Pitt wrestlers start strong at Michigan State Open

The Pitt wrestling team opened its 2008-09 season with a successful showing at the Michigan… The Pitt wrestling team opened its 2008-09 season with a successful showing at the Michigan State University Open Sunday. Pitt wrestlers placed in seven of 10 weight classes, while seven finished in at least the top six of their individual classes. The standout was the strong display by freshman Zac Thomusseit, a three-time state medalist in Ohio who battled to a second-place finish. After a fifth-place finish at the Eastern Michigan Open, Thomusseit wrestled to three consecutive victories. After pinning Olivet’s Joe Bargerstock and succeeding a 9-8 decision against EMU’s Derek Foore, Thomusseit lost his only match in the finals against Northwestern’s Jake Herbert, who was ranked second in the 184-pound weight class and was the 2007 National Champion.’ But Thomusseit wasn’t the only freshman to make an impact at the Open. Freshmen Chris Albright and Tyler Nauman got the season started with impressive showings of their own. Albright finished with a 4-2 record, which earned him a fifth-place finish on the day. The highlight of Albright’s day was a third-round pin against Indiana’s Wes Fike in a consolation bracket match. Nauman couldn’t have asked for a better start, as he pinned his first two opponents. A quarterfinal match against eventual 141-pound weight-class winner Ryan Williams ended the run. Nauman finished 5-2 on the day. Sophomore Ethan Headlee tormented opponents through his opening four matches, propelling himself to a semifinals showdown. He eventually lost to Indiana’s Paul Young, but still finished with a 6-2 record after a fifth-place match, which he capped off with a pin. Junior Jimmy Conroy succeeded through his first two matches by way of a tech fall and a major decision. A 133-pound bracket semifinals match resulted in a loss to Michigan State’s Franklin Gomez, who came in ranked third in the USA Today/Intermat/NWCA preseason rankings. He finished the day with a fourth-place showing. Head coach Rande Stottlemyer praised his team’s efforts and abilities to build off of work from prior weeks. Noting the superior competition at the MSU Open, Stottlemeyer said he was confident the experience will prove beneficial in the long term. The Panthers host Lehigh Saturday at 7 p.m. in the Petersen Events Center.