Pitt Wrestling to Determine Starters This Friday

Oct. 23, 2007

PITTSBURGH -

University of Pittsburgh head wrestling coach Rande Stottlemyer will unveil his 2007-08 squad this Friday, Oct. 26, as the Panthers take part in their annual intrasquad wrestle-offs, which are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House. The event is free and open to the public.

Wrestlers will compete within their weight classes in a tournament-style format, with the winners from each class earning a starting spot for the Panthers' first match at Lehigh on Sunday, Nov. 11. The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown of Pitt's 2007-08 roster.

125 Pounds

Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) returns to assume the starting role at 125 pounds for the third consecutive year. Last season he went 16-13 with three falls and two major decisions en route to a second straight third-place finish at the EWL Championships.

"Brad needs to step it up this year if he wants to become an All-American, he has been to the NCAA's and now its time for him to get on the podium," said Stottlemyer. "We look forward to watching him develop into a more physical wrestler this year and adopt a `harder' style on the mat. That style will get him closer to obtaining All-American status."

Redshirt sophomore Ryan Bosso (Pequea, Pa./Penn Manor) will also be in the mix to make a run at the starting spot, as will newcomer Eric Rosencranz (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown Community) and sophomore John Sutika (Curwensville, Pa./Curwensville Area). Bosso is coming off an injury, but has trained hard over the summer and should add some veteran leadership to the 125 class.

133 pounds

The Panthers will rely heavily on sophomore Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) to produce in the 133 division. Conroy saw some action as a starter in both the 125 and 133 pound classes last season and posted a 12-6 record in his first season, including a 4-1 mark in dual matches.

"Jimmy has put a lot of time into his training," stated Stottlemyer. "He has some experience as a starter and we expect him to battle to become an NCAA All-American. It will be a tall task for Jimmy, as it is for any wrestler, but we have high expectations of him."

141 pounds

The starter from last season in this class is Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona), who has moved up a class to 149, which has given three talented wrestlers an opportunity to assume the starting role at 141. Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg), an All-America honoree in 2005, will move up a division, marking the third weight class of his career. Headlee will have to battle some tough competition in Nick Orio (Berlin, N.J./The Citadel) and true freshman Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) in order to find himself in the starting lineup come November.

"Drew's a leader on and off the mat," noted Stottlemyer. "He's an absolute competitor and he will look to repeat as an All-American and make a run at a National Championship."

Orio, a transfer from the Citadel, was unable to participate last season due to shoulder surgery, but he has an unorthodox style that makes him difficult to score on.

Nauman will also look to start at this weight. He brings good quickness and strong mat skills to the 141 division, making it arguably the deepest weight class on the entire squad.

"Nauman was a very accomplished high school wrestler. He was ranked No. 1 in the nation and won state, district and sectional titles," offered Pitt's head coach. "He has a lot of skills and wrestles hard every time he steps on the mat.

"We've gained more quality depth in this class due to the outstanding recruits that we've brought in," commented Stottlemyer. "As a coach, it's a great feeling to know that I can throw any one of three guys onto the mat at 141 (pounds)."

149 pounds

Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) is the returning starter in another extremely deep weight class for the Panthers. Ciampoli, a consummate student-athlete with the skills and work ethic to make some serious contributions this year, will contest for the top spot. Redshirt junior Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) is hoping to bounce back and regain his starting spot after suffering a series of injuries. The former three-time state champion has been training hard and will find himself in the hunt for a starting position.

Freshman Jesse Byerly (Castle Shannon, Pa./Keystone Oaks), a Pittsburgh native had great deal of success in high school, culminating with a PIAA AA State Title will also make a push for the starting spot. Jeff Warusz (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy), a transfer from Elizabethtown who also had a very productive high school career, will be making a push for some mat time as well. Freshman Kyle Patton (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) has also shown progress and will make an attempt at cracking the starting lineup.

157 pounds

The 157 class is headlined by NCAA All-American Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College), who has been drawing rave reviews from his coaches ever since he stepped foot on campus. Last season, Kocher led the Panthers with seven falls and tied for second on the team with four major decisions.

"Matt is a tremendous worker and leader. As a senior, he will be looked upon to be a lead our team and I believe he'll do well in that role," said Stottlemyer. "Matt placed fifth last year and accomplished one of his goals. This season he has raised the bar for himself and has his sights set on becoming the 157 NCAA Champion."

Freshman Adam Counterman (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) is also slated to wrestle in the 157 class and is another viable weapon at Stottlemyer's disposal. He has improved his skills and has coupled that with an ability to get his opponent tired; a combination that should make him one of the more entertaining Panthers to watch in 2007-08.

165 pounds

Redshirt junior Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) is a returning NCAA qualifier. Coming off a 2006-07 season in which he compiled a 9-4 record in dual meets, Richmond is the most experience collegiate wrestler in the weight class. Incoming freshman Phil Sorrentino (Glassport, Pa./South Allegheny) brings with him a PIAA AA State Title and an abundance of potential due to the fact that he's still a relative newcomer to the sport.

"Phil is a great athlete with a lot of talent and a strong work ethic. He's so driven and he will absolutely not accept failure," said Stottlemyer. "He's only been wrestling for about four years and he's already accomplished so much. It's quite an achievement to win a state title in Pennsylvania in only four years of competitive wrestling."

