Feb. 15, 2010

PITTSBURGH -

Seven Pitt wrestlers were named to the latest NCAA Individual Rankings released late last week. The release marked the second of three coaches’ rankings of the 2009-10 season.

Redshirt junior Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) led the Panthers with a No. 7 ranking in his 285 weight class.

Tomei is coming off a win after pinning Clarion’s Quinton McCorkle in 2:48 in the Panthers’ last match. The victory marks his 12th fall of the season, which leads all Pitt wrestlers on the year.

Freshman Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) was listed 19th in his 125 weight class. After defeating Clarion’s Joe Waltko with a 10-4 decision, Zanetta’s rookie campaign improves to a 30-8 mark on the season.

With his outstanding performance Zanetta is nearing the top five for wins by a freshman in the Panthers’ record books, currently tied at sixth with former Pitt wrestler Carl Fronhofer (30-1, 1999-00). He also holds the most wins on the squad for the 2009-10 season (30).

In the 133 weight class, senior Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield N.J./South Plainfield) fell into the coaches’ rankings at 28th after capturing a 4-1 decision over Jay Ivanco of Clarion on Feb. 11. Conroy enters his final dual match of the regular season with a 14-8 record.

Redshirt sophomore Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) was listed 16th in his 141 weight class.

After compiling a win in his last match, Nauman’s sophomore record improved to 29-8 allowing him to break into the Pitt record books once again, coming in 10th for most wins by a sophomore. On the year, he is ranked second in both wins (29) and falls (9) on the Pitt squad.

Competing in the 149 weight class, redshirt senior Eric Albright (York, Pa./Red Lion) was listed 30th in the coaches’ rankings.

Sophomore Zac Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio/St. Paris Graham) was selected 25th in his 184 weight class. With his 5-0 decision over Clarion’s Clint Podish, Thomusseit improved his record to 19-6 on the year and surpassed his victory total from his freshman campaign (18-16).

Rounding off the Panthers in the coaches’ rankings is sophomore Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh, Pa./Chartiers Valley), who was ranked 19th in his 197 weight class.

With his latest victory over Clarion’s Alex Thomas in a 4-3 decision, Wilps holds a 29-8 record on the season. This feat ties him with Nauman for both wins on the year (second with 29), and wins by a sophomore in school history (10th).

At the conclusion of the regular season, the NCAA coaches’ rankings are one of the contributing factors that help to determine individual qualifiers for the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Pitt (16-1-1, 5-0 EWL) will host Edinboro Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House, which will decide the Eastern Wrestling League regular-season title.