March 17, 2006

OKLAHOMA CITY - Familiar faces were set to wrestle this evening as Pitt's Ronald Tarquinio went up against West Virginia's Brandon Rader for the fourth time this season. Rader led the series, 2-1 after winning the most recent match for the EWL conference title. Tarquinio's victory over Rader occurred at the Las Vegas Invitational in December where he finished seventh overall. All-American honors were on the line for the match's winner, and the two wrestlers battled to the end.

The first period started off with Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) getting a stall warning at the 30-second mark. The two went scoreless in the first, and Tarquinio chose down for the second period giving him an escape point about 15 seconds in. He maintained the 1-0 lead entering the third, but Rader chose down and got the escape right away. Rader went on to score on a takedown, but Tarquinio fought back with two points of his own to tie the score at three and send the bout into overtime. Fighting for All-America honors, Rader pulled ahead with a takedown for the 5-3 sudden victory.

Tarquinio closes out his Pitt career with a record of 120-53, fifth among Pitt's all-time win leaders. He's earned eight falls, seven technical falls and 38 major decisions in his time as a Panther. Tarquinio was the 2004 EWL champion at 141 pounds and is one of eleven wrestlers in school history to become a four-time NCAA qualifier.

Only the top eight matches in each weight class remain for tomorrow's competition, and the with Tarquinio's elimination this evening, the NCAA tournament concludes for the Panthers. All three of Pitt's seniors advanced to the final day of competition, demonstrating why they have been team leaders throughout the years.