Monday, March 01, 2010
By Ken Wunderley, Tri-State Sports & News Service

Six wrestlers enter the WPIAL Class AAA tournament Thursday with an unblemished record. But at least one will taste defeat before the championships end That’s because the 171-pound weight class has two unbeaten entries.

Butler junior Cole Baxter and Chartiers Valley senior Tyler Wilps each have 33-0 records. And both were WPIAL finalists last year. Baxter won a WPIAL title and placed fifth in the PIAA championships at 145; Wilps finished second in the WPIAL and eighth in the PIAA at 171.

“The schedule I’ve wrestled has been a little more challenging [than what Baxter faced], but he’s a returning WPIAL champion and I’m only a runner-up,” Wilps said when asked who should be seeded first. “It doesn’t really matter where I’m seeded. I have to win four bouts to win a WPIAL title. That’s what matters.”

Baxter believes there’s more pressure on him because he is a returning champion. The tournament is at Canon-McMillan High School and concludes Saturday. “Last year, nobody expected much from me since I was only a sophomore,” Baxter said.

“There’s a lot more pressure on me as a WPIAL champion, but it doesn’t bother me. I still have to go out there and wrestle the way I’m capable of wrestling.”

The other four unbeaten wrestlers in the tournament are Upper St. Clair sophomore Mackenzie McGuire (27-0 at 112), Franklin Regional junior Nico Megaludis (28-0 at 119), Bethel Park sophomore Dylan Mogan (18-0 at 125) and Ringgold senior Fred Garcia (33-0 at 189).

Returning champions
Baxter and Megaludis are among seven returning champions at the Class AAA tournament. Megaludis has moved up one weight class to 119 after winning WPIAL titles at 103 and 112. He is also a two-time PIAA placewinner and one-time champion.

Derry Area has two returning champions in sophomore Jimmy Gulibon (28-1) and Travis Shaffer (25-3). Gulibon won WPIAL and PIAA titles at 103 and has since moved to 112. Shaffer is a two-time WPIAL finalist and one-time champion who returns at 135.

The other three returning champions are Hopewell senior Matt Hundenski (34-2), West Allegheny senior Troy Reaghard (32-2) and Connellsville senior Nathan Gaffney (36-2).

Hundenski returns at 152 after winning a WPIAL title and placing sixth in the PIAA. Reaghard has won WPIAL titles at 152 and 171 and is competing at 160. Gaffney is the defending WPIAL and PIAA champion at 215.

The top three finishers in each weight class advance to the PIAA tournament March 11-13 at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa.

Class AA regional
Geoff Alexander, Matthew Cunningham and Tyrone’s A.J. Schopp are the headliners at the PIAA Class AA Southwest Region tournament that begins Friday at the Cambria County War Memorial in Johnstown, Pa. All three are two-time region champions.

Alexander (28-3), a Shady Side Academy junior, has moved to 119 after winning region titles at 103 and 112. He is a three-time WPIAL champion and two-time PIAA placewinner.

Cunningham (41-4), a Shady Side Academy senior, has won region titles at 152 and 160 and is at 171. He is a four-time WPIAL champion and two-time PIAA placewinner.

Schopp, a senior, is a three-time region finalist and two-time champion who has moved to 135. He is also a three-time PIAA placewinner and two-time finalist.

Shady Side Academy senior Frank Martellotti (43-1 at 130) and Burrell’s Travis McKillop (39-4 at 152) are also returning region champions.

Martellotti is a three-time PIAA placewinner and two-time region finalist entered at 130. McKillop won a region title at 119 in 2008, placed fourth at 135 last year.

The top five finishers in each weight class advance to the PIAA tournament.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10060/1039372-364.stm#ixzz0h2YkIaTF

Sunday, February 28, 2010
By David Assad, Tri-State Sports & News Servive

Brashear seniors Jonathan Hannah and Damian Link claimed their fourth City League championship Saturday afternoon at Carrick with pins in their respective title matches. They are the fourth and fifth wrestlers in the 21-year history of the City League tournament to win four championships and the first from Brashear.

Top-seeded Hanna (28-7) pinned Peabody’s Darius Moore (12-13) 1 minute, 40 seconds into the 119-pound final. Link (18-9), the No. 3 seed at 130, pinned No. 1 seed Michael Wortham (10-4) of Schenley at 4:51.

Brashear won the team title for a second consecutive year, beating Perry, 150-132.5.

Brashear had two other repeat champions in senior Wayne Murphy (145) and sophomore Nyama Godwin (103). Godwin (32-1) pinned Joseph Hockett of Westinghouse in 1:48. Murphy (26-5) pinned Jermaine Gray of Peabody in 5:31.

Brashear had a fifth champion when sophomore Douglas Sauer (20-13) pinned James Delijaah of Oliver in 40 seconds.

