Nauman (P) dec. Kaleb Friedley (N), 9-2
149: No. 12 Andrew Nadhir (N) maj. dec. Dane Johnson (P), 20-7
157: No. 9 Jason Welch (N) dec. Donnie Tasser (P), 5-2
165: Ethan Headlee (P) dec. Kevin Bialka (N), 5-2
174: Andy Vaughan (P) dec. Robert Kellogg (N), 8-6
184: Max Thomusseit (P) dec. Aaron Jones (N), 4-1
197: Marcus Shrewsbury (N) dec. Phil Sorrentino (P), 3-2
HWT: No. 4 Ryan Tomei (P) dec. Ben Kuhar (N), 3-1

Northwestern 42, Millersville 6:

125: No. 1 Brandon Precin (N) win by forfeit
133: Robert Joyce (N) maj. dec. Robert Joyce (M), 10-0
141: Kaleb Friedley (N) maj. dec Mike Greck (M), 16-2
149: No. 12 Andrew Nadhir (N) TF-5 (7:00) Steve Hess (M), 21-6
157: No. 9 Jason Welch (N) TF-5 (7:00) Dakota Kuhn (M), 15-0
165: Devin Bialka (N) dec. Brandon Vernalli (M), 7-4
174: Shane Smith (M) WBF (0:37) Brian Roddy (N)
184: Aaron Jones (N) maj. dec. Jason Foor (M), 12-0
197: John Schoen (N) TF-5 (4:32) Daniel Cox (M), 16-0
HWT: Ben Kuhar (N) WBF (2:06) Bradley Ladd (M)

Drexel 26, Davidson 21

125: Matt Zarth (Dav) win by forfeit
133: Frank Cimato (Dre) dec. Alex Radsky (Dav), 6-5
141: Vitaly Radsky (Dav) WBF (1:59) Josh Yurasits (Dre)
149: Scott Ray (Dav) win by forfeit
157: Charles Aungst (Dre) dec. Brent Mowery (Dav), 8-7
165: Joe Booth (Dre) maj. dec. Tyler Mullen (Dav), 8-0
174: Justin Wieller (Dre) maj. dec. Scott Patrick (Dav), 12-4
184: Shawn Fausey (Dre) WBF (2:52) Ike Crews
197: Brandon Palik (Dre) win by forfeit.
HWT: Charlie Wolff (Dav) dec. Jack Callender (Dre), 5-2

Northwestern 45, Drexel 3

125: No. 1 Brandon Precin (N) win by forfeit
133: Levi Mele (N) WBF (2:07) Frank Cimato (D)
141: Kabel Friedley (N) win by forfeit
149: No. 12 Andrew Nadhir (N) win by forfeit
157: No. 9 Jason Welch (N) TF-5 (7:00) Charles Aungst (D), 15-0
165: Kevin Bialka (N) dec. Joe Booth (D), 7-2
174: Justin Wieller (D) dec. Robert Kellogg (N), 4-1
184: Aaron Jones (N) WBF (4:01) Shawn Fausey (D)
197: John Schoen (N) dec. Brandon Palik (D), 8-4
HWT: Ben Kuhar maj. dec. Max Wright (D), 12-0

Davidson 31, Millersville 9

125: Matt Zarth (D) win by forfeit
133: Alex Radsky (D) TF-5 (6:10) Mark Massimini (M), 16-0
141: Vitaly Radsky (D) dec. Mike Greck (M), 9-5
149: Scott Ray (D) dec. Steve Hess (M), 5-1
157: Dakota Kuhn (M) dec. Brent Mowery (D), 11-4
165: Tyler Mullen (D) maj. dec. Brandon Vernalli (M), 9-1
174: Shane Smith (M) WBF (2:05) Jorge Estrada (D)
184: Scott Patrick (D) maj. dec. Jason Foor (M), 13-4
197: Ike Crews (D) dec. Daniel Cox (M), 10-6
HWT: Charlie Wolff (D) dec. Bradley Ladd (M), 4OT
Tomei Shines Again, But No. 17 Pitt Wrestling Falls Short Against Kent State, 16-15

PITTSBURGH-The Pitt wrestling team fell to 4-3 on the season after dropping a 16-15 match against Kent State on Sunday at Fitzgerald Field House. Both teams won five bouts each, with the Golden Flashes picking up the extra point by way of a major decision at the 165-pound division.

"This was obviously a frustrating loss for our team, but I thought our guys put up a good effort today," Pitt Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer said after the match. "If you look at the results, both teams won five matches each, so it could have gone either way. Today it went their way."

Redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (285) won his seventh consecutive dual match with another victory over a ranked opponent. Tomei defeated No. 13 Brendan Barlow, 6-5, in the final bout of the day. Tomei is ranked second in the country at the heavyweight division.

After Kent State took the opening bout, freshman Shelton Mack evened the team score with a 6-2 decision over Tyler Small at 133. Mack used two takedowns in the first period and added a third in the final round to clinch the victory.

Redshirt junior Tyler Nauman put the Panthers ahead with a tight 6-5 victory at 141. Nauman recorded a late reversal to record a third period comeback.

The Golden Flashes tied the match at 6-6, taking the 149 bout with a 2-1 victory in the third tiebreaker.

Kent State also took 157 with a very close 11-10 victory by Matt Cathell. Redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser made a valiant effort to comeback, picking up two takedowns in the final 10 seconds, but Cathell took the decisive point on riding time.

Trailing 13-6, Pitt picked up back-to-back victories by redshirt junior Ethan Headlee (174) and freshman Max Thomusseit (184) to pull the Panthers within one point, 13-12.

Headlee jumped ahead 4-1 after the first period and used a late escape in the final minute of the third period to record the 6-5 win.

Thomusseit used two takedowns, a near fall and two escapes while adding a point with riding time in a 12-7 victory over Casey Newburg.

In a matchup of top-10 wrestlers at 197, No. 1 Dustin Kilgore of Kent State improved to 15-0 on the season with a 9-5 win over No. 9 Zac Thomusseit. The two grapplers entered the match with a combined 28-1 record.

Tomei picked up his 11th win on the season with the victory over Barlow, but the three-point decision allowed Kent State to hold on for the one point win.

"We saw some real good things despite falling short today," Stottlemyer added. "Guys like Shelton Mack and Max Thomusseit, two freshmen, stepped up big. That's always a good thing to see."

The Panthers will have a 16 day break before the team travels to Evanston, Ill. for the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29 and 30.

125: No. 9 Anthony Bedelyon (K) dec. Anthony Zanetta (P), 7-4
133: Shelton Mack (P) dec. Tyler Small (K), 6-2
141: No. 8 Tyler Nauman (P) dec. Chase Sconieczny (K), 5-4
149: Marcel Clapton (K) dec. Dane Johnson (P), 2-1 TB3
157: Matt Cathell (K) dec. Donnie Tasser (P), 11-10
165: Ross Tice (K) maj. dec. Adam Counterman (P), 10-1
174: Ethan Headlee (P) dec. Brandonn Johnson (K), 6-5
184: Max Thomusseit (P) dec. Casey Newburg (K), 12-7
197: No. 1 Dustin Kilgore (K) dec. No. 8 Zac Thomusseit (P), 9-5
HWT: No. 2 Ryan Tomei (P) dec. No. 13 Brendan Barlow (K), 6-5
Tomei Clutch as Pitt Wrestling Finishes 2-1 at Northeast Duals

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt wrestling team improved to 4-3 overall, Saturday, at the Journeyman Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y.

Ranked No. 14 in the country, the Panthers recorded victories over Penn (16-15) and No. 23 Virginia (21-15) before falling to American (21-19) at Hudson Valley Community College.

Trailing late in the first two contests, Pitt came from behind twice to record victories over Penn and Virginia. Ryan Tomei played a major role in both wins with the outcome on the line.

In the first match, Penn led 15-13 after nine bouts. Tomei -- who entered the day ranked ninth in the country at heavyweight -- picked up an 8-2 decision to give the Panthers the 16-15 victory.

The Panthers fell behind 6-0 but received a boost when NCAA All-American Tyler Nauman (141) returned to the lineup after missing the first four matches of the season due to injury. Nauman notched a 4-2 decision over No. 16 Zack Kemmerer.

Dane Johnson (149) followed with a 4-0 decision over Andrew Lenzi to even the team score at 6-6.

At 157, Donnie Tasser put the Panthers in the lead with a 13-0 major decision, but Penn quickly tied the match again with a victory at 165.

In a back and forth battle, the Quakers regained leads of 12-10 and 15-13 before Tomei's win clinched the match.

In a matchup of ranked teams, the Panthers again came up victorious with a strong 21-15 victory over Virginia.

With the match on the line and tied at 15-15, Tomei again showed why he's one of the best heavyweights in the country.

Picking up his ninth win of the season, Tomei pinned John Danilkowicz at the 2:04 mark to give the Panthers the 21-15 win.

Nauman and Donnie Tasser picked up their second victories on the day while P.J. Tasser won in his first dual meet action this season, recording and 8-5 victory.

With the Cavaliers leading 15-12 with two bouts remaining, Zac Thomusseit avenged his loss earlier in the day with a 5-1 decision over Mike Salopek at 197, allowing Tomei to close it out with the pin.

In the final match of the day, the Panthers fell to the American Eagles, 21-19.

Pitt again found itself trailing, but this time the 21-3 deficit proved to be too much despite an impressive comeback attempt.

After Anthony Zanetta (125) put the Panthers up 3-0, the Eagles claimed the next five bouts.

Ethan Headlee started the rally for the Panthers, recording his fastest pin of the season with a fall at 1:34.

At 184, Max Thomusseit won by major decision and older brother Zac edged Daniel Mitchell, 8-6 to bring the Panthers within five, 21-16.

Tomei finished the day 3-0 with a 6-4 decision over Ryan Flores to make the final result 21-19 in favor of the Eagles.

Flores entered the day ranked as the third best heavyweight, but Tomei improved to 10-1 on the season, with his lone loss coming at the hands of the No. 1 ranked Zach Rey of Lehigh.

Pitt will have a week off from dual matches as the team travels to State College, Pa. to take part in the Penn State Open on Sunday, Dec. 5.

