Wrestling: Panthers head to EWL Championship

The Pitt Panthers will head to Clarion University for the Eastern Wrestling League Championship… The Pitt Panthers will head to Clarion University for the Eastern Wrestling League Championship this Sunday to defend last year’s tournament title.

Based on the qualifying allocations and current standings in the EWL — which is how many wrestlers advance from each weight class in the conference — the Panthers can expect to grab seven automatic bids to the NCAA tournament, which starts March 15.

Seven automatic bids is a goal for the Panthers, who finished ranked No. 9 following the duals season. Head coach Rande Stottlemyer’s team sent eight wrestlers to nationals last year, including one at-large bid.

But the team isn’t focusing on who should and shouldn’t make the tournament. All of that is just a distraction.

“I try to stay away from the rankings and all the talk on the internet,” junior No. 15 Anthony Zanetta said. “It’s not going to help me win.”

Zanetta, the 125-pounder for Pitt, has been the top-ranked player in his weight class all season in the EWL. He’s a favorite to win the weight class, and even a runner-up finish will send him to nationals. If he were to finish outside of the top two, he would also have a chance at being selected as an at-large wrestler.

Despite knowing the allocation number for his class, No. 19-ranked sophomore Shelton Mack prefers to focus on matches individually.

“I just like to focus on winning,” Mack said. “Taking it one match at a time, just like the regular season, takes off a lot of the pressure. It makes it easier to wrestle.”

The 133-pound sophomore’s weight class will send three wrestlers from the EWL to the NCAA tournament, and Mack is on a collision course with Edinboro’s No. 11 A.J. Schopp. Mack has split the season’s meetings with Schopp 1-1. He defeated the Edinboro wrestler 3-2 in the dual match and lost to him 1-0 in the Buffalo Open.

Mack knows that a potential third meeting with Schopp will be the most meaningful due to the high-pressure situation, but he and his team are ready for the tournament.

“The postseason is where everything pays off,” Mack said. “The team is prepared. It is something we all have been working so hard for. The energy is great, and everyone’s excited.”

Two wrestlers from the 141-pound weight class will advance to the national tournament, and freshman Travis Shaffer will be looking to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament in his first season.

At 149 pounds, senior No. 10 Tyler Nauman is searching for his fourth EWL title. With the dual season now over, his focus has shifted to that fourth championship — a chance at something not often accomplished.

“I want a fourth title and am shooting for it Sunday,” Nauman said. “I won’t be satisfied if I don’t get it because I know I can. There aren’t many people with three, let alone four, individual EWL championships.”

The pressure is still great for an experienced wrestler like Nauman, and he is avoiding all outside influences in advance of his final EWL tournament.

“The pressure is a difficult thing to deal with,” Nauman said. “Different people deal with pressure differently. I try to stay off the forums and away from the rankings. I just go out and wrestle my match.”

Nauman’s weight class will send two from the EWL, and he should finish in the top two. He would also have a good shot at picking up an at-large bid should there be an upset.

Donnie Tasser, who received an at-large bid last season, will look to earn one of the two automatic qualifiers and avoid selection-day nerves.

Sophomore Tyler Wilps has his work cut out for him at 165 pounds. The EWL was only awarded one automatic qualifier, and Clarion’s No. 5 Bekzod Abdurakhmonov will be a tough opponent.

Senior Ethan Headlee comes in as the top-ranked wrestler for the EWL in the 174-pound weight class. With three wrestlers from the EWL awarded spots in the NCAA tournament, Headlee should be heading to St. Louis.

There will be some interesting bouts at 184 pounds for senior Andy Vaughan, who’s ranked third in the EWL. With three spots up for grabs, Vaughan is projected to advance but will face tough competition from other wrestlers looking to steal his spot.

At 197 pounds, three spots are on the line, and No. 4-ranked junior Matt Wilps carries the best hopes of going to the NCAAs for Pitt. It will be difficult for Wilps to win the EWL tournament with the nation’s second- ranked 197-pound wrestler Chris Honeycutt from Edinboro.

Honeycutt defeated Wilps twice this season, but the junior is just ignoring the past and focusing on winning like the rest of the team.

“There really is no way to avoid the pressure other than trying to ignore it,” Wilps said. “The allocations aren’t a factor. I’ll just focus on winning.”

Heavyweight is the only class in which the Panthers don’t have a top-four wrestler. Freshman Joel Yahner will need to pull some upsets to wind up in the top three and book a spot to the national tournament.

Pitt is ready for Sunday’s tournament in Clarion. Zanetta feels that they just have to embrace the challenge. They know when it is time to wrestle — they’ve been on the mats since October.

“The team is well prepared mentally and physically,” Zanetta said. “Our team is calm, cool and collected. We know when to turn it on at the right time.”