Wrestling: Stottlemyer, Zanetta earn conference honors

Last month the Pitt wrestling team won its first Eastern Wrestling League season title in… Last month the Pitt wrestling team won its first Eastern Wrestling League season title in school history, and on Wednesday the Panthers picked up two individual accolades.

Pitt head coach Rande Stottlemyer was named EWL Coach of the Year, and Anthony Zanetta won EWL Freshman of the Year.

“The reason I got it is because of the two assistants, Jason Peters and Matt Kocher,” Stottlemyer said. “They did a great job with our guys every day of the season.”

This is the fourth time he has won the award in his 31 years at Pitt. The others were 2007-08, 1989-90 and 1986-87.

Stottlemyer and the Panthers finished the year 17-1-1 and beat Edinboro 21-13 in the last dual meet of the season to capture their first EWL regular season crown.

“He deserves it, along with the coaching staff,” Zanetta said. “He has three great coaches, and they are all very dedicated to us. That’s their main priority — us.”

During his freshman campaign, Zanetta was a little inconsistent at times, according to Stottlemyer, which he said is to be expected with any freshman.

But Zanetta said he thinks he can improve next year, especially after what he learned from the coaching staff this year, when “in tough situations to relax and don’t over think things.

“They taught me a lot about being mentally strong. The confidence level they gave me was great. They kept me motivated all season.”

Zanetta finished the year 34-10, giving him the 10th most wins in a single season by a Panther. He also won the 125-pound weight division at the EWL Championships March 7 by beating West Virginia’s Shane Young.

“Early on he struggled a little bit, but his work ethic helped him as the season went on,” Stottlemyer said. “He didn’t have any big dives. [Freshmen] don’t know how long the season is.”

Zanetta also mentioned the season’s length as one of the biggest difficulties to overcome his freshman year. He said in high school he typically wrestled about 40 matches per year, and this year he competed in about 45.

“It was a long year of wrestling that’s hard on your body,” he said. “Once it gets going, it flies by, though.”

Thanks to his EWL win, Zanetta also competed in the NCAA Championships March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb. After winning his opening bout against Cal State-Fullerton’s Andre Gonzalez, he lost his next two matches, ending his trip to nationals.

“This year set a good foundation for the rest of my career going forward,” Zanetta said, adding that he’s looking to improve on his “strength and technique” for next year.

Stottlemyer said he expects Zanetta to progress next year because of the freshman’s work ethic.

“He’ll be working all summer,” Stottlemyer said. “He wants to get better now. He doesn’t want to wait anymore.”

Zanetta said his personal goal for next year is to earn All-American status, which teammate Tyler Nauman did this year.

But that’s not all Zanetta wants to improve on from a freshman season in which his Panthers finished ranked No. 18 in the nation.

“Our goal is to win [the EWL] again and try to get our ranking up as high as we can,” Zanetta said. “Our goal is to be top 10 next year. We’re already talking about it, and we can do it.”

If the Panthers are set to do that, Zanetta figures to be a big part of the team once again, and that sounds good to Stottlemyer.

“He’s got a big smile on his face, and he just loves wrestling,” Stottlemyer said. “It’s just fun to be around him.”