(No. 14) Pitt 16 Penn 15

125: Mark Rappo (Penn) dec. No. 20 Anthony Zanetta (Pitt), 6-5

133: No. 10 Rollie Peterkin (Penn) dec. Shelton Mack (Pitt), 7-2

141: No. 3 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. No. 16 Zack Kemmerer (Penn), 4-2

149: Dane Johnson (Pitt) dec. Andrew Lenzi (Penn), 4-0

157: Donnie Tasser (Pitt) maj. dec Tom Timothy (Penn), 13-0

165: Stephan Burak (Penn) dec. Adam Counterman (Pitt), 5-0

174: No. 10 Scott Giffin (Penn) dec. No. 17 Ethan Headlee (Pitt), 4-3

184: Max Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. Harrison cook (Penn), 10-7

197: No. 13 Micah Burak (Penn) dec. No. 9 Zac Thomusseit (Pitt), 3-2

HWT: No. 9 Ryan Tomei (Pitt) dec. Kyle Cowan (Penn), 8-2

(No. 14) Pitt 21 (No. 23) Virginia 15

125: Matthew Snyder (V) dec. No. 20 Anthony Zanetta (P), 6-4

133: Joseph Spisak (V) dec. Shelton Mack (P), 7-2

141: No. 3 Tyler Nauman (P) FALL (4:06) Augustus Sako (V)

149: Derek Valenti (V) dec. Dane Johnson (P), 2-1 TB

157: Donnie Tasser (P) dec. Shawn Harris (V), 7-2

165: P.J. Tasser (P) dec. Charles Miller (V), 8-5

174: No. 2 Christopher Henrich (V) dec. No. 17 Ethan Headlee (P), 5-2

184: No. 19 Jon Fausey (V) dec. Max Thomusseit (P), 6-3

197: No. 9 Zac Thomusseit (P) dec. No. 17 Mike Salopek (V), 5-1

HWT: No. 9 Ryan Tomei (P) FALL (2:04) John Danilkowicz (V)

American 21 (No. 14) Pitt 19

125: No. 20 Anthony Zanetta (P) dec. Thomas Williams (A), 12-6

133: Kevin Tao (A) dec. Shelton Mack (P), 12-8

141: Matt Mariacher (A) dec. No. 3 Tyler Nauman (P), 6-4

149: No. 14 Ganbayar Sanjaa (A) FALL (0:43) Dane Johnson (P)

157: No. 1 Steve Fittery (A) TF5 (6:09) Donnie Tasser (P), 15-0

165: Patrick Graham (A) maj. dec. P.J. Tasser (P), 13-4

174: No. 17 Ethan Headlee (P) FALL (1:34) Phillip Barreiro (A)

184: Max Thomusseit (P) maj. dec. Thomas Barreiro (A), 15-5

197: No. 7 Zac Thomusseit (P) dec. No. 20 Daniel Mitchell (A), 8-6

HWT: No. 9 Ryan Tomei (P) dec. No. 3 Ryan Flores (A), 6-4No. 18 Michigan Rallies Late, Defeats No. 14 Pitt Wrestling, 17-15

ANN ARBOR, MICH.-The Pitt wrestling team dropped its second consecutive match to a ranked opponent, falling to No. 18 Michigan, 17-15, Sunday in Ann Arbor.

In a back and forth match, the Panthers fell behind early, 10-3, before rallying to take a 15-10 lead with two bouts remaining. The Panthers were unable to put the match away, as the Wolverines picked up seven points in the final two matchups, securing a 17-15 win.

As the host, Michigan chose to begin the dual meet at the 141-pound division. The Wolverines jumped to a 4-0 lead when Kellen Russell recorded a major decision over Mike Tully, 11-2. Pitt's Tyler Nauman, ranked No. 3 in the country, was forced to sit out due to injury for the second consecutive match.

The Panthers rebounded when sophomore Dane Johnson picked up a 10-8 sudden victory win over nationally ranked Eric Grajales, who entered the season ranked No. 6 in the country at 133, but moved up two weight classes to 149. Johnson recorded a takedown in overtime, after the two were tied 8-8 after three periods.

Michigan would pick up six points in the next two bouts, both by decision, and take a 10-3 lead.

Pitt, however, would rally by going on a steak of its own.

At 174, redshirt junior Ethan Headlee started the rally for the Panthers, defeating No. 16 Justin Zeerip, 3-1 in SV3. Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, Headlee picked up an escape to force sudden victory. With both grapplers failing to score in the tiebreak, the match went to overtime, where Headlee scored a takedown to win the bout and close the gap to 10-6.

Max Thomusseit pulled the Panthers within one point, defeating Hunter Collins, 5-3 at 184. The freshman picked up a takedown, reversal and an escape en route to victory.

In a battle of top ranked grapplers at 197, junior Zac Thomusseit -- who entered the week ranked No. 12 -- put the Panthers ahead for the first time with a 3-0 decision over No. 5 Anthony Biondo. Thomusseit scored all three points in the final period with a takedown plus riding time. With the win, the Panthers led the match 12-10.

Ryan Tomei added to the Panthers lead, scoring an 8-7 decision over Ben Apland. The No. 11 ranked redshirt senior used two takedowns and a reversal along with two escapes to earn the victory, and put the Panthers in command, 15-10.

The Wolverines pulled the match within two points following an 8-5 decision by Sean Boyle over No. 14 Anthony Zanetta.

With the score 15-13, in favor of Pitt, Zac Stevens of Michigan scored a 16-5 major decision over Shelton Mack, to win the match. Russell was able score five takedowns and a three-point near-fall to seal the victory for the Wolverines.

Pitt will travel to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the Buckeye Duals on Sat. Nov. 21. The Panthers will take on Nebraska at 10 a.m. followed by Ohio State at 11:30 a.m.

Michigan 17, Pitt 15:

141 - Kellen Russell (M) maj. dec. Mike Tully (P), 11-2.
149 - Dane Johnson (P) dec. Eric Grajales, (M), 10-8 SV.
157 - Aaron Hynes (M) dec. Donnie Tasser (P), 5-3.
165 - Dan Yates (M) dec. Adam Counterman (P), 7-0.
174 - Ethan Headlee (P) dec. No. 16 Justin Zeerip (M), 3-1 SV3.
184 - Max Thomusseit (P) dec. Hunter Collins (M), 5-3.
197 - No. 12 Zac Thomusseit (P) dec. No. 5 Anthony Biondo (M), 3-0.
HWT - No. 11 Ryan Tomei (P) dec. Ben Apland (M), 8-7.
125 - Sean Boyle (M) dec. No. 14 Anthony Zanetta (P), 8-5.
133 - Zac Stevens (M) maj. dec. Shelton Mack (P), 16-5.
No. 14 Pitt Wrestling Stumbles Against No. 15 Lehigh, 29-7
PITTSBURGH-The Pitt wrestling team dropped its opening dual match to Lehigh, 29-7, Friday night at the Fitzgerald Field House. The Mountain Hawks claimed eight of the ten bouts.

The Lehigh victory snaps the Panthers 11-match winning streak and their first loss in 16 dual meets. The Panthers last defeat came at the hands of the Mountain Hawks on November 15, 2009 in Bethlehem, Pa.

"It's always a difficult start to a season when you have to face a strong opponent like Lehigh," Pitt Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer said after the match. "It would have been nice to get a few extra dual matches under our belts, but we'll work on our mistakes and look to rebound right away."

The Panthers got off to a strong start, winning the opening bout in the 125-pound match. Pitt sophomore Anthony Zanetta recorded five takedowns and one near-fall en route to a 17-4 major decision victory over Mitch Berger of Lehigh.

The Mountain Hawks quickly evened the score when Frank Cagnina scored a 12-4 major decision over the Panthers Shelton Mack.

Pitt wrestled the competition without its top ranked grappler, Tyler Nauman, who was forced to sit out the match due to an injury. Freshman Mike Tully replaced Nauman in the lineup.

Junior Zac Thomusseit recorded the other Panther victory, defeating Joe Kennedy, 7-4. With the score tied at 3-3, Thomusseit was able to get a takedown followed by a near-fall in the third period to secure the victory.

In a matchup that featured two of the top heavyweights in the country, Lehigh's Zach Rey was able to pick up an escape in overtime that would turn out to be the decider, as Rey defeated Ryan Tomei, 2-1, in a very tightly contested match. Rey entered the contest as the No.1 ranked heavyweight, while Tomei was ranked No. 11.

"I thought Ryan fought hard tonight and wrestled well enough to win," Stottlemyer added. "Ryan's a real competitor, and I wouldn't be surprised if he faced Zach (Rey) later in the year at the NCAA's."

The announced attendance was 562. The match will air on the Pitt Panthers television network on Sunday during the regularly scheduled eight hours of air time (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.).

The Panthers will have a short break before traveling to Ann Arbor, Mich. when they take on No. 18 Michigan on Sunday, Nov. 14. Match time is at 2 p.m.

Lehigh 29, Pitt 7:

125 - Zanetta (P) maj. dec. Berger (L), 17-4.
133 - Cagnina (L) maj. dec. Mack (P), 12-4.
141 - Dutton (L) maj. dec. Tully (P), 15-2.
149 - Napoli (L) dec. Johnson, (P)5-1.
157 - Bilodeau (L) FALL D. Tasser (P) (6:16)
165 - Hatchett (L) dec. Counterman (P), 5-1.
174 - Keys (L) dec. Headlee (P), 6-4.
184 - Hamlin (L) dec. M. Thomusseit (P), 10-8.
197 - Z. Thomusseit (P) dec. Kennedy (L), 7-4
HWT - Rey (L) dec. Tomei (P), 2-1 (OT)
No. 14 Pitt to Host No.17 Lehigh, Former Pitt NCAA Champion

PITTSBURGH-The Pitt wrestling team will open its dual meet season in a clash of top-20 teams as the Panthers take on Lehigh at Fitzgerald Field House on Friday, Nov. 12. The Mountain Hawks are led by former Pitt standout wrestler and Hall-of-Famer Pat Santoro, who, under the direction of current Pitt Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer, won two NCAA Championships and set numerous records at Pitt.

Pitt returns six NCAA qualifiers this season, including Anthony Zanetta, Tyler Nauman, Ethan Headlee, Zac Thomusseit, Matt Wilps and Ryan Tomei. With the exception of Wilps (who plans to redshirt this season), all five returnees are projected to be in the starting lineup.

The highlight matchup of the night will feature two of the top heavyweights in the country in Tomei and Zach Rey. Tomei, enters the season ranked No. 11 in the country while Rey is ranked No. 1.

Last year, the Mountain Hawks handed the Panthers their only loss in the dual meet season, 24-9, on Nov. 15, in Bethlehem, Pa.

