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PITT SEVENTH AFTER OPENING ROUNDS AT EWL CHAMPIONSHIPS
March 3, 2007 CLEVELAND - The Pitt wrestling team opened its 2007 league tournament today at the Woodling Gymnasium on Cleveland State's campus. Two Panthers received byes in the first round competition, and three more advanced to this evening's semifinals. The team had two No. 1 seeds heading into today's bouts with top wrestlers at 133 pounds and 174 pounds. After the first session today, Pitt was seventh out of the seven league teams with 25 points. West Virginia led the way with 47 points, and Cleveland State stood in second at 46. No. 5 seed Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) upset No. 4 seed Ryan Riggs of Cleveland State in his opening round at 125 pounds. Gentzle won a 5-3 decision to advance to the semifinals against No. 1 Obenson Blanc of Lock Haven. Blanc came away with a major decision in the dual meet earlier this season. At 133 pounds, Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) earned a bye in the first round as a No. 1 seed. He'll face Clarion's Sal Lascari in tonight's semifinals. Headlee didn't wrestle in Pitt's dual with the Golden Eagles, making this the first time he'll wrestle Lascari this season. Pitt's Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed at 141 pounds. In his opening bout, he lost a 7-4 decision to Cleveland State's Mike Hurley. Ciampoli will wrestle Clarion's Greg Lewis in consolations. Wrestling at 149 pounds, true freshman Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) faced West Virginia's David Jauregui in his first match of the day. Jauregui came away victorious for the second time this season, winning a 15-3 major decision. Generalovich will now take on Lock Haven's Donnie Ament in consolations. Redshirt junior and No. 4 seed Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) was ready for the rematch at 157 pounds. In his opening round, he took on Cleveland State's Victer Crenshaw. In this year's dual meet, Crenshaw won a 7-4 decision. This time around, though, Kocher was victorious nearly earning a major decision but ending with a 10-5 decision over the Viking wrestler. In tonight's semifinals, he'll face West Virginia's No. 1 Zac Fryling, a wrestler he's defeated twice this season. A No. 2 seed at 165 pounds, Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa/Easton) received a bye for his first round. Tonight he'll wrestle Lock Haven's No. 3 Landis Wright in the semifinals. In Pitt's dual meet with the Bald Eagles, Richmond lost a close 5-3 decision in sudden victory. Pitt's other No. 1 seed in the tournament was Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) at 174 pounds. In his opening match, he wrestled Cleveland State's Nate Kmetz and won with a fall at the 1:18 mark. Gavin will go up against Lock Haven's No. 5 Mike Metzger this evening in the semifinals. He defeated Metzger, 9-4, in Pitt's dual meet earlier this season. Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) took on Bloomsburg's No. 2 Nate Shirk in his first match of the day. Shirk won an 8-3 decision to advance, putting Deliere against Clarion's Scott Joseph in the semifinals. At 197 pounds, Pitt's Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) lost a 5-0 decision to Edinboro's No. 3 Jim Gibson. Heist will now wrestle Bloomsburg's P.J. Distefano in consolations this evening. Pitt heavyweight and No. 3 seed Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) wrestled Clarion's A.J. Brooks in his first match today. Sheaffer lost a tough 4-2 decision in the second sudden victory to move to consolations this evening. Tonight he'll face Lock Haven's Ben Hepburn who he beat in the dual meet this year. Tonight's session will begin at 6 p.m. First Round Team Standings
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