Pitt Wrestling Ranks 18th in Preseason Poll
9/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Sept. 13, 2005
PITTSBURGH - Pitt wrestling, a program boasting two All-American wrestlers and an Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) champion, has recently earned preseason recognition by ranking 18th in the WrestlingReport.com poll. In addition to a strong team standing, six Panther wrestlers have earned top individual rankings on the list.
Earning accolades for the Panthers is junior Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) who was named an All-American last year after finishing third in the EWL Championships and eighth in the NCAA Championships at 133 pounds. Headlee is ranked sixth overall for his weight class with only one EWL wrestler ahead of him.
Senior Ron Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) ranks 12th in the 141-pound weight class. Tarquinio finished his 2004-05 season with a 26-8 record, placing second at the EWL Championships and qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the third straight season.
Jeff Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Oklahoma), fifth at 149 pounds, is the highest ranked Panther in the poll. Ecklof is a redshirt sophomore transfer from Oklahoma where he earned All-America status. He joined the Panthers for the 2004-05 season and finished with a 19-0 record in open tournaments.
Wrestling at 165 pounds is fifth-year senior Justin Nestor (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds), ranked 16th in his weight class. Nestor finished last season with a record of 24-12, fourth place finish at the EWL Championships and his third berth in the NCAA Championships.
Another redshirt senior, Francis Iorfido (Johnsonburg, Pa./Johnsonburg) ranks 18th at 174 pounds. Iorfido was redshirted for his 2004-05 season, winning six out of eight matches and finishing second in the Wilkes Open.
Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) had a breakthrough freshman season with the Panthers, finishing with a 25-13 record and a first-place finish at the EWL Championships as a heavyweight. Sheaffer is currently ranked 18th in his weight class.
Of the two EWL teams represented in the preseason poll, Pitt takes the lead at 18th with Edinboro University coming in at 23rd. The Panthers finished their 2004-05 season ranked 30th overall, and are expecting another successful year with most of their starters returning.