March 4, 2006

Results

EDINBORO, Pa. - With 74 total points, Pitt is third entering the second day of competition at the EWL Conference Championships hosted by Edinboro. Seniors Mike Ciotti, Ronald Tarquinio and Justin Nestor will compete on Sunday for the championship title in their weight classes. The other seven teammates will compete for third through sixth-place finishes.

Freshman Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) won his first match of the tournament at 125 with a 6-5 win over Edinboro's Ricky Deubel. Having lost a 5-3 decision to Deubel in his final league match of the season, Gentzle's win this evening was very significant in his first conference championship. In his second bout of the tournament, Gentzle lost a 13-6 decision to Lock Haven's Obenson Blanc, slated to be one of the top wrestlers in this weight class. In Sunday's finals, Gentzle will face West Virginia's Scott Stuart.

At 133 pounds, senior Mike Ciotti (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) is on his way to his first NCAA berth, entering Sunday's finals ready to take on Edinboro's No.1 Shawn Bunch for the league crown. Ciotti won his only match of the day with an 8-1 decision over West Virginia's Seth Lisa. This is the second time this season Ciotti has defeated Lisa, having won an 8-2 decision in their league match up.

The 2004 conference champion, Pitt's Ronald Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) is looking to earn his second EWL title. He won a 13-0 major decision over Bloomsburg's Brad Forbes today. Tarquinio had won a 2-1 decision in the season opener with the Huskies, and his win today marks the 117th of his career, moving him to a fifth-place tie in all-time career wins at Pitt. Tarquinio will face West Virginia's Brandon Rader tomorrow in what will likely be one of the tournament's most exciting matches. The two wrestlers have faced each other twice this season, each one coming away with a win.

True freshman Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) has a battle ahead of him at the 149-pound weight class. He won his first match today with a 3-2 victory over Cleveland State's Ryan Hurley. Ecklof had defeated Hurley earlier this season with a 6-1 decision in the dual match. In his second bout of the day, Ecklof wrestled Edinboro's Gregor Gillespie, the top seed at 149 pounds. The two have faced off twice this season, with Gillespie winning both matches. Today he won his third, with a 6-0 decision. In tomorrow's finals, Ecklof will face Bloomsburg's George Hickman as he attempts to earn his first NCAA berth.

Pitt's Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) went 1-1 in his first league tournament. Richmond lost a 17-3 major decision to Lock Haven's Seth Martin in his first bout. Martin, a previous NCAA qualifier, won a 9-2 decision in this year's dual. Richmond, however, fought back in his second match to pin Clarion's Lucas Christopher at the 3:25 mark. This pin marked the first of Richmond's collegiate career, and he'll now face Edinboro's Matt Hill tomorrow in an attempt to earn a top finish.

A three-time NCAA qualifier, senior Justin Nestor (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) is now on his way to a fourth bid as he enters tomorrow's competition, vying for the championship title at 165 pounds. Nestor pinned Clarion's Chris Goings in his first match of the tournament. The fall came at the 5:53 mark, giving Nestor 44 for his career and pushing him to second among Pitt's all-time pin leaders. He also went on to win a 10-0 major decision over Lock Haven's Rory McCoy in his second match. Nestor now has 115 career victories, ranking him seventh among Pitt's all-time win leaders. He will wrestle West Virginia's Larry Hall in tomorrow's championship final. In February's dual, Nestor defeated hall by a 6-4 decision.

In his first EWL tournament, redshirt freshman Nick Padezan (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) lost his first match by an 11-3 major decision to West Virginia's Kurt Brenner. He will take on Lock Haven's Carlos Ponce in tomorrow's finals. Padezan defeated Ponce by an 8-5 decision earlier this season to swing the Pitt vs. Lock Haven match in the Panthers' favor.

Another redshirt freshman competing in his first conference championship, Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) pulled ahead in his first match with a 4-3 decision over Bloomsburg's Nate Shirk. When the two battled earlier in the season opener, Shirk won a 4-2 decision in over time, but it was Deliere who was able to come away with the big win this evening. In his second match, he lost a 13-2 major decision to top-seeded Ron Howard of Cleveland State. Deliere will now face West Virginia's Chance Litton in tomorrow's finals.

At 197 pounds, junior Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) is also wrestling in his first EWL tournament. Heist faced Edinboro's top-seeded Joe Fendone in his first match, losing a 5-0 decision. With a bye for his second match, Heist will now wrestle Lock Haven's Tom Kocher in tomorrow's finals.

Having moved up to heavyweight this season, sophomore Lou Thomas (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) returns to the tournament for his second season. In his first match, he lost a 3-2 decision to Clarion's A.J. Brooks, but Thomas came back in the second match to win a 5-4 decision over Lock Haven's Tim Meyers. This is the second time Thomas has defeated Meyers this season. Thomas' 3-2 victory in February clenched the Panthers' win over the Bald Eagles.

Despite Edinboro's perfect record this season, West Virginia has been able to pull ahead in the team competition, leading with 89.5 points going into day two of competition. Edinboro follows in second with 87.0. Pitt's in third with 74.0, and Bloomsburg is holding on to fourth with 67.0. Tomorrow's competition resumes at 10 a.m., in the McComb Field House.