Pitt Travels to Northwestern for Midlands Championships
12/27/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Dec. 27, 2007
The No. 19-ranked Pitt wrestling team travels to the campus of Northwestern University this weekend to compete in the Midlands Championships. The Panthers (5-1, 1-0 EWL) look to rebound at the two day event after suffering their first loss of the season to the No. 8 Missouri Tigers in their last competition.
No. 1-ranked Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) enters the weekend with 99 career victories and a perfect 12-0 record this season. He inched one win closer to the 100-victory plateau with a 7-3 decision at the Missouri match and will look to join teammate Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) as current Panthers who have achieved triple-digit victories.
Kocher, the No. 6-ranked wrestler at 157, is currently second on Pitt's all-time wins list with 132. His 6-3 decision over Missouri's Emanuel Brooks gave him eight victories this season and broke the tie with Rob Loper, who had 131 victories from 1996-2001. Kocher is also hoping to build off his school-record 97 career tournament wins this weekend at the Midlands.
No. 15 heavyweight Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) leads the team in total victories and tournament wins this season with 19 and 14, respectively. The redshirt junior knocked off his second ranked opponent of the year when he toppled Missouri's No. 12 ranked Mark Ellis to earn an 8-2 decision. Sheaffer's first victory against a ranked opponent this season came against then-No. 6 Mike Spaid of Bloomsburg in Pitt's 18-16 dual match win against the Huskies.
The Panthers next home match will be a three team affair with Duquesne and Franklin and Marshall on Friday, Jan. 5 at Noon.
Panther fans, be sure to check the teams website, www.pittsburghpanthers.com, throughout the weekend for updates from the Midlands.