Pitt's Ronald Tarquinio Captures 100th Career Win
11/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 21, 2005
ITHACA, N.Y. - Ronald Tarquinio entered his final year at Pitt already securing a place in the record books. After his 100th career win last weekend, Tarquinio now holds a 103-43 overall record and is ranked 11th among Pitt's all-time win leaders. A three-time NCAA Championship qualifier and former conference champion, many of Tarquinio's wins have come against tough competition.
In his freshman campaign with the Panthers, Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) posted a 25-9 record in tournament competition including six major decisions, two falls and one technical fall. He opened his first dual meet season in 2001-02, qualifying for the NCAA Championships after a fourth-place finish at the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Championships. Tarquinio finished 21-13 overall with a 9-4 record in dual competition. In that season, he finished second at the Michigan State Open and won his first nationals match against Frank Edgar of Clarion.
As a redshirt sophomore, Tarquinio brought home the EWL Championship title at 141 pounds, joining teammate Josh Birt as the first league titleists for Pittsburgh in three seasons. Tarquinio finished 10-4 in dual meets for the season, bringing his total win count to 72.
Last season, he not only secured another NCAA bid, but Tarquinio also won the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational with a 6-3 decision over Richard LaForge of Hofstra. Tarquinio finished 2-2 in the NCAA tournament, registering wins over Josh Wooton of Northern Illinois and Charlie Pinto of Maryland. He also finished second at the EWL Championships and was the champion of the Mat Town Invitational.
When faced with tough competition, Tarquinio said, "I just take [high-profile] matches as stepping stones to getting prepared for the national tournament at the end of the year. It's important to keep developing your technique through the rest of the season."
His focus is still on finishing strong later in the season, and with the upcoming Las Vegas Invitational, he will use his opponents' talent to prepare himself for what's to come.
Tarquinio is Pitt's first 100-win wreslter since assistant coach Carl Fronhofer in 2003. The Panthers' record for wins is 167, set by Pat Santoro from 1986-89.