Santoro's records at Pitt include career wins (167), pins (43), pins in a season (18), wins in a season (49), wins by a sophomore (42), wins by a junior (48), wins by a senior (49), most matches without a loss (54). Santoro is the only Panther in history to garner NCAA All-America honors in all four seasons.

During the 1987-88 season, Santoro did not lose a match at the 142-weight class, posting a 48-0 record and claiming his first National Championship. Santoro continued his success as a senior, compiling 49 wins and winning his second consecutive national title.

The Panthers are led by Stottlemyer, who was recently inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for a Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award. Stottlemyer was also named to the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in April of 2010.

The matchup will be the 55th in history between the two teams. The Panthers are 15-37-2 all-time against the Mountain Hawks.
Pitt Wrestling Places 14, Wins Six Titles at Clarion Open

CLARION, PA.-Pitt's wrestling team started the season Saturday at the Knight Point Clarion Open the way it wrestled most of last year, by dominating the competition. In all, 14 Panthers placed and six won titles. Champions included Tyler Nauman, Adam Counterman, Ethan Headlee, Max Thomusseit, Zac Thomusseit and Ryan Tomei.

The Panthers finished fifth or better in all nine weight classes entered (Pitt did not have any participants at the 125-weight class). In three weight classes, the championship bout featured an all-Pitt final.

Coming off an All-America season, Nauman won the 141 title for the second year in a row, defeating fellow Panther Mike Tully, 9-2, in the final. Nauman finished the tournament 4-0, while Tully went 4-1.

Counterman picked up his first career title, wining at 165 over teammate P.J. Tasser, 3-1, in the final. Counterman improved on last year's fourth-place finish at the tournament.

At 174, Headlee picked up his second consecutive title in Clarion, defeating Greg Zannetti (Rutgers), 9-6, in the final. Headlee trailed 6-2 in the match, but fought back to win. Headlee recorded two falls on the way to the championship with both coming at exactly 3:30 into the match.

Freshman Max Thomusseit started off his career at Pitt in winning fashion, recording two falls while going 4-0 en route to claiming the 184 title. Thomusseit defeated teammate Andy Vaughan, 11-7, in the final.

Older brother Zac Thomusseit followed up with a victory of his own at 197. The junior cruised through the competition, going 3-0 on the day, picking up a fall and a major decision. In the final, Thomusseit defeated Alex Thomas (Clarion), 11-5, to pick up his first career title.

At the heavyweight division, Tomei won all four matches, including two by fall and one by a tech fall to take the title. In the final, Tomei recorded a 12-5 decision over Quintas McCorkle of Clarion.

Tomei recorded the quickest fall of his career, pinning Joe Welton (Mercyhurst) 38 seconds into the match. The fall was the quickest by a Panther since Chris Kochinsky pinned Alex Mortiz of Rider on Nov. 28, 2009 at the MAT Town Open.

At 133, freshman Shelton Mack took third place after recording a 4-1 record. Mack recorded one fall and picked up a 1-0 decision over Connor Hannafee (Army) in the third-place match.

At 149, Dane Johnson took third place, defeating teammate Josh Pascazi, 1-0, in the consolation final. Johnson finished 3-1 on the day while Pascazi went 3-2.

Redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser placed fourth at 157. Tasser was forced to default the third place match after an injury in the semifinal. Freshman Tyler Wilps placed fifth, posting a 6-1 record.

No. 14 Pitt returns home to host No. 17 Lehigh in the season opening dual meet on Friday, Nov. 12 at Fitzgerald Field House. The match will begin at 7 p.m.
Blue Defeats Gold 12-9 in Pitt Wrestle Offs

PITTSBURGH-The Pitt wrestling team hosted its annual Blue and Gold intrasquad wrestle-off on Sunday at Fitzgerald Field House. The Blue team defeated the gold team 12-9

"It's good to get the guys on the mat for some live action," Pitt head coach Rande Stottlemyer said. "These guys wrestle against each other every day in practice, so they know what to expect when they go against one another."

The event featured 13 matchups including five preliminaries to set the field for the Blue vs. Gold format.

In the 133-pound weight class, Shelton Mack defeated Erik Galloway 8-4 in the first preliminary round before winning the division with an 11-6 win over Zach Grove.

At 149, Dane Johnson recorded a 4-2 decision over Victor Konno to win the weight class. Konno defeated Kyle Patton in the preliminary round with a 4-0 victory.

Patton also wrestled in an exhibition against Mike Tully. In a close match, Tully won 3-2 on riding time.

In the largest bracket, Donnie Tasser defeated Tyler Wilps 3-1 in overtime to claim the 157 division. Tasser was able to record a takedown after the two remained tied at 1-1 after three periods. Wilps claimed a tightly contested 2-1 victory over Troy Reaghard, picking up the extra point on riding time. Tasser defeated Kyle Flick by a tech-fall in the third period, leading 18-3.

Adam Counterman won at 165, defeating P.J. Tasser 3-2 in the day's opening match of the finals.

In the second finals of the day, returning two-time NCAA qualifier Ethan Headlee defeated Karl DeCiantis 3-0 to win at 174. Headlee recorded a takedown and escape in the second period.

Max Thomusseit gave the Blue squad its first lead of the day, after he recorded a 9-3 decision over Andy Vaughan.

Older brother Zac Thomusseit would even the score for Gold, taking out Matt Wilps in a matchup of returning NCAA qualifiers. Thomusseit was able to get a reversal in the second overtime to record the 4-3 victory.

The Panthers will have a week off before competing in the Clarion Open on Nov. 6. The dual meet season begins on Nov. 12 when the Panthers host Lehigh at Fitzgerald Field House.
Pitt Wrestling to Begin the Season with Intrasquad Match on Sunday, Oct. 24

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt wrestling team beings its quest to repeat as EWL champions when it holds its annual intrasquad match on Sunday at Fitzgerald Field House. The event will begin at 1:30 p.m. and admission is free.

Tweny-four wrestlers will compete in the match, including returning NCAA qualifiers Ethan Headlee, Matt Wilps, Zac Thomusseit and Ryan Tomei.

While there will not be any matches in the 125 and 141 divisions, four grapplers will compete at the 133 weight class. Zack Grove will face off against Mike Tully to represent the blue team. Erik Galloway will square off against Shelton Mack to represent the gold team.

Five different wrestlers will compete in the 149 draw. Christian Fagan will face Josh Pascazi with the winner to meet Dane Johnson for representation of the gold team. The blue team will feature the winner of Victor Konno vs. Kyle Patton.

At the 157 division, four wrestlers will vie for the title. Donnie Tasser and Kyle Flick will battle to represent the blue squad while Troy Reaghard and Tyler Wilps will compete to represent the gold team.

The 165 weight class will feature three wrestlers. Adam Counterman will compete for the gold team and will face the winner of Phil Sorrentino and P.J. Tasser for the blue squad.

Headlee, who returns after redshirting last season, will represent the blue team and face off against Karl DeCiantis of the gold team for the 174 crown.

Andy Vaughan will take on Max Thomusseit for the 184 title. Vaughn will compete for the gold team and Thomusseit for the blue team.

In perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the day, two returning NCAA qualifiers, Matt Wilps and Max Thomusseit will vie for the 197 title. Wilps is the defending champion in the EWL at the weight class while Thomusseit moves up from 184 lbs. Wilps will represent the blue squad and Thomusseit will compete for the gold squad.

The final matchup of the day will feature another returning NCAA qualifier in Tomei. Last season, Tomei won the EWL championship at the HWT division and will look to pick up where he left off. He will represent the gold team and face off against Stephen King of the blue team.
The match will use a regular scoring system and two mats.
The following is a breakdown of the split-squad rosters:

Blue Gold
133: Zach Grove, Mike Tully Erik Galloway, Shelton Mack
149: Victor Konno, Kyle Patton Christian Fagan, Josh Pascazi, Dane Johnson
157: Donnie Tasser, Kyle Flick Troy Reaghard, Tyler Wilps
165: Phil Sorrentino, P.J. Tasser Adam Counterman
174: Ethan Headlee Karl DeCiantis
184: Max Thomusseit Andy Vaughan
197: Matt Wilps Zac Thomusseit
HWT: Stephen King Ryan Tomei
Pitt Wrestling Releases Schedule
Pitt wrestling to host six matches, face seven teams that finished in the top-25 at 2010 NCAA's

PITTSBURGH - Coming off possibly its most successful season in school history, Pitt wrestling has released its upcoming 2010-11 schedule, as announced by Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer Friday.

After posting a 17-1-1 dual meet record last season, and winning the EWL regular season title, the Panthers will return 10 lettermen, including five NCAA qualifiers for the 2010-11 season.

The Panthers will face a challenging schedule in 2010-11, including seven teams that finished among the top 25 at the 2010 NCAA Championships: Ohio State (8th), Penn State (9th), Nebraska (T-12th), American (14th), Edinboro (16th), Lehigh (17th) and Kent State (25th).

The annual Blue vs. Gold wrestle-offs will kick off the season on October 24, at Fitzgerald Field House. The event will start at 1:30 p.m.

The Panthers will also compete in three tournaments, starting with the Clarion Open on Nov. 6. Other tournaments include the Penn State Open on Dec. 5 in State College, and the Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., on Dec. 29-30.

Pitt opens the dual season at home, when the Panthers host Lehigh on Nov. 12. The Mountain Hawks are coached by former Pitt wrestling standout Pat Santoro. In his four years at Pitt, Santoro amassed 167 victories and 43 pins - both current records.

The Panthers will then travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on Big Ten powerhouse Michigan on Nov. 14.

The team will compete in the Buckeye Duals in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 21 where they will take on top-20 teams in Nebraska and Ohio State. Following the Buckeye Duals, Pitt will travel to Albany, N.Y., on Nov. 27 when the Panthers compete in the Journeyman Northeast Duals against Penn, Virginia and American.

Pitt's second home match will be held on Dec. 12 when the Panthers host Kent State. Following the Midland Championships, the Panthers will return home to host the Pitt Duals on Jan 9.

This year's Pitt Duals will feature Davidson, Drexel, Millersville and Northwestern - all of whom the Panthers will face in the event.

Eastern Wrestling League competition begins on Jan. 14 with a 7 p.m. meeting at Lock Haven.
A week later, the Panthers will face in-state rival Penn State. Last season both teams fought to a 19-19 tie in Pittsburgh.