Other top seeds who won titles were Allderdice’s Ean Disilvio (135), Carrick’s Rodney Culberson (140), Langley’s Danny Scholz (152), Oliver’s Devante Tiller (171), Perry’s Josh Visokey (215) and Peabody’s Carlos Saunders (285).

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10059/1039242-364.stm#ixzz0h2X94sZc

Feb. 19, 2010
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)

Adam "Cheese" Counterman

This season will go down in the record books as one of the most successful season in the history of Pitt wrestling. We passed the school record of 14 wins in a season with our Backyard Brawl victory at WVU on Tuesday. With a win over Clarion at home last night, the #18 Panthers improved to 16-1-1. The win over Clarion gives the Panthers a perfect 5-0 record in the EWL and sets the stage for our final dual meet of the year against Edinboro (4-0 EWL) with the League title on the line. The match against Edinboro is at home Friday February, 19th at 7pm. The alumni reunion scheduled for the Clarion match has been postponed to the Edinboro dual and we will be honoring our seniors that night as well. We hope to fill the field house for this highly anticipated dual.

Edinboro (8-4) v. Pitt (16-1-1)

125 lbs – #8 Eric Morrill (28-4) vs #19 Anthony Zanetta (31-8)

133 lbs – Kyle Fluke (12-8) vs Jimmy Conroy (14-8)

141 lbs – Joel Webster (15-10) vs #16 Tyler Nauman (29-3)

149 lbs – Torsten Gillespie (23-12) vs Eric Albright (16-14)

157 lbs – John Greisheimer (21-18) vs Donnie Tasser (5-4)

165 lbs – #3 Jarrod King (29-1) vs Adam Counterman (15-9)

174 lbs – #21 Phil Moricone (13-6) vs Dave Sullivan (20-10)

184 lbs – #22 Pat Bradshaw (24-10) vs #25 Zac Thomuseit (19-6)

197 lbs – Shawn Fendone (12-7) vs #19 Matt Wilps (29-8)

285 lbs – #15 Chris Birchler (28-8) vs #7 Ryan Tomei (28-5)

Monday, January 18, 2010
By Ken Wunderley, Tri-State Sports & News Service

Read more: http://www.pittsburghpost-gazette.com/pg/10018/1029065-364.stm#ixzz0djkKH68B

Brashaer High School’s Godwin Nyama became the first City League wrestler to win a title at the Allegheny Countytournament, which was held at Fox Chapel High School this past weekend. Nyama won the 103-pound weight class title with a convincing 12-4 victory against Central Catholic’s Justin Alexander. Nyama also received the Brotherhood of Wrestling Award.

“Godwin is only the fourth City League wrestler to make it to the Allegheny County tournament finals [in the nine-year history of the tournament],” Brashear coach Nate Geller said. “He placed eighth last year as a freshman, so I expected him to be among the top finishers. We’re really proud of his performance.”

The previous three City League finalists were Carrick’s Brian Gross, second at 135 in 2002; Stefan Wiedenhofer, second at 145 in 2007; and Garrett Spencer, second at 215 in 2009.

“Godwin has worked very hard since last April to prepare for this season,” Geller said. “He had a 50-7 record in summer competition.”

Brashear also had the best finish for a City League team in the county tournament. The Bulls were 12th in the 41-team field. Only three other City League teams have finished in the top 20, with a pair of 16th place finishes as the previous highs.

“We placed fifth at the West Mifflin [Steve DeAugustino Holiday] tournament, so I thought we had a chance of placing in the top 15,” Geller said.

Nyama was one of four Brashear wrestlers who placed among the top eight in their weight class. The others were Jonathan Hanna, fourth at 119; Wayne Murphy, fifth at 145; and Davone Grayson, eighth at 215.

Read more: http://www.pittsburghpost-gazette.com/pg/10018/1029065-364.stm#ixzz0djkD83RO

Jan. 19, 2010

PITTSBURGH –

The University of Pittsburgh is the proud home to five wrestlers ranked in the most recent US Senior Freestyle Rankings. Two of the five are currently members of the Pitt squad, while three are alumni of the university.

Current Panther wrestlers ranked include junior Ethan Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) and redshirt junior Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford). Tomei is ranked eighth in the 264.5-pound category while Headlee also ranked No. 8 in the 163-pound category.

Former All-America Pitt wrestlers Keith Gavin, Drew Headlee and Carl Fronhofer represent the ranked alumni in their respective categories.

Fronhofer, a 2003 graduate and currently an assistant coach for the Columbia Sunkist Lions, ranked third in the 185-pound category. Gavin, a 2008 graduate and a current member of the New York Athletic Club, also placed in the 185-pound category at No. 8. Gavin also served as a Pitt assistant during the 2008-09 season.

Drew Headlee, a 2008 graduate and a member of the Sunkist Kids, was ranked No. 7 in the 132-pound category.

As evidenced by the latest rankings, Pitt has spent a significant amount of time and resources working to implement freestyle wrestling into the Panther program.

