University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Four Panthers Set for NCAA Championships
3/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 18, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
PITTSBURGH - Four University of Pittsburgh wrestlers will begin competition at the NCAA Championships tomorrow morning inside the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. EWL champions Jimmy Conroy (133) and Tyler Nauman (141) join at-large selections Ethan Headlee (165) and Zach Sheaffer (285) tomorrow as Pitt looks to top its 15th place finish a year ago which produced a National Champion in Keith Gavin.
We're Back
Three Panther wrestlers make their return trip to St. Louis for the NCAA Championships March 19-21. Junior 133-pounder Jimmy Conroy, sophomore 165-pounder Ethan Headlee and heavyweight redshirt senior Zach Sheaffer all received automatic bids following the Eastern Wrestling League Championships, held March 7 at Lock Haven University.
2007-08 NCAA Recap
Senior Keith Gavin became Pitt's 16th national champion in the program's history with his 4-2 win over Michigan's Steve Luke in the finals of the 174-pound weight class. Gavin, who was the runner-up in his junior year, was the only wrestler in the nation to have finished undefeated at 33-0, winning titles at the Las Vegas Invitational, Midlands Championships and EWL Championships along the way.
Pitt also had five qualifiers in addition to Gavin; Jimmy Conroy (133), Drew Headlee (141), Matt Kocher (157), Ethan Headlee (165) and Zach Sheaffer (285).
Jimmy, Gimmie Two
Junior Jimmy Conroy became just the ninth Panther to win mutliple EWL Championships during their career. Conroy avenged a 4-3 loss to Ricky Deubel (Edinboro) in the regular-season finale, defeating the Fighting Scot 5-2 in the finals of the 133-pound bracket.
Act I
Redshirt freshman Tyler Nauman has burst onto the national stage in strong fashion this season, sporting a 28-7 overall record and an 11-1 dual record.
Nauman took second place at both the Keystone Classic and Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this year while claiming his first EWL Championship March 7, by way of a 4-3 decision over Colin Johnston (West Virginia).
His only dual defeat was to Drew Lashaway, the 11th-ranked wrestler in the 141-pound weight class, 6-4.
Wins and Pins
With a 28-7 overall record, redshirt freshman Tyler Nauman led the Panthers in wins this season. Of his 28 wins, 11 were by pinfall, the seventh most in Pitt history for a single season. In just two season he has racked up a total of 18 falls, putting him in 14th position on the all-time falls list. Nauman also stands tied for seventh with two-time NCAA champion Pat Santoro on the freshman wins list
