March 17, 2007

DETROIT - An underdog and No. 11 seed in the NCAA Championships, Pitt wrestler Matt Kocher earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish. He defeated C.P. Schlatter, the No 4 seed from Minnesota at 157 pounds.

Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) began the day in consolations against No. 5 Mike Poeta of Illinois. In the first period, Poeta scored on a takedown and held Kocher to an escape for the 2-1 lead. Kocher tied it up at two with an escape in the second. In the final period, Poeta scored early on a takedown while Kocher had one on an escape. With a point for riding time, Poeta won, 5-3.

In the match for fifth-place, Kocher went up against Schlatter. The first period was scoreless, and Kocher scored first with an escape in the second. In the final period, Schlatter got an escape from the bottom to tie it up, but Kocher received a point for riding time, giving him the 2-1 decision.

The win today caps off a great comeback this season for Kocher. He started out the year with a 7-0 start and a tournament victory at the WVU Open. Kocher additionally placed third at the Cornell Body Bar and fourth at the Las Vegas Invitational. After an injury, he returned to dual meet action in January, finishing with a 7-3 record. At the EWL tournament, he rose to the top in a league with several difficult opponents in his weight class en route to a second-place finish and the third bid to nationals during his career. Only a redshirt junior, Kocher has secured his place in Pitt's record books. He holds the school record for most tournament career victories (93) and is third among Pitt's career win leaders (124-36). He's seventh in Pitt history for most career wins with 23, and he's 10th for most wins by a junior.

NOTES--Kocher is the 42nd wrestler in Pitt history to receive All-America honors (top eight national finish). Along with teammate Keith Gavin, they are the first duo to receive this honor in the same season since Mike Ziska and Rob Loper in 2000. Kocher was also the team's only three-time NCAA qualifier heading into the tournament.