Pitt Wrestling Travels To Sprawl & Brawl Duals
11/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 21, 2009
PITTSBURGH -
Pitt travels to Binghamton, N.Y., Sunday for an all-day appearance at the Sprawl & Brawl duals. Below are pre-match notes for the weekend.
Looking At The Panthers
The Panthers, receiving votes in most polls, are off to a strong start to the the season at 2-1 in dual matches. Individually, numerous Pitt wrestlers have had success in open competition as well.
Sophomore Tyler Nauman (141) holds an undefeated record on the year of 8-0. The Middletown, Pa., native is ranked 10th in this week’s InterMat rankings.
In dual matches, three Pitt wrestlers hold a perfect mark of 3-0 including Nauman, Eric Albright (149) and Matt Wilps (197).
Live Look-In
Fans can tune in to Pitt’s matches this weekend at the Sprawl & Brawl through the following links:
Illinois
Davidson
Rider
Rankings Respect
In the latest national rankings, sophomore Tyler Nauman leads the way at 141 with a No. 10 ranking by InterMat and seventh by Amateur Wrestling News. Sophomore Matt Wilps holds a No. 20 ranking by InterMat and junior Ryan Tomei is 16th in Amateur Wrestling News and 20th by Intermat.
Stottlemyer’s 30-Year Stint
Pitt head coach Rande Stottlemyer is entering his 31st season at the helm of the Panther program. Through 30 seasons, Stottlemyer is the winningest coach in Pitt history, recording a 251-215-11 record, including a 4-7-1 mark last season in dual action.
Stottlemyer helped guide four wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament last season, with three of those returning in 2009-10.
Pitt vs. No. 17 Illinois
Illinois enters the weekend with a 0-1 dual match record on the year with a tough 18-16 loss to No. 10 Missouri.
Sophomore Jordan Blanton leads the squad at 174 and with his 5-0 start to the season, has earned a No. 7 ranking. At 184, No. 8 John Dergo holds a 4-1 record and Eric Terrazas at 149 holds a perfect 6-0 record on the young season.
Series History
The Panthers hold a 3-1 record against Illinois in the series history, which dates back to the 1951-52 season. Pitt and Illinois met three times in seven years, and then had a 50-year break before resuming the series last season -- a 27-10 loss for the Panthers.
Pitt vs. Davidson
Davidson has yet to compete in dual match competition this season, but has had warmups at the Hokie Open and the Pembroke Open upon entering the weekend.
Senior Ben Altman (125) and sophomore David DeCamp (149) each finished third at the Pembroke Open in their respective weight classes.
Series History
Sunday will mark the first time Pitt and Davidson have met.
Pitt vs. Rider
Rider enters the weekend with a 0-1 dual record as their lone loss is a 31-1 loss to Lehigh. Rider’s lone win on the day came from senior Michael Kessler, who took the 149 division.
Series History
Rider holds a 2-1 series record against the Panthers. Pitt’s victory came in 2006-07 with a 21-13 season-opening win over the Broncs.
Open Success
Tyler Nauman (141) and Ethan Headlee (174) claimed titles at the Clarion Open on Nov. 8, while seven others placed. Nauman went undefeated on the day, including a pin (1:43) over Matt Bogusz of Maryland. In the finals, Nauman was to meet up with teammate Dane Johnson, but Johnson, a true freshman, took a forfeit to give Nauman the title. Johnson also had an outstanding tournament as he wrestled unattached, winning four matches prior to the finals.
At 174, Headlee wrestled unattached but won five straight including a pin (6:32) against Robert Doyle of the US Military Academy, and a 7-5 victory over Hayden Harrison of host Clarion in the finals.
Freshman Dane Johnson had a successful first tournament on the collegiate level at the Buffalo Open as the rookie earned a first round bye, then went on to a 4-0 sweep on his way to the 141 title.
In the 197 weight class, sophomore Matt Wilps picked up the second tournament win of his career. Pitt’s most impressive title win of the day came in the heavyweight division as redshirt junior Ryan Tomei earned his fifth career tournament win, setting the pace with three straight bonus-point wins to open the day.
Tomei the Terrible
Junior Ryan Tomei returned from his redshirt season with a bang as he bullied his way to the heavyweight title at the Buffalo Open. For his efforts, Tomei was named the Eastern Wrestling League’s Wrestler of the Week.
He’s Back!
Former Pitt wrestler Matt Kocher is back with the Panther program. This time, as an assistant coach. Kocher joined the Pitt staff this summer and has been an invaluable addition to the squad.
While at Pitt, Kocher was a four-time NCAA qualifier and currently sits at second on the all-time wins list in Pitt history at 151-45.