Pitt's first EWL home match will feature Bloomsburg on Jan. 30. Rounding out the EWL home matches are West Virginia on Feb. 4 and Cleveland State on Feb. 11.

Pitt will travel to Clarion this year on Feb. 10, and finish the regular season on the road against Edinboro. Last year, Pitt clinched the EWL season title with a 21-13 victory over the Fighting Scots on home turf.

On March 6, Pitt will travel back to Bloomsburg for the EWL Championships. March 17-19, the Panthers look to the NCAA Championships, held in Philadelphia, Pa.

For more information and up-to-date match times, fans are encouraged to visit the Pitt team website at www.pittsburghpanthers.com
2010-11 SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
Oct 24 Blue & Gold Matches 6:00 p.m.                                              
Nov. 6 Clarion Open All Day                  
Nov. 12 LEHIGH 7 p.m.
Nov. 14 @ Michigan 2 p.m.
Nov. 21 Buckeye Duals All Day
vs. Nebraska
vs. Ohio State
Nov. 27 Journeyman Northeast Duals All Day                                                                  
vs. Pennsylvania                           
vs. Virginia                                      
vs. American                                  
Dec. 5 @Penn State Open All Day                                  
Dec. 12 KENT STATE 12 p.m. 
Dec. 29 Midlands Championship All Day                                  
Dec. 30 Midlands Championship All Day                                  
Jan. 9 PITT DUALS 9 a.m.                                                                    
vs. Davidson                                 
vs. Drexel
vs. Millersville
vs. Northwestern                         
Jan. 14 @ Lock Haven 7 p.m.                                    
Jan. 21 @Penn State 7 p.m.                                    
Jan. 30 BLOOMSBURG TBD
Feb. 4 WVU 7 p.m.                                    
Feb. 10 @ Clarion 7 p.m.                                    
Feb. 11 CLEVELAND STATE 7 p.m.                                    
Feb. 19 @ Edinboro 7 p.m.                                    
March 6 EWL CHAMPIONSHIPS All Day
March 17 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS All Day
March 18 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS             
March 19 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS                             

Pitt Junior Ryan Tomei Named to NWCA All-Academic Team

PITTSBURGH - Pitt junior Ryan Tomei has earned a spot on the National Wrestling Coaches Association's All-Academic Team, adding to an outstanding athletic season in 2010.

Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) recorded a 3.21 grade point average in clinical dietetics and nutrition to earn a spot on the all-academic squad.

On the mat, Tomei quickly became one of the most feared heavyweights in the country, claiming the Eastern Wrestling League title at 285, and advancing to the NCAA Championship in his first year as a starter for the Panthers as the No. 8 seed.

In dual matches on the season, Tomei went 16-2 and helped lead Pitt to their first-ever regular-season EWL Championship. In addition, he recorded 13 falls on the year to lead Pitt and finished the season with a 33-7 overall record.

Recently Tomei took third at the University Freestyle Nationals and will attend the University World Team Trials in Colorado Springs at the end of May.
Pitt Wrestling Coach Stottlemyer Inducted Into The Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame

PITTSBURGH - Pitt wrestling coach Rande Stottlemyer will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame on Sunday, April 18, as announced by the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association.

A native of Hermitage, Pa., Stottlemyer is one of 12 former wrestlers, coaches and/or contributors in the 2010 Hall of Fame class. Stottlemyer will be induced as a wrestler after a stellar career at both the high school and collegiate level.

During his high school career, Stottlemyer was a PIAA State runner-up and two-time Junior National Freestyle Champion. He then continued his wrestling career at Pitt, where he was a four-time NCAA qualifier, a three-time NCAA All-American and the 1976 EWL Champion. He graduated from Pitt in 1978 with a career record of 68-16-2, eventually taking over the program as head coach in 1979.

Stottlemyer, who recently completed his 31st season as Pitt's head coach, led the Panthers to one of their best seasons in program history in 2009-10, as they won the Eastern Wrestling League Title for the first time since joining the league 35 years ago and saw sophomore Tyler Nauman earn All-America status. The four-time EWL Coach of the Year (2009-10, 2007-09, 1989-90, 1986-87) has coached at least one All-American in 20 of the last 27 years and was inducted into the EWL Hall of Fame in 2008.

The Class of 2010 is the 41st class to be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Pennsylvania Chapter. Ceremonies will be held on Sunday, April 18 at the Ramada Inn in State College, Pa.
Pitt’s Nauman Finishes Fifth Overall At NCAA Wrestling Championships

PITTSBURGH - Pitt sophomore Tyler Nauman was guaranteed All-America status following his second day of competition, however, the two-time NCAA qualifier improved his status Saturday by finishing fifth overall at the Division I NCAA Wrestling Championship held in Omaha, Neb.

Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) dropped his first match of the day in a tough 3-2 decision to No. 5 seeded Zack Bailey of Oklahoma, who went on to finish fourth at 141. In Nauman's fifth place match, he took a 3-2 decision over Germane Lindsey of Ohio to conclude his NCAA Championship run.

In his dual meet season, Nauman finished a perfect 18-0 and went on to win the EWL title at 141 with three consecutive wins. The sophomore, who entered the championship as a No. 10 seed, finished his season with a 36-5 record overall.

Nauman is now the fifth Pitt All-American in the last four seasons, joining Zach Sheaffer (2009), Keith Gavin (2008) and current Panther assistant coach Matt Kocher and Keith Gavin (2007).

Also competing in the 2010 NCAA Championship for Pitt were Anthony Zanetta (125), Eric Albright (149), Zac Thomusseit (184), Matt Wilps (197) and Ryan Tomei (285).
Pitt’s Nauman Guaranteed All-America Status

PITTSBURGH – Pitt sophomore Tyler Nauman won three straight matches, including a win over the No. 2 seed at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, as he has now been guaranteed All-America status heading into the final day of competition.

Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) entered the championship as the No. 10 seed in his second tournament appearance. His two wins in day one, set him up against No. 2 seeded Jamal Parks of Oklahoma State. Nauman took the 5-3 decision, advancing him to the semifinals.

Nauman met up with No. 6 seed Montell Marion of Iowa in the semis, and fell in a hard-fought match, 7-6. He will meet up with either Zach Bailey of Oklahoma or third-seeded Michael Thom of Minnesota in the wrestlebacks.

Also competing Friday for the Panthers were Anthony Zanetta at 125, Eric Albright at 149, Zac Thomusseit at 184, Matt Wilps at 197 and Ryan Tomei at heavyweight. After a strong two days of action, the five were eliminated from the tournament.

Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) fell into the consolation rounds after Friday night’s loss. Zanetta, who gained national respect for his outstanding wrestling during the week, battled against No. 9 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma, but fell 5-2.

At 149, Albright (York, Pa./Red Lion Area/Virginia) saw his collegiate career come to a close Friday night. Albright defeated Trenton Washington of Northern Iowa, 11-1, in the morning session, but fell 6-1 to fourth-seeded Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin in the second session of the day.

Thomusseit (St. Parris, Pa./St. Parris Graham) had an impressive 4-0 win over No. 12 seed David Craig of Lehigh in the morning session, but fell by a 5-3 decision to Josh Ithnen of Nebraska to conclude his stellar sophomore season.

Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) also picked up another win on the day with a 5-4 decision over Matt Casperson of Boise State. In the evening session, Wilps fell 3-2 to No. 9 seed Chad Beatty of Iowa.

Heavyweight Ryan Tomei entered the tournament as the No. 8 seed, but fell to the consolation rounds in the opening day of action. Tomei’s breakout season was cut short by an 8-3 loss to Cameron Wade of Penn State.

Nauman will continue his All-America performance Saturday morning with the final session taking place Saturday night.
Pitt Wrestling Sends Six To NCAA Championship

Albright earns an at-large bid for the Panthers

PITTSBURGH - Pitt's wrestling team will send six to the upcoming NCAA Championship to be held March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb.

The Panthers earned five automatic qualifiers following its Eastern Wrestling League Championship, and picked up an at-large bid to redshirt senior Eric Albright at 149.

Joining Albright (York, Pa./Red Lion Area/Virginia) will be Anthony Zanetta at 125, Tyler Nauman at 141, Zac Thomusseit at 184, Matt Wilps at 197 and Ryan Tomei at 285.

Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks), a true freshman at 125, has recorded a 33-8 record on the season. In his first championship, he will meet up with Andre Gonzales (22-11) of Cal State Fullerton in the first round. 

At 141, Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) will be making his second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. As a sophomore, Nauman (33-3) is seeded No. 10 and will face Cole Schmitt (20-16) of Wisconsin.

Albright (20-15) picked up Pitt's lone at-large spot and will make his second trip to NCAAs and will face Mario Mason of Minnesota (19-10). The transfer from Virginia earned a spot on the Cavaliers' NCAA team in 2008.

Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham), who has recorded a 20-8 record on the year, earns his first trip to the tournament at 184 and will face No. 2-seeded John Dergo (26-2) of Illinois in the opening round.

At 197, Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) hopes to use the momentum from his EWL title as he heads to his first NCAA Championship. Wilps (31-8) will face No. 11 seed Patrick Bond (16-11) of Illinois.

Rounding out Pitt's representatives will be Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford), who has earned the eighth seed in his first-ever NCAA appearance. Tomei (32-5) will face Ziad Haddad (17-9) of North Carolina.

Zanetta, Nauman, Wilps and Tomei each won their weight class at the EWL Championships on March 7 while Thomusseit finished second and Albright took third.

The NCAA Championship three-day event will be held at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb.
Four Claim EWL Titles For Pitt

Panthers Finish Second At League Championship

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.  - Four Pitt wrestlers claimed Eastern Wrestling League titles Sunday night in the championship tournament as the Panthers finished second (121.50) to Edinboro (135.5) at the WVU Coliseum.

Pitt's Anthony Zanetta, Tyler Nauman, Matt Wilps and Ryan Tomei each won their respective weight classes with Tomei being named the EWL Tournament Outstanding Wrestler for the meet.

With a successful morning session, the Panthers placed six in the finals and all 10 Pitt wrestlers advanced to the evening session.

At 125, freshman Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) got the night started right with a 4-2 decision over Shane Young of West Virginia to win the title.

Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) advanced to the finals at 133, but fell 2-0 in a hard-fought match against John Trumbetti of Lock Haven. Conroy finished second in the tournament.

Sophomore Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) was looking to defend his title at 141 from last season and was successful as he earned a 6-2 decision over Greg Lewis of Clarion.

