March 4, 2007
EWL Tournament Results
CLEVELAND - The Pitt wrestling team had two EWL champions this evening, making it the first time since the 2004 season when the team has had two individuals win. Drew Headlee captured the 133-pound title, and Keith Gavin earned the 174-pound victory. Pitt had four finalists in tonight's competition including the two champions as well as Matt Kocher and Sean Richmond, both second-place finishers.
Pitt finished fourth overall with 95.50 points, after three consecutive seasons of third-place finishes in the league tournament. Winning the competition was Edinboro with 113.00 points. In second was West Virginia with 104.50 points, and in third was Lock Haven with 98.00 points.
Pitt's first finalist was at 133 pounds where Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) faced West Virginia's Mark Anderson. In Pitt's dual meet with the Mountaineers, Headlee won a 4-2 decision over Anderson. Tonight, the two were scoreless in the first period. Headlee scored on an escape and takedown in the second before putting Anderson on his back. With a pin at the 4:18 mark, Headlee became the 26th Panther in school history to win an EWL title. He'll make his first trip to the NCAA Championships since the 2005 season where he earned All-America honors.
At 157 pounds, Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) faced Lock Haven's Seth Martin. In earlier matches this season, the two wrestlers split the series, each with one win. Kocher pinned Martin at the WVU Open, and Martin won in the dual meet. Martin was the first to score, earning two on a takedown. Kocher came back with an escape to lower Martin's lead to one. Another takedown gave Martin the 4-1 lead heading into the second period, and he moved ahead to five with an escape. Kocher scored on a takedown to put the bout at 5-3. Martin took a three-point lead at six after another escape. He went on to score two more to jump ahead, 8-3, heading into the final period. With a scoreless third period and after being awarded riding time, Martin won the match, 9-3. Kocher took second place and will now advance to the national tournament. He is the Panthers' only three-time NCAA qualifier heading to the tournament.
Pitt's Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) made his first appearance in the EWL finals, taking on Edinboro's Deonte Penn. Because Richmond didn't wrestle in the dual meet with the Fighting Scots, the two had not gone head-to-head this season. Penn scored early with two on a takedown. He went on to pin Richmond before the end of the period with a fall at the 2:44 mark. With a second-place finish, Richmond will make his first appearance in the national tournament.
Finally, at 174 pounds Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) was slated to take on West Virginia's Kurt Brenner. When the two met earlier this season in the dual meet, Gavin was victorious late in the bout, pulling a 9-4 decision. Gavin was also undefeated in league duals this season, compiling six wins. In the first period, Gavin took a two-point lead with a takedown. Brenner had an escape to narrow Gavin's lead to one heading into the second period. Gavin picked up another point on an escape in the second and had another takedown for a 5-1 lead. Brenner scored one on an escape as the two headed into the final period. With a point for riding time and the 6-3 decision, Gavin became Pitt's second EWL champion of the day and the 27th in school history. He'll move on to the NCAA tournament for the second time in his career, having qualified as a sophomore.
Wild card selections will continue this evening but as of tonight's championship bouts, Pitt has four automatic qualifiers in the individuals mentioned above. The last two seasons, Pitt has sent six qualifiers to the NCAA Championships, and last year one was from a wild card.
CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
133: Drew Headlee (P) WBF Mark Anderson (WV), 4:18
157: Seth Martin (LH) dec. Matt Kocher (P), 9-3
165: Deonte Penn (E) WBF Sean Richmond (P), 2:44
174: Keith Gavin (P) dec. Kurt Brenner (WV), 6-3
Team Results
1-Edinboro - 113.00
2-West Virginia - 104.50
3-Lock Haven - 98.00
4-Pittsburgh - 95.50
5-Bloomsburg - 94.50
6-Cleveland State - 77.50
7-Clarion - 35.00
