July 31, 2008

MANHEIM, Pa. -- The University of Pittsburgh's Ethan Headlee is one of just five wrestlers nationally to be selected to the National Wrestling Coaches Association's NCAA Division I True Freshman All-Academic team, the organization announced this week.

Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) posted a 17-16 record during the regular season, including a 9-4 mark in the conference. He went 3-1 at the EWL Championships, taking third place and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where he tallied a 2-2 record. Headlee carries a 3.57 GPA in the school of arts and sciences and will be one of 10 letterwinners returning for the 2008-09 wrestling season.

"We are proud of his accomplishments not only on the mat, but in the classroom," Pitt head coach Rande Stottlemyer said. "Ethan came on real strong in the second half of the year, and to be just one of five wrestlers honored, that is some elite company."

Four other wrestlers join Headlee on the team, including Eastern Wrestling League foe Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro, Trevor Hall of Cal-State Bakersfield, A.J. Kissel of Purdue and Colt Sponseller of Ohio State.

To qualify for the honor, wrestlers must maintain at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA, have been an NCAA qualifier or won 60 percent of his total schedule, and must have competed in at least 60 percent of said schedule. Additionally, student-athletes may qualify by having a 3.0 GPA and being an NCAA All-American.

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