Eric Albright suffered a first round loss to Mike Rowe of West Virginia (12-5) and fell into the consolation bracket. Albright (York, Pa./Red Lion Area/Virginia) rebounded, however and fought back to the third place match, where he earned a little redemption, defeating Rowe in their re-match, 7-3 to take third.

In possibly the most hard-fought battle of the day for the Panthers, Donnie Tasser (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) took two injury timeouts, but turned a 4-2 deficit into a sudden victory, 6-4, win over Corey Carlo of Cleveland State to take fifth place at 157.

At 165, Adam Counterman (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) scored a takedown with just seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 2-2 in the fifth place final. Counterman took advantage of the opportunity, scoring a takedown in sudden victory to take fifth place with the 4-2 win.

David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg) met up with Derek Caldwell of Lock Haven in the fifth place match at 174. Sullivan controlled the match and went on to the 5-1 win.

Zac Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) met up with Pat Bradshaw of Edinboro in the final at 184. The sophomore fell, 3-2, on a Bradshaw escape in the third period.

At 197, Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) earned his first EWL title with a 12-4 major decision over Alex Thomas of Clarion. Wilps needed just two wins on the day for the championship.

At the heavyweight, junior Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) ended his EWL season the way he lived the majority of it - with a pin. Tomei captured the title with a fall (6:25) over Brandon Williamson of West Virginia.

Pitt's automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Tournament, held March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb., will be Zanetta, Nauman, Thomusseit, Wilps and Tomei. Additional qualifiers will be announced Wednesday, March 10.
Pitt Wrestling Earns First Ever EWL Championship

PITTSBURGH - In dramatic fashion in front of over 1,900 fans on Senior Night, the Pitt wrestling team (17-1-1, 6-0 EWL) claimed their first-ever Eastern Wrestling League title Friday night in a 21-13 victory over rival Edinboro (8-6, 4-1 EWL) at Fitzgerald Field House.

"This win was satisfying, certainly," head coach Rande Stottlemyer said. "But I'm the same person whether we win or we lose. It was just neat for our guys. We had such a great atmosphere and we are putting a good product out. I was told by Steve Pederson and Chancellor Nordenberg that they are lighting the Victory Lights on the Cathedral tonight and I am really touched by that.

"We have been close so many times so it was nice to get this one," Stotlemyer continued. "We really out-wrestled them tonight though. We were aggressive and went after them. I have to give credit to our lead-off guy (Anthony Zanetta). He went up against one of the top guys in the country and it wasn't that close. He just creates momentum for this team every time he steps on the mat."

Stottlemyer, in his 31st season, brought Pitt its first EWL regular season or tournament title in the 35th year of the league. The Panthers also won their sixth league match of the season for a school record and their only undefeated conference mark.

Pitt's win over the Fighting Scots is also the first since the 1998 season, breaking an 11-match losing streak.

The Panthers looked to be in control, starting off the night winning the first five matches and taking a commanding 15-0 lead. Freshman Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) defeated the No. 7 wrestler at 125, 4-1, to take the early lead.

Senior Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) couldn't have asked for a better end to his collegiate career at Fitzgerald Field House as he closed out the 133 weight class with a 4-2 decision over Kyle Fluke.

At 141, sophomore Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown), who finished his dual season with an undefeated 18-0, had another strong performance with a 7-2 decision over Joel Webster. Nauman's 18 dual wins also ties the most in a season with Nick Mengerink's 18-0 record in 1997-98.

Senior Eric Albright (York, Pa./Red Lion Area/Virginia) followed that up with a hard-fought 4-3 decision at 149 over Torsten Gillespie. Donnie Tasser (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) sealed the match with a last-second decision, 7-6, over Johnny Greisheimer in the 157 weight class.

At 197, sophomore Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) added to the tally with a 4-2 decision over Shawn Fendone, which set up an all-star battle in the heavyweight. Seventh-ranked Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) matched up with No. 20 Chris Birchler with the score set at 18-13 in the final match of the night. Tomei needed to avoid a technical fall or a pin to seal the win for the Panthers. The junior looked strong from start to finish, taking the 7-3 decision and leading Pitt to the 21-13 team win.

The Panthers will have a break until the EWL tournament, held March 7 in Morgantown, W.Va. at the WVU Coliseum.

#18 Pitt 21, #25 Edinboro 13

125 - #19 Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. vs. #7 Eric Morrill (Edinboro) (4-1)

133 - #28 Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) dec. vs. Kyle Fluke (Edinboro) (4-2)

141 - #16 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. vs. Joel Webster (Edinboro) (7-2)

149 - #30 Eric Albright (Pitt) dec. vs. Torsten Gillespie (Edinboro) (4-3)

157 - Donnie Tasser (Pitt) dec. vs. Johnny Greisheimer (Edinboro) (7-6)

165 -#2 Jarrod King (Edinboro) MD vs. Adam Counterman (Pitt) (12-2)

174 - Phil Moricone (Edinboro) FALL vs. David Sullivan (Pitt) (4:15)

184 - Pat Bradshaw (Edinboro) dec. vs. #25 Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) (3-2)

197 - #19 Matt Wilps (Pitt) dec. vs. Shawn Fendone (Edinboro) (4-2)

285 - #7 Ryan Tomei (Pitt) dec. vs. #20 Chris Birchler (Edinboro) (7-3)
No. 18 Pitt Wrestling Remains Undefeated In EWL With 28-8 Win Over Clarion

PITTSBURGH - The 18th-ranked Pitt wrestling team (16-1-1, 5-0 EWL) claimed a 28-8 win over league foe Clarion Thursday night at Fitzgerald Field House, setting up the Eastern Wrestling League title match against Edinboro Feb. 19 at home.

"It was good that we got this one so we can now focus on Edinboro," said head coach Rande Stottlemyer. "This week of preparation will be the same as any other, but we are definitely looking forward to getting them in here for the match.

"Edinboro is a good team," Stottlemyer continued. "They have everyone back and always do a great job of being prepared at the end of the year."

The Panthers picked up their ninth consecutive win over Clarion, winning all but two bouts on the night. David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg) earned a major decision over Steven Cressley of Clarion, 10-8 at 174. Also with a bonus-point win on the night was junior heavyweight Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford), who pinned Quintas McCorkle in 2:48 to conclude the night's action.

Also picking up wins on the night were Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) at 125, with a 10-4 win over Joe Waltko of Clarion. At 133, Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) earned a 4-1 decision over Jay Ivanco and at 141, sophomore Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) defeated Greg Lewis, 10-6.

With Nauman's win, he moves into 10th place in wins by a sophomore in Pitt history with 29.

The Panthers suffered losses at 149 and 157, but rebounded to win the remaining five bouts. At 165, Adam Counterman (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) battled to a 6-4 decision over Nick Milano in overtime. Zac Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) defeated Clint Podish at 184, 5-0 and Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) picked up a 4-3 win over Alex Thomas.

The Panthers return to action Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. when they host Edinboro for the EWL title. The match will be held at Fitzgerald Field, with Pitt Wrestling Alumni's event to be held at 6 p.m., prior to the match.

"It will be great to have our alumni back here for the Edinboro match," Stottlemyer said. "We have typically had great participation in the past and I expect the same this season. We have great tradition at the University of Pittsburgh and I'm glad they are able to come back and continue to be a part of it."

#18 Pitt 28, Clarion 8

125 - Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. vs. Joe Waltko (Clarion) (10-4)

133 - Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) dec. vs. Jay Ivanco (Clarion) (4-1)

141 - Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. vs. Greg Lewis (Clarion) (10-6)

149 - James Fleming (Clarion) Tech Fall vs. Eric Albright (Pitt) dec. vs. (16-0)

157 -Hadley Harrison (Clarion) dec. vs. Donnie Tasser (Pitt) (7-4)

165 -Adam Counterman (Pitt) dec. OT Nick Milano (Clarion) (6-4)

174 - David Sullivan (Pitt) MD Steven Cressley (Clarion) (10-2)

184 - Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. vs. Clint Podish (Clarion) (5-0)

197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) dec. vs. Alex Thomas (Clarion) (4-3)

285 - Ryan Tomei (Pitt) FALL vs. Quintas McCorkle (Clarion) (2:48)
No. 18 Pitt Wrestling Grabs School-Record 15th Win At West Virginia

PITTSBURGH - The 18th-ranked Pitt wrestling team claimed their school-record 15th dual win of the season Tuesday night with a 19-15 win on the road at West Virginia to improve to 15-1-1 on the year.

The 2009-10 Pitt squad surpassed its 1994-95 team, which tallied a 14-9 record. The Panthers tied the record last week against Millersville with a 53-0 win and now sit at 15-1-1 overall and 4-0 in EWL action.

Pitt and Eastern Wrestling League rival West Virginia split the 10 bouts, but the Panthers came up with two bonus-point wins to take the four-point victory. Sophomore Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) pinned Ryan Romano at 141 in 2:30. At 184 Zac Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) earned a 10-2 major decision over Robert DeSano.

Also earning wins on the night were Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) with a 5-4 decision over Shane Young at 125; Donnie Tasser (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) defeated Kyle Easton 4-2 at 157 and David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./Delaware Valley) earned a decision over Matt Weston, 2-1 at 174.

Pitt returns to action Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. as the Panthers host Clarion at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers have just two regular season matches remaining this season, including Thursday against Clarion and Feb. 19 against Edinboro at home.

WVU 15, #18 Pitt 19
125: #19 Anthony Zanetta (PITT) dec. Shane Young (WVU), 5-4
133: #18 Colin Johnston (WVU) dec. Jimmy Conroy (PITT), 5-3
141: #18 Tyler Nauman (PITT) pinned Ryan Romano (WVU), 2:30
149: Mike Rowe (WVU) dec. Eric Albright (PITT), 4-3
157: Donnie Tasser (PITT) dec. Kyle Eason (WVU), 4-2
165: Donnie Jones (WVU) dec. Adam Counterman (PITT), 10-3
174: David Sullivan (PITT) dec. Matt Weston (WVU), 2-1
184: Zac Thomusseit (PITT) major dec. Rob DeSano (WVU), 10-2
197: Kyle Rooney (WVU) dec. #19 Matt Wilps (PITT), 5-2
HWT: Brandon Williamson (WVU) dec. #6 Ryan Tomei (PITT), 2-1
Pitt Wrestling Claims 28-6 Win Over Penn

PITTSBURGH - The 18th-ranked Pitt wrestling team improved to 13-1-1 with a 28-6 win over Penn Saturday afternoon at Fitzgerald Field House.