Oct. 27, 2009

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Current and former Pitt wrestlers began their seasons with a trip to the Sunkist International Open on Oct. 23 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Pitt junior Ethan Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) finished fourth in the 74 kg weight class, going 5-2 on the day. Headlee’s first loss of the day was to three-time NCAA All-American Mike Poeta, while his final loss was suffered to Terry Madden, (0-1, 4-1, 3-2) who took third.

Sophmore Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley) finished the day 0-2 with his first loss coming to Olympian and two-time NCAA Champion Ben Askren in the opening round.

Former wrestlers Drew Headlee and Keith Gavin both finished fifth in the 60 kg and 84 kg weight classes respectively. Headlee defeated Joey Rivera of the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club, 2-0, 0-6, 3-0, to take the fifth place spot. Gavin, also wrestling for the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club, defeated David Bertolino (2-0, 3-1) to claim fifth.

The Panthers officially open the season Sunday, Nov. 1 with a trip to the Buffalo Open. Pitt welcomes Penn State and Rutgers to its home-opener on Dec. 12 at Fitzgerald Field House, beginning at 5 p.m.

All Pitt Wrestling alumni and fans are invited to join us at our tailgate party before the Pitt v. Navy football game at Heinz Field. We will be gathering in Gold Lot 2 starting at 3pm. Food and beverages will be provided.

On Saturday September 12th, join the Pitt wrestling coaches and wrestlers for a free clinic. The clinic will be held in the Pitt wrestling room and is available for wrestlers of all ages. Coaches in attendance are encouraged to be involved.

Date: Saturday 9/12/09
Time: 11:00am – 12:30pm
Location: Pitt Wrestling Room
                     Fitzgerald Fieldhouse, University of Pittsburgh
                     Allequippa Street & Darragh Street
                     Pittsburgh, PA 15261
Directions

*There is no registration. Just show up ready to wrestle.

Peters joins current Panther Ryan Tomei on the trip

PITTSBURGH –

Pitt wrestling assistant coach Jason Peters has made the trip to Warsaw, Poland as a part of the coaching staff with USA Wrestling, as a part of the Ziolkowski International, Aug. 12-14. Peters will join Pitt wrestler Ryan Tomei on the trip.

“This is a great honor for Jason to be a part of this coaching staff,” Pitt head coach Rande Stottlemyer said. “He is very deserving of this recognition of his talents and we are thrilled that he is going to be able to share this experience with Ryan.”

Peters, who is entering his eighth season at Pitt, traveled with Tomei, to Poland on Aug. 3 in order to train with the Polish National Team, along with three to four other teams. The camp is held in the Polish Olympic Center, Spala, outside of Warsaw.

During his time at Pitt, Peters has helped develop All-Americans Matt Kocher, Zach Sheaffer, Drew Headlee, Carl Fronhofer and National Champion Keith Gavin.

Three Panthers place at World Team Trials

June 1, 2009

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — Three former members and one current member of the University of Pittsburgh wrestling team competed at the 2009 United States World Team Trials, held at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa this past weekend, May 30-31.

Current heavyweight Ryan Tomei placed fourth in the men’s freestyle at 120kg, going 2-2 for the weekend. After an opening-round 2-1, 3-1 loss to Michael Irving (Gator Wrestling Club), Tomei won two straight matches, defeating Jarod Trice (Central Michigan RTC) 0-1, 3-0, 1-0 and Les Sigman (Sunkist Kids) 6-1, 6-3 to advance to the true third match. Tomei fell to Dominique Bradley (Sunkist Kids) 1-0, 1-0 in the final match of the tournament.

Assistant coach and 2008 NCAA national champion Keith Gavin jumped a weight class from his usual 74kg, competing at 84kg over the weekend. After a first-round bye, Gavin advanced the semifinals with a 2-1, 0-1, 4-2 win over Zack Giesen (DSWC-Stanford), setting up a date with another former Pitt wrestler, Carl Fronhofer. Fronhofer, the fourth winningest wrestler in Pitt history and a 2003 All-American, defeated Gavin 3-0, 1-0 to advance to the championship match, ultimately falling to Bryan Hasseman (NYAC) by fall just over a minute into the first period. Gavin finished the weekend in fourth with a 2-2 mark while Fronhofer went 3-1, capturing second place.

Drew Headlee, a 2005 All-American at Pitt and brother of current Panther Ethan Headlee, was the fourth Panther wrestler to compete at the trials, going 0-2 in the men’s freestyle 60kg class. Headlee lost 4-4, 0-3, 4-2 to Nick Gallick (Sunkist Kids) and 7-0, 1-3, 6-3 to Daniel Dennis (Hawkeye Wrestling Club).

The 2009 World Wrestling Championships will be held in Herning, Denmark, September 21-27.

Visit the Photos page to check out images from past seasons.

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