PANTHERS SECURE STARTING LINEUP IN WRESTLE-OFFS
11/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 5, 2006
PITTSBURGH - The Pitt wrestling team held its annual intra-squad to determine starters for the beginning of the season. Several individuals fought to big finishes while a few matches were closely determined.
With four Panthers competing for the starting spot at 125 pounds, there were three bouts to determine who would get the position. In the first match, true freshmen Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) and John Sutika (Curwensville, Pa./Curwensville Area) faced off. Conroy won an 11-0 major decision. He scored on a takedown and near fall in the first period for four points. In the second period, he had an escape and a takedown plus scored a point from Sutika stalling. In the final period, he secured two more points from a takedown and also received a point for riding time.
The second match was between freshman Zack Fraley (Huntington, W.Va./Huntington) and sophomore Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton). Gentzle won a 15-6 major decision over the Pitt rookie. In the first period, Gentzle brought in ten points, scoring on two takedowns and two three-point near falls. Fraley had an escape. In the second period, Fraley scored three points with an escape and a takedown, and he score two more on escapes in the final period. It wasn't enough though as Gentlze scored on two takedowns and had a point for riding time.
The final bout at 125 pounds was between Gentzle and Conroy, and it was arguably the most exciting match of the evening. Gentzle scored two on a takedown in the first period, and Conroy scored one on an escape. In the second period, Conroy tied it up at two with another escape. In the final period, Gentzle scored four points on two takedowns, and Conroy tied it up to send the bout into overtime. There, he scored on a takedown to defeat Gentzle for the starting spot.
In the 133-pound bout, redshirt junior Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) won a 15-3 major decision over junior Zach Bowman (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan). In the first period, Headlee scored six points with two takedowns and a near fall. Bowman had two escapes. Headlee had two points on a takedown in the second period, and Bowman had another escape. In the final period, Headlee picked up six more points with an escape, a takedown and a three-point near fall. He got an additional point for riding time.
At 149 pounds, there were two matches to determine the starter. In the first bout, freshman Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) took on redshirt sophomore Julian Warshaw (New York, N.Y./Poly Prep). Generalovich won a 5-0 decision, scoring off a takedown, a reversal and gaining a point for riding time. He then went on to face sophomore Dave Kapetanovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills/CCAC). In the first period, Kapetanovich scored on a takedown for a two-point lead. Generalovich came back in the second period to score on an escape. In the final period, Kapetanovich had two more points on a takedown for the 4-1 decision.
There were two 165-pound matches as well. The first was between redshirt junior Tim Allen (Gibsonia, Pa./.Pine Richland) and freshman Brock Mantella (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic). Allen scored on a takedown in the first period for a two-point lead. Mantella scored on an escape, but Allen had another point with riding time to give him a 3-1 win. He then went on to face redshirt sophomore Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) for the starting spot. The two were scoreless in the first period. Richmond scored two points on a takedown in the second. In the final period, Allen had two escapes, but Richmond scored on a takedown and had a point from riding time to give him the 5-2 decision.
The first bout at 174 pounds was between redshirt sophomore Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and freshman Jake Pelletier (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin). Deliere scored on a takedown in the first, and Pelletier had an escape. In the second period, Deliere scored on another takedown and an escape to give him a four-point lead. Deliere scored three points on a near fall in the final period and with riding time, won a 9-1 major decision. He then went on to face redshirt junior Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail). In the first period, Deliere scored three points with a takedown and an escape, but Gavin had two takedowns and an escape to take a two-point lead. He went on to score three more points in the second period with another takedown and an escape. In the final period, Deliere scored one more point on an escape, but with riding time, Gavin won with a 9-4 decision.
At 184 pounds, senior Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) won a 4-1 decision over redshirt sophomore Matt Darnell (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley C.A.). Heist scored on a takedown in the first period and an escape in the second. Darnell had an escape in the third, and Heist grabbed his fourth point with riding time.
At 197 pounds, redshirt junior Eric Cassidy (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) won a 10-0 major decision over freshman A.J. Hunte (Brookline, Mass./Brookline). In the first period, Cassidy scored two points on a takedown and three points on a near fall. He scored two more points on a reversal in the second period. Cassidy had a takedown in the final period and also received a point for riding time.
The heavyweight bout was an exciting one as redshirt sophomore Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and freshman Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) took it into over time. The two were scoreless in the first period. Sheaffer scored on an escape in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Tomei fought back in the final period, scoring on an escape to tie it up. Sheaffer went on to score on an escape in overtime to win, 2-1.
The Panthers will open their 2006-07 season on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at Rider University. Their first home contest will be on Wednesday, Nov. 22 against Bloomsburg.
Players Mentioned