"I was very pleased today with our performance," Pitt head coach Rande Stottlemyer said. "It wasn't as close as I had anticipated, but we really out-hustled and out-wrestled them and I'm happy with the results. We had some guys get down early, like (Ryan) Tomei and (Tyler) Nauman and it didn't phase either one of them. They fought back.

"Our guys this year have really bought into the process," Stottlemyer continued. "We are young, but we have grown up a lot - just since the start of the season. We have confidence in what we're doing and that's a good thing."

The Panthers earned points on the first five weight classes as freshman Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) started Pitt off with a 4-3 decision over Mark Rappo of Penn at 125. At 133, Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) took a 5-3 win over Bryan Ortenzio, Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) earned a 10-4 win over Zach Kremmerer at 141 and Eric Albright (York, Pa./Red Lion Area/Virginia) defeated Troy Hernandez, 3-1, at 149. At 157, Donnie Tasser (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon) earned a win by medical forfeit after Matt Dragon was forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury.

At 165, Adam Counterman (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) fell in a tough one, 6-4, in the fourth overtime by sudden victory. Pitt's only other loss of the day came at 174 as Dave Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg) was defeated, 8-3, by Scott Giffin.

Pitt won at 184, 197 and 285, which is becoming commonplace for the Panthers. At 184, Zac Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) defeated Harrison Cook, 9-3. Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) earned a 2-1 win over Micah Burak and Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) earned a 14-5 major decision over Tyler Blakley.

The Panthers return to action Jan. 30 at Millersville for a 5 p.m. match. With a win, Pitt can tie its school record for dual match victories in a season with 14.  

Pitt 28, Penn 6

125 - Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. vs. Mark Rappo (Penn) (4-3)

133 - Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) dec. vs. Bryan Ortenzio (Penn) (5-3)

141 - Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. vs. Zach Kremmerer (Penn) (10-4)

149 -Eric Albright (Pitt) dec. vs. Troy Hernandez (Penn) (3-1)

157 -Donnie Tasser medical forfeit vs. Matt Dragon

165 - Gabe Burak (Penn) 4th OT vs. Adam Counterman (Pitt) (6-4)

174 - Scott Giffin (Penn) dec. vs. David Sullivan (Pitt) (8-3)

184 - Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. vs. Harrison Cook (Penn) (9-3)

197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) dec. vs. Micah Burak (Penn) (2-1)

285 - Ryan Tomei (Pitt) MD vs. Tyler Blakley (Penn) (14-5).
Pitt Wrestling Dominates In 43-3 Win At Cleveland State

PITTSBURGH - The 18th-ranked Pitt wrestling team (12-1-1, 3-0 EWL) claimed a dominating EWL victory Thursday night with a 43-3 win over Cleveland State.

The Panthers earned five bonus-point wins on the night including tech falls at 133 and 141, and pins at 184, 197 and 285.

At 133, senior Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) shut out Zech Huff, 16-0, in Pitt's first action of the day. The match at 125 was won by Pitt by default for an 11-0 Panther lead.

Sophomore Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) earned a technical fall, 17-2, over Mike Mencini at 141.

In the middle of the lineup, the Panthers earned three decisions including wins a 149, 165 and 174. At 149, junior Kyle Patton (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) earned a 7-3 decision over Dan Castillo, Adam Counterman (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) earned an 8-7 decision over Rob Michaels at 165 and David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg) earned a 3-2 win over Marcus Effner at 174.

The Panthers rounded out the night with three pins. Zac Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) took down Nick Anthony in 4:41 at 184 and Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) pinned Jeff Schuller in 2:11. Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) rounded out the night for Pitt with a fall over Chris Weber (1:29) for the 43-3 team win.

Pittsburgh 43, Cleveland State 3

125: Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) wins by forfeit (6-0 Pitt)

133: Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) 16-0 Tech Fall Zech Huff (CSU) (11-0 Pitt)

141: Tyler Nauman (Pitt) 17-2 Tech Fall Mike Mencini (CSU) (16-0 Pitt)

149: Kyle Patton (Pitt) 7-3 dec. Dan Castillo (CSU) (19-0 Pitt)

157: Corey Carlo (CSU) 7-4 dec. Donnie Tasser (Pitt) (19-3 Pitt)

165: Adam Counterman (Pitt) 8-7 dec. Rob Michaels (CSU) (22-3 Pitt)

174: David Sullivan (Pitt) 3-2 dec. Marcus Effner (CSU) (25-3 Pitt)

184: Zac Thomusseit )(Pitt) Fall 4:41 Nick Anthony (CSU) (31-3 Pitt)

197: Matt Wilps (Pitt) Fall 2:11 Jeff Schuller (CSU) (37-3 Pitt)

HWT: Ryan Tomei (Pitt) Fall 1:29 Chris Weber (CSU) (43-3 Pitt)
Pitt Wrestling Earns 28-9 Win Over Lock Haven

PITTSBURGH - The 18th-ranked Pitt wrestling team (10-1-1) moved to 1-0 in Eastern Wrestling League action Friday night with a 28-9 win over Lock Haven.

"(Anthony) Zanetta started us off right and then we got some strong performances late in the match from (Dave) Sullivan, (Matt) Wilps, (Zac) Thomusseit and (Ryan) Tomei," head coach Rande Stottlemyer said. "We need to get Jimmy Conroy going though. If we are going to win, we are going to need him. Overall though, we had some great performances though and some guys stepped up."

The Panthers picked up major decisions at 125 with Zanetta, Sullivan at 174, Wilps at 197 and Tomei at 285, while sophomore Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) pinned Nikkien Fauntleroy of Lock Haven (4:29) for his eighth pin of the year, and 26th of his young career.

Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) picked up a 13-3 win over Nick Hyatt of Lock Haven to get things started for the Panthers. Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg) claimed a 14-2 victory over Derek Caldwell and Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) won 14-5 over Harry Turner. Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) continued his domination at heavyweight, shutting out Dan Craig, 9-0.

Also picking up wins on the night for the Panthers were Adam Counterman (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) with a 7-6 decision over Kevin Dufresne of Lock Haven, and a 6-2 win over Jeremie Cook for Zac Thomusseit at 184.

The Panthers continue on in EWL action Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Bloomsburg.

"Sunday is huge for us," Stottlemyer said. "We need everyone in the lineup and someone is going to need to step up. Tonight, Counterman stepped up for us and we are going to need someone like that to come in and get a win. Every match in the EWL is big for us and Sunday is no exception."

Pitt 28, Lock Haven 9

125 - Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) MD vs. Nick Hyatt (LHU) (13-3)

133 - John Trumbetti (LHU) dec. vs. Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) (9-3)

141 - Tyler Nauman (Pitt) FALL Nikkien Fauntleroy (LHU) (4:29)

149 - Brock Parker (LHU) overtime (3rd) vs. Eric Albright (Pitt) (3-2)

157 - Seth Creasy (LHU) dec. vs. Donnie Tasser vs. (4-3)

165 - Adam Counterman (Pitt) dec. vs. Kevin Dufresne (LHU) (7-6)

174 -David Sullivan (Pitt) MD vs. Derek Caldwell (LHU) (14-2)

184 - Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. vs. Jeremie Cook (LHU) (6-2)

197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) MD vs. Harry Turner (LHU) (14-5)

285 - Matt Tomei (Pitt) MD vs. Dan Craig (LHU) (9-0).
Pitt Wrestling Claims Quad Meet With Three Strong Wins

PITTSBURGH - The 21st-ranked Pitt wrestling team improved to 9-1-1 on the year with three dominating wins on the day over Eastern Michigan, Columbia and Waynesburg. The Panthers defeated EMU 25-13, Columbia 28-9 and Waynesburg 39-3.

"The guys did a nice job and they wrestled hard," head coach Rande Stottlemyer said. "The last match (vs. Waynesburg) was nice because we got the backups in and it was an opportunity for them to showcase their talent at home. They are the fiber of our team and work so hard and I was excited that we got a chance to get them out there."

The Panthers had an impressive day as Zac Thomusseit and Matt Wilps each won three matches on the day, while other reserves were successful in their starts.

Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) started off the day with a 6-1 decision over Phillip Joseph of Eastern Michigan at 184. He followed that up with an 8-1 decision over Cary Aldrich of Columbia and a 5-2 decision over Corbin Semple of Waynesburg.

Wilps at 197 (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chariters Valley) collected a major decision (13-5) over Josh Lewis of Eastern Michigan, an 8-5 decision over Lou Miller of Columbia and an impressive pin of Robert Schultz in just 0:45.

Claiming falls on the day were Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) with a pin on Corey Phillips of EMU at 141 (2:21) and Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) pinned Kevin Lester of Columbia (2:31) in the heavyweight division. In addition, against Waynesburg, Jimmy Conroy recorded a fall over Nick Garber (3:58) at 133 and Adam Counterman recorded a tech fall (19-2) over Jared Roberts at 165, in addition to Wilps' fall in under a minute.

Getting a taste of the starting lineup was Donnie Tasser (Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon), who went 2-0 on the day including a 5-4 decision over Matt Dunn of Columbia in three overtimes, and a 15-3 major decision over Alex Evanoff of Waynesburg. Adam Counterman (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) earned the start at 165 against Waynesburg and claimed a 19-2 tech fall over Jared Roberts. Andy Vaughan (Gibsonia, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) also had a big win over the Jackets with an 11-1 major decision over Matthew Zimmerman at 174.

Pitt will return to action Friday, Jan. 15 when they host Lock Haven at 7 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House in the Panthers' first EWL match of the year.  

