By ALAN SMODIC
Senior Staff writer
April 03, 2006
A season of promise for head coach Rande Stottlemyer and the Pitt wrestling team ended the way it started ” filled with injuries.
The Panthers returned eight NCAA qualifiers as the season was set to begin, but only two of them wrestled officially for the team, leaving inexperienced wrestlers to learn while in the starting lineup.
But still, Pitt sent six wrestlers to the NCAAs, only to encounter another injury ” a PCL tear to true freshman Joey Ecklof.
“That’s the way the season went for us,” Stottlemyer said after the NCAAs. “It was an up-and-down season and just when we get going, something else like that would get in our way.”
Drew Headlee, Pitt’s 133-pounder and returning All-American, sat out the entire season with an injury, while heavyweight Zach Sheaffer joined him on the sidelines with an injury of his own.
The two combined for a 45-25 record a year ago, but without them in the starting lineup, huge holes needed to be filled.
“With Zach out, that really hurts us,” Stottlemyer said, “because we didn’t have a true heavyweight wrestler behind him. We filled the spot by bumping Lou Thomas up from 197 pounds.”
In addition to the injuries of Headlee and Sheaffer, the coaching staff decided to redshirt juniors Matt Kocher and Keith Gavin.
Without Kocher and Gavin, depth became an issue, especially once the two found much success in other tournaments. It forced the coaching staff to make a decision on whether or not to keep them out.
Wrestling unattached in separate tournaments as redshirts, Kocher and Gavin compiled overall records of 36-3 and 23-7, respectively, while adding several tourney titles between the two.
“We thought they could use this season to really grow as wrestlers,” Stottlemyer said of Kocher and Gavin earlier this season. “Because of the injuries, we thought of removing the redshirt, but decided against it.
“This year for them will help us out next season.”
The 174-pound Francis Iorfido looked to return from his own redshirt season this year for the Panthers.
He did, but wrestled in only one match ” a 2-1 decision over Frank Beasley of Bloomsburg ” before an injury would keep him off the mat for the rest of the Panthers’ season.
Also unavailable for the Panthers this year was Oklahoma transfer Jeff Ecklof, who joined the Panthers before last season.
As a redshirt in the 2004-05 season, Jeff Ecklof finished undefeated at 19-0 in tournament action, He failed to wrestle for the Panthers this year, however, because of off-the-mat problems.
“We expect him back next year,” Stottlemyer said earlier this season.
As the injuries built up, two seniors ” Justin Nestor and Ron Tarquinio ” continuously led the team toward improvement.
Both seniors surpassed the 100-win mark for their careers on the season and will end their careers as two of the most successful Panther wrestlers in history.
“Wrestling has been very good to the two of them,” Stottlemyer said. “Look at where it’s taken them. And the things they learned on the mat will carry further on with them through life.”
Despite all the misfortunes, the team still sent six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla. ” four of which were first-time qualifiers, including freshmen Joey Ecklof and Brad Gentzle.
With the work done by the freshmen and other inexperienced wrestlers and the return of injured and redshirt wrestlers, the promise will once again be back for Stottlemyer and his team next year.
“The experience they got will make a difference for them,” Stottlemyer said after the NCAAs. “What those younger guys accomplished is great. They came back and beat kids who beat them earlier in the season to get there.
“Now they’ll be ready to take that next step.”
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