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No. 20 Panthers Split Dual Matches at Oklahoma
Jan. 12, 2008
PITTSBURGH - The No. 20 Pitt wrestling team split a pair of dual matches today in Norman, Okla., claiming victory over Michigan State, 21-14, and dropping a hard fought battle with No. 19 Oklahoma, 17-15.
The Panthers' three returning All-Americans; Keith Gavin, Matt Kocher and Drew Headlee, and No. 11-ranked heavyweight Zach Sheaffer finished the day with two victories and accounted for 27 of Pitt's 36 total team points.
Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) posted two strong performances on the day and picked up his 14th and 15th victories of the season. The 14th came in grand fashion as he put up 11 points through three periods while only allowing Michigan State's Micah Carter one point on an escape. Headlee added a point after piling up over three minutes of riding time and picked up a major decision by a score of 12-1.
A tougher test awaited Headlee in his second bout of the afternoon, as he stepped to the mat against No. 12 Zach Bailey of Oklahoma. Last year's EWL champion at 133 pounds, Headlee was unable to put any points on the board in the first two periods, but held off Bailey's advances and keep the match deadlocked at zero. Headlee finally broke through in the third with an escape and added another point for riding time, providing just enough offense to topple Bailey by a score of 2-0.
Pitt's match with the Spartans began with the 149-pound class and Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) set the tone for the rest of his teammates with a technical fall of Michigan State's John Fulger in the second bout. The nation's No. 4-ranked 157-pounder, Kocher used an early takedown and two three-point near falls to build an eight-point first period lead. He then used an escape and three more takedowns throughout the next two frames to widen his lead and capped the bout off with a point for riding time to set the final at 17-2.
Kocher's second bout with Chad Terry of Oklahoma was a lower scoring affair. Pitt's all-time leader in tournament victories used an escape with 47 seconds left in the third period to overcome Terry's 1-0 lead and earn three more points for the Panthers.
Gavin's day began against the Spartans' John Murphy. After a scoreless first period, Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) unleashed seven points in the second. He went on to take the match by a count of 9-4. Oklahoma's Jeff James faired a bit better against the nation's top wrestler at 174 pound wrestler and kept the match close through two periods. But Gavin used an escape and a takedown in the final frame to put the bout away, 9-5.
Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) used a five-point third period and a point for riding time to easily move past Michigan State's Alan O'Donnell by a score of 10-3. In Sheaffer's second bout against the Sooners' Nathan Fernandez, Sheaffer tallied the bouts only points with an escape and a riding time bonus in the third period.
The Panthers will return home for their next match against EWL foe Lock Haven on Thursday Jan, 17 at Fitzgerald Field House. Action is schedule to begin at 7 p.m.
PITT 21 125: Joel Trombly (MSU) dec. Ryan Bosso (PITT), 6-0
OKLAHOMA 17 125: Joey Fio (OU) dec. Ryan Boss (PITT), 3-2 |
 
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