Panthers
and Mountaineers Battle to Draw on Senior Night
PITTSBURGH
—
The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team honor seniors Brad
Gentzle and Zach Sheaffer before
hosting border rival West Virginia in the 54th installment of the
Backyard Brawl on the mat. The Panthers and Mountaineers battled to a 15-15
draw, with each team taking five matches on the night.
Pitt (3-6-1, 3-0-1 EWL) and West Virginia (6-4, 3-0-1 EWL) both remain
unbeaten and tied atop the EWL rankings along with Edinboro.
Chris Albright was the first
of three straight matches won by Pitt wrestlers to open the night. Albright
totaled two escapes and a takedown in the second period to pull away from Kyle
Turnbull, tacking on a late third period takedown for the 7-2 decision.
Junior Jimmy Conroy entered
this weekend’s match as the 17th ranked wrestler in the nation at
133 pounds and proved why is considered among the best. Conroy opened the match
with a takedown less than 20 seconds into the first period and jumped out to a
6-2 lead with nearly two minutes of riding time before the opening stanza came
to a close. With the match coming to a close and Conroy ahead 9-2 with riding
time in his favor, a major decision seemed certain. However, Grant Lowther was
able to secure a takedown in the closing seconds to keep Pitt from gaining any
bonus points.
After wrestling to a 3-3 draw after one period, redshirt freshman Tyler
Nauman turned the heat up, with an escape and takedown in the second period
to go ahead 6-3 over Colin Johnson in the 141-pound matchup. Johnson would get
within two at 7-5, but Nauman was able to hold off the late shots and give Pitt
a 9-0 advantage through three matches.
WVU quickly silenced the crowd and gained momentum with four straight
decisions. At 149 pounds, 19th ranked David Jauregui was an 8-6
winner over redshirt senior Mark Powell,
closing the gap to 9-3. Ryan Goodman followed suit in the 157-pound match with a
2-1 decision over redshirt freshman Phil
Sorrentino. West Virginia knotted the match at 9-9 with Donnie Jones’ 4-2
decision over sophomore Ethan Headlee
and took its first lead of the night when 12th ranked Kurt Brenner
handed redshirt junior David Sullivan
a 10-5 defeat at 174 pounds.
Freshman Zac Thomusseit
stopped the downward spiral with a 3-2 win at 184. Thomusseit and Lance Bryson
were tied at 1-1 with the third period coming to a close before the Panther
freshman was able to secure a takedown on the edge of the mat for the win.
Junior A.J. Hunte wouldn’t
be outdone in the 197-pound match. With just 15 seconds on the clock in the
third period and tied 2-2 with Matt Ryan, Hunte put Pitt ahead 15-12 with a
takedown which secured the match.
Sheaffer, the 8th ranked heavyweight in the country and Dustin
Rogers, the 18th ranked heavyweight battled for nearly seven minutes
with neither wrestler able to score a takedown. With under 10 seconds left on
the clock and in a flurry of action, Rogers drew the only takedown of the match,
going up 3-1. Sheaffer escaped, but was unsuccessful in his ensuing shots to
close out the third period.
The Panthers continue EWL action next Friday, Feb. 13 as they hit the
road for a dual with Clarion University. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
Pitt
15 West Virginia 15
125 – Chris Albright (Pitt) dec. Kyle Turnbull (WVU), 7-2
133 – No. 17 Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) dec. Grant Lowther (WVU), 10-4
141 – No. 13 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. Colin Johnson (WVU), 7-5
149 – No. 19 David Jauregui (WVU) dec. Mark Powell (Pitt), 8-6
157 – Ryan Goodman (WVU) dec. Phil Sorrentino (Pitt), 2-1
165 – Donnie Jones (WVU) dec. Ethan Headlee (Pitt), 4-2
174 – No. 12 Kurt Brenner (WVU) dec. David Sullivan (Pitt), 10-5
184 – Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. Lance Bryson (WVU), 3-2
197 – A.J. Hunte (Pitt) dec. Matt Ryan (WVU), 5-2
285 – No. 18 Dustin Rogers (WVU) dec. No. 8 Zach Sheaffer (Pitt), 3-2