Pitt 25, Eastern Michigan 13

125 - Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. vs. Greg Egbert (EMU) (9-2)

133 - Sean Clair (EMU) dec. vs. Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) (2-0)

141 - Tyler Nauman (Pitt) FALL vs. Corey Phillips (EMU) (2:21)

149 - Eric Albright (Pitt) dec. vs. J.J. Johnson (EMU)(4-2)

157 - Aaron Sulzer (EMU) MD vs. Mark Powell (Pitt) (11-2)

165 - Justin Brandel (EMU) FALL vs. Karl DeCiantis (Pitt) (1:03)

174 - David Sullivan (Pitt) dec. vs. Nick Hendrick (EMU) (9-2)

184 - Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. vs. Phillip Joseph (EMU) (6-1)

197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) MD vs. Josh Lewis (EMU) (13-5)  

285 - Ryan Tomei (Pitt) dec. vs. David Wade (EMU) (5-1)

Pitt 28, Columbia 9

125 - Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia) dec. vs. Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) (9-3)

133 - Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) MD vs. Andrew Grabfelder (Columbia) (12-0)

141 - Tyler Nauman (Pitt) wins by forfeit

149 - Steve Santos (Columbia) dec. vs. Eric Albright (Pitt) (3-1)

157 - Donnie Tasser (Pitt) dec. OT vs. Matt Dunn (Columbia) (5-4)

165 - Eren Civan (Columbia) dec. vs. Karl DeCiantis (Pitt) (9-5)

174 - David Sullivan (Pitt) dec. vs. Stephen West (Columbia) (5-2)

184 - Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. vs. Cary Aldrich (Columbia) (8-1)

197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) dec. vs. Lou Miller (Columbia) (8-5)  

285 - Ryan Tomei (Pitt) FALL vs. Kevin Lester (Columbia) (2:31)

Pitt 39, Waynesburg 3

125 - Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) MD vs. Alex Crown (Waynesburg) (14-3)

133 - Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) FALL vs. Nick Garber (Waynesburg) (3:58)

141 - Jesse Byerly (Waynesburg) dec. vs. Victor Konno (Pitt) (8-4)

149 - Kyle Patton (Pitt) dec. vs. Garett Johnston (Waynesburg) (5-4)

157 - Donnie Tasser (Pitt) MD vs. Alex Evanoff (Waynesburg) (15-3)

165 -Adam Counterman (Pitt) Tech FALL vs. Jared Roberts (Waynesburg) (19-2)

174 - Andy Vaughan (Pitt) MD vs. Matthew Zimmerman (Waynesburg) (11-1)

184 - Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. vs. Corbin Semple (Waynesburg) (5-2)

197 - Matt Wilps (Pitt) FALL vs. Robert Schultz (Waynesburg) (0:45)

285 - A.J. Hunte (Pitt) MD vs. Rick Janicki (Waynesburg) (21-8)

Columbia 31, Waynesburg 15

125 - Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia) MD vs. Alex Crown (Waynesburg) (11-0)

133 - Nick Garber (Waynesburg) FALL vs. Andrew Grabfelder (Columbia) (4:00)

141 - Jesse Byerly (Waynesburg) wins by forfeit

149 - Steve Santos (Columbia) MD vs. Garett Johnston (Waynesburg) (10-0)

157 - Matt Dunn (Columbia) MD vs. Jon Sanko (Waynesburg) (14-4)

165 - Eren Civan (Columbia) FALL vs. Jared Roberts (Waynesburg) (2:55)

174 - Stephen West (Columbia) MD vs. Matthew Zimmerman (Waynesburg) (9-1)

184 -Corbin Semple (Waynesburg) dec. vs. Cary Aldrich (Columbia) (7-0)

197 - Lou Miller (Columbia) TF vs. Robert Schultz (Waynesburg) (19-0) (2:54)

285 - Kevin Lester (Columbia) MD vs. Melvin Warrick (Waynesburg) (9-0)

Eastern Michigan 36, Waynesburg 11

125 - Alex Crown (Waynesburg) MD vs. Greg Egbert (EMU) (18-2)

133 - Andrew Novak (EMU) FALL vs. Chris Mullins (Waynesburg) (6:56)

141 - David Pienaar (EMU) dec. vs. Jesse Byerly (Waynesburg) (3-2)

149 - J.J. Johnson (EMU) MD vs. Abdul Yusuff (Waynesburg) (18-0)

157 - Aaron Sulzer (EMU) MD vs. Alex Evanoff (Waynesburg) (11-0)

165 - Alex Ortman (EMU) MD vs. Jared Roberts (Waynesburg) (9-0)

174 - Nick Hendrick (EMU) dec. vs. Matt Zimmerman (Waynesburg) (4-0)

184 - Corbin Semple (Waynesburg) FALL vs. Phillip Joseph (EMU) (5:40)

197 - Josh Lewis (EMU) FALL vs. Robert Schultz (Waynesburg) (2:41)

285 - Wes Schroeder (EMU) MD vs. Melvin Warrick (Waynesburg) (18-3)

Eastern Michigan 21, Columbia 18

125 - Kyle Gilchrist (Columbia) def. Greg Egbert (EMU)

133 - Sean Claire (EMU) def. Andrew Grabfelder (Columbia)

141 - Corey Phillips (EMU) won by forfeit

149 - Steve Santos (Columbia) def. J.J. John son (EMU)

157 - Aaron Sulzer (EMU) def. Matt Dunn (Columbia)

165 - Eren Civan (Columbia) def. Justin Brandel (EMU)

174 - Nick Hendrick (EMU) def. Stephen West (Columbia)

184 - Cary Aldrich (Columbia) def. Phillip Joseph (EMU)

197 - Lou Miller (Columbia) def. Josh Lewis (EMU)

285 - David Wade (EMU) def. Kevin Lester (Columbia)
Six Pitt Wrestlers Place At Nittany Lion Open

PITTSBURGH - The 25th-ranked Pitt wrestling team had a successful day at the Nittany Lion Open Sunday as six Panthers placed, highlighted by a second place finish by junior heavyweight Ryan Tomei.

Also placing on the day were Anthony Zanetta at 125 (fifth), Tyler Nauman at 141 (fifth), Mark Powell at 157 (seventh), Ethan Headlee at 174 (sixth) and Matt Wilps at 197 (fourth) in addition to Tomei.

Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) won his first two matches of the day before falling to the consolation bracket. The true freshman didn't let that discourage him, however, as he won five consecutive, including a major decision and a fall, to take fifth. Zanetta claimed that fifth place spot by a close 9-8 decision over Matthew Snyder of Virginia.

Previously undefeated headed into the weekend, Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) started off the weekend strong at 141 with a 12-0 major decision in the first round over Nicholas Hucke of Missouri, and earned a fall (6:11) over Alex Cournoyer of Boston. Nauman, however, fell in the third round to Colby Pisani of Penn State, 9-3, and dropped to the consolation bracket. Nauman won the next three, including a fall (6:31) over Cody Farinella of Missouri to take fifth.

Powell (Washington, Pa./Trinity/Purdue) went 6-2 on the day to earn a seventh place finish at 157 following a 3-0 decision over Corey Lear of Bucknell. In the 165 weight class, Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) wrestled unattached and picked up a sixth place finish. On the day, the junior picked up a fall (4:21) against Owen Smith of Maryland and a 14-6 major decision over Michael Billings of Navy.

In the 197 weight class, Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) earned a fourth place finish, including a 10-1 major decision over A.J. Brentzel of Pitt-Johnstown, who wrestled for the Panthers last season. Wilps fell in the third place match, 7-6, to Brent Haynes of Missouri, which placed him fourth overall.

Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) started out the Nittany Lion Open with a fall (6:18) over Mike Cook from Bellefonte and followed it up with a 10-2 major decision over Mike McClure of Michigan State. The junior picked up two more wins before falling in the championship round, 3-2, to Zachery Rey of Lehigh. Tomei is now 14-2 on the year with both losses coming to sixth-ranked Rey.

The Panthers will host both Rutgers and rival Penn State Saturday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House for Pitt's home opener.
Pitt Wrestling Defeats No. 17 Illinois and Moves To 5-1 On Season

PITTSBURGH - Pitt wrestling picked up its biggest win of the season Sunday morning at the Sprawl & Brawl duals as they went 3-0 on the day, including an 18-15 defeat of No. 17-ranked Illinois. The Panthers also earned victories over Davidson (49-0) and Rider (30-9), to improve to 5-1 on the dual season.

Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) led the Panthers at 141 with three bonus-point matches on the day including a tech fall and two falls. Nauman continues his undefeated streak, stretching it to 11-0 on the year.

In addition to Nauman, Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks), Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley), and Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) went undefeated on the day. Tomei earned two wins off of forfeits, however.

Pitt began the day against the Fighting Illini in a hard-fought match. The decision came down to the final matchup including No. 20-ranked Tomei and Patrick Walker in the heavyweight division. Tomei left little doubt who would take the win as he won by major decision, 11-0 for the 18-15 match edge.

Possibly the greatest and most important win of the day, however, came from Nauman at 141, who earned a tech fall over 17th-ranked Ryan Prater of Illinois. That match would eventually give Pitt the win with the 10 weight classes split at 5-5.

Also picking up wins against Illinois were Zanetta at 125 (5-2 decision over John Deneen), Mark Powell (Washington, Pa./Trinity/Purdue) (157) claimed a 2-1 decision over Clinton Arlis and Wilps took a 6-0 decision from Martin Smith at 197.

In Pitt's second match of the day, the Panthers dominated, giving up no points to the Davidson Wildcats. Nauman again had an outstanding performance, with a fall (1:28) over Ben Thompson. Zanetta earned a 12-4 major decision over Ben Altman and Zach Grove (York, Pa./Central York) followed that up with a 7-2 decision over William Ray at 133.

Also picking up a major decision was Powell at 157, defeating Joe McGinley, 15-3. At 174, David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg) claimed a tech fall over Jorge Estrada and both Zac Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) at 184 (4:10 over Ike Crews) and Wilps at 197 (1:46 over Mark Jeevratnam) earned falls against their Davidson opponent. Both Karl DeCiantis (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and Tomei earned a win by forfeit.

Against Rider, Pitt picked up where it left off against the Wildcats. Zanetta picked up a 7-0 decision over Ilyass Elmasouri and Grove earned an 8-2 decision over Jimmy Kirchner. Nauman grabbed his second fall of the day (2:17) over Aaron Nestor to continue his undefeated streak in dual and open tournament competition.

Sullivan claimed a 13-7 decision over Rider's Jim Resnick at 174 and Thomusseit earned a 12-4 major decision over Michael Miller to extend Pitt's lead. Wilps rounded out the action for Pitt for the day with a fall (3:35) over Tyler Smith and Tomei enjoyed a forfeit victory to take the 30-9 team win.

Pitt will travel to the Penn State Open on Dec. 6 and will host its first match of the season with duals against Rutgers and Penn State on Dec. 12 at 5 and 7 p.m. respectively.

Pitt Wrestling Signs Four During Early Period

PITTSBURGH - Pitt wrestling head coach Rande Stottlemyer Wednesday announced his early signing class for 2010. The class includes Jordan Moss (Sharon, Pa.), Max Thomusseit (Saint Paris Graham, Ohio), Tyler Wilps (Chartiers Valley, Pa.) and Zane Yocco (Brandywine Heights, Pa.).