Freshman A.J. Brentzel (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) enters the 2007-08 campaign after a stellar senior season at Penn-Trafford where he notched 47 wins against only one loss, which occurred in the PIAA Championship bout.

"A.J. is also a hard worker with a solid understanding for the sport," said Stottlemyer. "He has high expectations for himself, which will be beneficial to him as he progresses throughout his career."

Also at 165 pounds is sophomore Dave Kapetanovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./CCAC-North), although he may move down a weight class by the year's end. The Pittsburgh native brings a blue-collar mentality to the gym that will bode well for him this season.

"Dave has made progress in the wrestling room, but he will need to improve his ability to compete if he wants to be the starter," said Stottlemyer. "What he may lack in experience, he more than makes up for with hard work and determination."

Gibsonia, Pa., native Andy Vaughan (Gibsonia, Pa./ Pittsburgh Central Catholic) will also look to push for the 165 spot and has made an early impression on his new coach.

"Andy comes to us after a post grad year at Kiski Prep. He shows up everyday and works hard," said Stottlemyer. "He started his wrestling career as a light weight, so he has good scrambling ability. He's an excellent athlete and as he improves his skills and strength, his success will follow."

174 pounds

Last year's NCAA runner-up and All-American Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) headlines the depth chart at 174 pounds. The consensus front runner for this year's national title, Gavin finished the 2006-07 season with a record of 28-4, including a nearly infallible 13-1 record at dual meets. He will assuredly make it tougher on the other competitors looking to crack into the starting lineup at the 174 spot.

"Keith is taking on a new challenge this year," said Stottlemyer. He's starting the season as the top ranked guy in his weight class and that's exciting. Keith looks forward to showing the wrestling community that he is worthy of his ranking. He is a true student of the sport, who comes in every day with something new to work on, which shows his tremendous dedication."

Freshman Ethan Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) and redshirt freshman Jake Pelletier (Harrisburg, PA./Central Dauphin) will look to give Keith a challenging match and provide quality depth at this weight.

184 pounds

This weight class features a wealth of hungry competitors willing to do whatever it takes to break into the starting lineup. Many of them have jumped up a weight class due to the depth and talent at the 174 spot. David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg) a transfer from East Stroudsburg, is a welcomed addition to Stottlemyer's squad and will be in contention for a starting nod.

"Dave's another guy with a great work ethic. He has wrestled at 174 in the past, but he has the strength and size to wrestle 184," Stottlemyer commented. "We've struggled a bit at 184 the last few years, but I'm confident that the group we have this year will step up and perform for us."

Included in that group is the state runner-up from a year ago, freshman David Crowell (Easton, Pa./Easton) out of Nazareth High School. Crowell, however will not take part in the wrestle-offs due to an injury.

"Crowell is injured and will not enter the competition, said Stottlemyer. I'm disappointed that Dave got injured in the first week of practice because he was showing progress. The injury is not season ending so I look forward to his return. He has a great deal of potential and he will help us in the near future."

Sophomore Brock Mantella (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity Catholic) and senior Matt Darnell (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) could also make a statement in the 184 class.

"Matt's a great leader and a special kid," mentioned his head coach. "The same thing could be said for the entire group of seniors; they'll all do well as leaders."

197 pounds

A.J. Hunte (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) is back with a year of experience at the 197 spot. Hunte has worked hard in the off-season to improve upon his skills and will be looked upon to be in the starting lineup in 2007-08.

HWT

One of the most solid weight classes this year for the Panthers is the heavyweight division, as Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) returns hungry for a repeat of his freshman year when he captured the EWL title. A starter two of the past three seasons, Sheaffer comes into 2007-08 with the confidence and a good skill set that will help him battle his way back to the NCAA Championships.

"We are looking to step up our performance at the heavy weight spot, said Stottlemyer. Both Sheaffer and Tomei have the ability to contend for All-American honors."

Sheaffer will have to earn his spot this year as sophomore Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) is eyeing the starting spot as well. It should be an exciting match up because both have high expectations entering the season. Their similarities should come as no surprise, as both heavyweights are roommates in addition to being training partners.

"Ryan's a great kid," said Stottlemyer of the heavyweight. "He's been making progress every day and it'll be interesting to see him get into the mix because he wants that starting spot badly."

Friday's wrestle-offs marks the start of a very long and challenging season and the Panthers look forward to seeing fans show their Pitt pride this weekend, as well as on December 19 at the team's home opener when they take on the Missouri Tigers.

For a look at Friday's Wrestle-Off brackets, follow the link below:

Wrestle-Off Bracket
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Pitt Wrestling to Determine Starters This Friday

Players Mentioned

Ryan Bosso

A.J. Brentzel

Joe Ciampoli

Jimmy Conroy

Adam Counterman

David Crowell

Matt Darnell

Joey Ecklof

Keith Gavin

Mark Generalovich

Brad Gentzle

Drew Headlee

Ethan Headlee

A.J. Hunte

Dave Kapetanovich

Matt Kocher

Brock Mantella

Tyler Nauman

Nick Orio

Kyle Patton

Jake Pelletier

Sean Richmond

Eric Rosencranz

Zach Sheaffer

Phil Sorrentino

David Sullivan

John Sutika

Ryan Tomei

Andy Vaughan

Jeff Warusz

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