Quakers best No. 24 Pitt in disappointing defeat

‘ ‘ ‘ The Pitt men’s wrestling team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of cross-state foe… ‘ ‘ ‘ The Pitt men’s wrestling team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of cross-state foe Penn Sunday, falling to the Quakers 20-16. ‘ ‘ ‘ The Panthers (2-5, 2-0 EWL), who entered Sunday’s match No. 24 in the nation, were slightly favored over No. 25 Penn.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ It was the first time the schools have ever squared off. ‘ ‘ ‘ In one of the day’s biggest surprises, Penn’s Trey McLean upset senior heavyweight Zach Sheaffer. ‘ ‘ ‘ Though Sheaffer was coming off a concussion, Pitt coach Rande Stottlemyer expected more from the veteran, who has 101 career victories and is one win shy of Pitt’s top-15 all-time win list. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We have got to have our seniors come through,’ said Stottlemyer. ‘He lost and it was close, but he shouldn’t have lost.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Despite the defeat, the Panthers had some bright spots. ‘ ‘ ‘ Tyler Nauman, a redshirt freshman wrestling in the 141-weight class, won by pin fall, a rarity at the college level. ‘ ‘ ‘ Another freshman, Zac Thomusseit, also impressed, winning his match at the 184-weight class. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He did a heck of a job,’ said Stottlemyer. ‘He was really focused.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Junior Jimmy Conroy also pulled through, winning his 133-pound match. ‘ ‘ ‘ Still, the loss likely means a drop from the rankings for the Panthers.’ Although Penn was expected to be a tough match, Stottlemyer still believed the Panthers could have come out victorious. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We lost a few we could have had,’ said Stottlemyer, referring to a devastating overtime loss at the 125-pound division. ‘We didn’t step up when we needed to.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ Stottlemyer, who was looking for his 250th career win and holds the most victories in program history, will try to refocus his squad, which has now lost two straight. ‘ ‘ ‘ The team faces Cleveland State on Wednesday in preparation for another top-25 opponent in No. 22 Kent State on Saturday. ‘ ‘ ‘ That match will give the Panthers a chance to redeem themselves against another ranked opponent and rejuvenate the team as postseason competition nears.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We’re in a brick oven,’ said Stottlemyer. ‘We need to learn from our experiences and get ready for the next one.’