Vegas, baby! Vegas!
11/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 29, 2007
Interview with Top Ranked Gavin
9th Ranked D Headlee Talks Pitt Wrestling
6th Ranked Kocher Discusses Pitt Wrestling
PITTSBURGH - The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team returns to action this weekend in Las Vegas, Nev., at the 26th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational. The two-day event starts on Friday, Dec. 1, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer and his staff will accompany 10 student-athletes to the event, including two true freshmen, in what many people are calling a preview of the NCAA meet in March.
Pitt has five nationally ranked wrestlers, including All-Americans Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail), Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) and Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) headlining the Panther contingent that will be making the trip.
Gavin, the nation's top ranked wrestler at 174, is coming off a decisive victory over No. 2 ranked Matt Stolpinski of Navy last week in the NWCA All-Star Classic. Gavin also played a pivotal role in Pitt's 18-16 come from behind dual match victory over EWL foe Bloomsburg. He pinned Nate Graham late in their bout to steal the momentum away from the Huskies and spark the comeback that kept the Panthers perfect in dual competitions this season.
Currently ranked No. 6 in the nation at 157, Kocher has a 1-1 record heading into the weekend. Pitt's all-time tournament wins leader (93) finished fourth in last year's Las Vegas Invitational.
Headlee boasts a 5-2 record (2-0 in dual matches) and a No. 9 ranking in the 141 division. Like Gavin, he also contributed in the victory at Bloomsburg by cruising to a 5-2 decision over the Huskies' George Hickman. Headlee followed up that victory with a third-place showing at the Cornell Body Bar.
Redshirt junior Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) will step to the mat this weekend ranked as the nation's No. 13 heavyweight. He has placed in both of his tournament appearances this season and leads the team in victories after compiling an impressive 11-2 record. Sheaffer opened the season at the Eastern Michigan Open with five wins and went on to capture fifth-place honors. He followed that performance with two dual match victories, including a 2-1 overtime win over No. 6 Mike Spaid of Bloomsburg and third-place honors at the Cornell Body Bar.
Junior Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) will represent Pitt at 125 in Las Vegas. The nation's 17th-ranked grappler in the division has posted a fall and a major decision this year en route to a 5-2 overall record. Four of his victories came at the Cornell Body Bar where he claimed third-place honors.
Dave Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg), Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) and Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./ South Plainfield) have also been mainstays in coach Stottlemyer's lineup throughout the 2007-08 season.
Sullivan, a transfer from East Stroudsburg, is tied for second on the team in falls and is undefeated in dual bouts this season. In his last tournament appearance, he posted three victories, including one fall and a technical fall, and picked up a sixth-place plaudit in the 184-pound classification.
Ecklof added a fourth-place finish at the Cornell Body Bar to his resume and looks to build the experience he gained from last season's Las Vegas Invitational.
A starter as a true freshman at 125 and 133 pounds, Conroy is tied for fifth on the team in falls and is eager to see just how he measures up to some of the nation's best in the 133-pound class this season.
Two true freshmen, Ethan Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) and David Crowell (Easton, Pa./Nazareth) will also be making the trip to Vegas this weekend. Headlee will take over the duties at 165, while Crowell will step into the starting role at 197.
Headlee, the younger brother of Drew, leads the Panthers in falls (4), is tied for second in wins (9) and has placed twice in the three tournaments he has entered. Crowell is coming off a strong showing at the Mat Town Open where he took fourth in the 197 weight class.
Panther fans, be sure to log on to www.pittsburghpanthers.com throughout the weekend for updates on all of the action from Las Vegas.