Moss is currently ranked as the No. 8 wrestler in the country at 140 by W.I.N. Magazine, but is expected to wrestler at 157 at Pitt. At the Pennsylvania state championships, Moss has finished fourth in 2007, won the title in 2008 and finished third in 2009.

Thomusseit, ranked as the No. 28 overall recruit in the country by Intermat and No. 5 at 189, is expected to wrestle at either 184 or 197 for the Panthers. Thomusseit's Ohio state tournament history includes a seventh place finish in 2007, third in 2008 and a championship title in 2009. Thomusseit is the brother of current Pitt wrestler and 184-pounder, Zac Thomusseit.

Wilps is expected to suit up at either 165 or 174 when arriving at Pitt. The Chartiers Valley native finished seventh in 2009 at the Pennsylvania state championships. Wilps is the brother of current Pitt sophomore and 197-pounder Matt Wilps.

Yocco, Pitt's final signee, finished seventh two times in the Pennsylvania state championships. While at Pitt, Yocco is expected to wrestle at 133.
Pitt Wrestling Falls To No. 17 Lehigh, 24-9

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt wrestling team (2-1) dropped its first dual match of the year with a 24-9 loss to No. 17 Lehigh on the road. 

The Panthers' Tyler Nauman got the scoring started for Pitt after Lehigh jumped out to a 7-0 lead with a big 5-3 decision over 18th-ranked Seth Ciasulli at 141. Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) remains undefeated on the season with an 8-0 record, including 3-0 in dual matches.

Pitt closed the gap to 9-6 following the 149-pound match when  Eric Albright (York, Pa./New Lion Area/Virginia) earned a 3-2 decision over Brian Tanen of Lehigh to make it two straight decisions for the Panthers. The Mountain Hawks pulled away though, stringing together four straight decisions to take a commanding 21-6 lead. Sophomore Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) claimed a 3-1 sudden victory win over Joe Kennedy at 197, bringing the score to 21-9 in favor of the home team.

In the heavyweight division, junior Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) dropped his first match of the season to sixth-ranked Zach Rey, 3-2, in the final match of the day.  

Pitt returns to action Nov. 22 for the Sprawl and Brawl Duals in Binghamton, N.Y.

Weight

Match-up

Result

Score/Time

125

John McDonald (Lehigh)

dec.

Chris Kochinsky (Pitt)

12-5

133

Matt Fisk (Lehigh)

Fall

Zach Grove (Pitt)

5:41

141

Tyler Nauman (Pitt)

dec.

Seth Ciasulli (Lehigh)

5-3

149

Eric Albright (Pitt)

dec.

Brian Tanen (Lehigh)

3-2

157

Sean Bilodeau (Lehigh)

dec.

Mark Powell (Pitt)

6-3

165

Mike Galante (Lehigh)

dec.

Karl DiCiantis (Pitt)

8-5

174

Robert Hamlin (Lehigh)

dec.

David Sullivan (Pitt)

3-1

184

David Craig (Lehigh)

dec.

Zac Thomusseit (Pitt)

6-3

197

Matt Wilps (Pitt)

dec.

Joe Kennedy (Lehigh)

3-1, s.v.

285

Zach Rey (Lehigh)

dec.

Ryan Tomei (Pitt)

3-2
Pitt Starts Off Season With Two Wins

PITTSBURGH - The Pitt wrestling team picked up two wins in their first dual matches of the season with a 28-14 win over host school Drexel, and a 35-6 win over Sacred Heart.

Junior Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) led the team with two wins on two falls on the day in the heavyweight class. Tomei defeated Paul Schweighardt of Sacred Heart by a fall (3:56) and followed that up with a fall (4:22) against Kyle Frey of Drexel. Tomei is now 7-0 on the year with three pins and five total bonus-point wins.

At 149, redshirt senior Eric Albright (York, Pa./Red Lion Area/Virginia) also picked up two wins on the day with a 21-6 major decision over Zach Moran of Sacred Heart, and a 7-4 win over Brent McCurdy of Drexel.

Redshirt senior David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg) claimed a 7-0 decision over Michael Hartman of Sacred Heart and defeated Dave Woodall of Drexel, 8-4 at 174.

Zac Thomusseit, a sophomore at 184, captured a 2-0 record on the day. Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) picked up a win against Sacred Heart by forfeit, then went on to defeat Justin Wieller of Drexel, 14-2.

At 197, Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) continued an impressive start to the season, as he defeated Brandon Lapp of Sacred Heart by a fall (3:46) and knocked off Jack Callender of Drexel, 7-3.

Others earning a win on the day for the Panthers were Chris Kochinsky (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) at 125, with a 9-5 decision over Josh Yurasits of Drexel. In the 133 weight class, sophomore Zach Grove (York, Pa./Central York) defeated Justin Belanger of Sacred Heart, 11-7. At 141, redshirt sophomore Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) defeated Cory Dunn of Sacred Heart, 9-2 and at 157, redshirt senior Mark Powell (Washington, Pa./Trinity/Purdue) took a 4-3 decision from Anthony Priore of Sacred Heart.

The Panthers return to action Sunday with a 2 p.m. meeting at No. 17 Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks are led by Pitt's former four-time All-American Pat Santoro, who was coached by Panther head coach Rande Stottlemyer.

Pittsburgh 28, Drexel 14

125: Chris Kochinsky (P) dec. Josh Yurasits (D), 9-5
133: Steve Mytych (D) FALL Zach Grove (P), 2:15
141: Tyler Nauman (P) FALL Shane Fenningham (D) , 4:19
149: Eric Albright (P), dec. Brent McCurdy (D), 7-4
157: Joe Booth (D) maj. Kyle Patton (P), 15-0
165: Alex Rinaldi (D) dec. Karl Deciantis (P), 6-2
174: Dave Sullivan (P) dec. Dave Woodall (D), 8-4
184: Zac Thomusseit (P) maj. Justin Wieller (D), 14-2
197: Matt Wilps (P) dec. Jack Callender (D), 7-3
285: Ryan Tomei (P) FALL Kyle Frey (D), 4:22


Pittsburgh 35, Sacred Heart 6

125: Pat Feeley (SH) dec. Chris Kochinsky (P), 4-3
133: Zach Grove (P) dec. Justin Belanger (SH), 11-7
141: Tyler Nauman (P) dec. Cory Dunn (SH), 9-2
149: Eric Albright (P) maj. Zach Moran (SH), 21-6
157: Mark Powell (P) dec. Anthony Priore (SH), 4-3
165: Jonathan Rizzitello (SH) dec. Karl Deciantis (P), 9-5
174: Dave Sullivan (P) dec. Michael Hartman (SH), 7-0
184: Zac Thomusseit (P) unopposed/Foreit
197: Matthew Wilps (P) FALL Brandon Lapp (SH), 3:46
285: Ryan Tomei (P) FALL Paul Schweighardt (SH), 3:56
Pitt's Nauman Named EWL's Freshman Wrestler of the Year

PITTSBURGH - Redshirt freshman Tyler Nauman has been named the Eastern Wrestling League's Freshman Wrestler of the Year announced the conference office today, March 24th.

A Middletown, Pa. native, Nauman posted a season record of 29-9 during his first season in the Pitt starting lineup. Of his 29 wins this season, 11 were by fall, the seventh most for a single season in Pitt history. In his career, the 141-pounder has totaled 18 falls, ranking him 14th on the all-time list.

Nauman took second place at both the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Keystone Classic this season before winning the 141-pound championship at the year-ending EWL Tournament. He posted a dual record of 11-1, with his only loss coming to No. 11 ranked Drew Lashaway of Kent State, 6-4. In his first NCAA Tournament, Nauman defeated Justin Accordino (Hofstra) in the opening round before falling to eventual two-time national champion, J Jaggers (Ohio State) and Frank Molinero (Penn State).

Nauman joins Coach of the Year Tim Flynn and Wrestler of the Year Jarrod King, as post-season EWL honorees. Coach Tim Flynn led the Edinboro Fighting Scots to a second-place finish at the Oklahoma Gold Classic, a PSAC Tournament Championship, second-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions, runner-up finish at the Southern Scuffle, a dual-meet record of 14-4-1, and a first-place finish at the EWL Tournament.

In addition, under Coach Flynn's guidance, Edinboro University grabbed sixth place at the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament, held in St. Louis.

King, the EWL Wrestler of the Year, hails from Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and is a senior at Edinboro University. Competing at 165 pounds, King had an excellent 2009 season, winning the Oklahoma Gold Classic, the PSAC Tournament, the Reno Tournament of Champions, the EWL Tournament, and the 2009 NCAA Tournament. King completed his senior year with a record of 32-5.
Pitt's Sheaffer Earns All-America in His Final Collegiate Match

ST. LOUIS - Redshirt senior Zach Sheaffer's wrestling career for the University of Pittsburgh came to an end today at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., today, March 21. With his 2-1 decision in the first tiebreaker over Zachery Rey (Lehigh), Sheaffer became a first-time All-American and just the fourth heavyweight in Pitt history to do so.

An opening-round loss to No. 2 seed Mark Ellis (Missouri) sent the senior to the consolation bracket where he strung together four wins, one of which came by fall, to earn All-America status. He advanced to the All-American round with a 2-1 decision in the first tiebreaker against Jarod Trice (Central Michigan) and a fall over Dominick Russo (Rutgers).

Competing against Rey for the second time this season and the right to be called an All-American, Sheaffer suffered a first-period concussion but remained poised, battling through regulation and sudden victory to set up his win in the first tiebreaker. Following the win, Sheaffer put in for a medical forfeit against Dan Erekson (Iowa) and John Wise (Illinois) to end his tournament.

Sheaffer finishes his career at Pitt tied for 13th on both the all-time wins and falls list with 107 victories and 20 pins.

Three other Panthers were eliminated from the tournament. Junior Jimmy Conroy, redshirt freshman Tyler Nauman and sophomore Ethan Headlee all dropped matches in the consolation bracket. Headlee was a 4-2 winner over Jason Lapham before falling to Trevor Stewart (Central Michigan) 4-3 to finish the tournament 2-2.

Conroy and Nauman both dropped their second matches of the consolation brackets. Nauman fell 5-4 to Frank Molinaro (Penn State) while Conroy lost 14-8 to 12th-seeded Steve Bell (Maryland).

The Panthers conclude the 2008-09 season with at least one All-American for the third straight year.