NO. 22 PANTHERS SLIP PAST MOUNTAINEERS IN BACKYARD BRAWL, 18-17

Pitt wins close match, remains perfect in EWL competition

PITTSBURGH- The No. 22 Pitt wrestling team upped its record to 11-3 this season and a perfect 4-0 in Eastern Wrestling League action after taking a close contest tonight in Morgantown, W.Va., by a count of 18-17.

The match came down to the final bout of the evening as No. 14 heavyweight Zach Sheaffer  (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) downed Dustin Rogers by a 9-3 decision to pick up three points and set the final score.

Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) put the Panthers on the scoreboard with a 4-2 decision over WVU’s Jared Garvin after Pitt’s Ryan Bosso (Pequea, Pa./Penn Manor) fell in sudden victory in the 125-pound bout.  

All-American Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) followed Conroy’s victory with a fall of the Mountaineers’ Stephen Waite with 50 seconds left in the second period, giving the Panthers six crucial points toward their team total.

Pitt’s other two victories came from likely sources – All-Americans Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) and Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail). Kocher, the No. 5-ranked wrestler at 157, disposed of Zac Fryling by a score of 7-5 in a tightly contested battle.

Gavin, the nation’s top ranked 174-pounder, suffered an early takedown to Chance Litton, but regrouped to defeat the Mountaineer grappler, 4-2. Gavin remains undefeated with 17 official victories (victories where riding time was included and proper skin checks were done) this season.

Pitt returns home next week to host North Carolina at Fitzgerald Field House on Saturday , Feb. 16, at 2 p.m.

125: Kyle Turnbull (WVU) DEC Ryan Bosso (PITT), 3-1, sv
133: Jimmy Conroy (PITT) DEC Jared Garvin (WVU), 4-2
141: Drew Headlee (PITT) FALL Stephen Waite (WVU), 4:10
149: David Jauregui (WVU) DEC Joe Ciampoli (PITT), 6-5
157: Matt Kocher (PITT) DEC Zac Fryling (WVU), 7-5
165: Donnie Jones (WVU) DEC Ethan Headlee (PITT), 4-3
174: Keith Gavin (PITT) DEC Chance Litton (WVU), 4-2
184: Kurt Brenner (WVU) DEC Dave Sullivan (PITT), 6-4
197: Jared Villers (WVU) TECHNICAL Dave Crowell (PITT), 17-2
HWT: Zach Sheaffer (PITT) DEC Dustin Rogers (WVU), 9-3