Wrestling: 8 Panthers head to Oklahoma City for NCAA Championships

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Three senior Panthers are making their final trip to the NCAA Tournament, and they have one last thing to prove.

“I’m definitely going with the mentality that I want to stand on that podium and be an All-American,” heavyweight P.J. Tasser said. “I want to just cut it loose, have some fun and bring home some hardware.”

For the third time in four years, the Pitt wrestling program will send eight wrestlers to the National Championships, which begin today in Oklahoma City. The senior trio, which consists of 125-pound Anthony Zanetta, 133-pound Shelton Mack and Tasser, has combined for six total trips to the national tournament, not counting this year’s trip.

Despite their success, none of the current seniors have earned All-American status for their performance at the NCAA Tournament during their careers. The top eight wrestlers in each weight class are crowned All-Americans. Zanetta enters the tournament as the No. 15 seed, while Mack and Tasser are unseeded.

“It is crucial in my last year to not hold anything back at nationals,” Zanetta said. “I have nothing to lose at this point, and I really want to enjoy my last competition.”

As seniors, the three are hoping to upset some higher-ranked younger wrestlers who must deal with the pressure that comes with high expectations. 

For Mack, having experienced the competition on collegiate wrestling’s biggest stage may put him, and some of the other more seasoned wrestlers, at an advantage.

“After being there a couple of times, it helps knowing what it takes to be an All-American,”he said.

Mack, along with sophomore 197-pounder Nick Bonaccorsi, were at-large qualifiers, meaning they were selected for the tournament on selection day instead of securing one of the automatic bids the ACC had up for grabs at the conference tournament.

Another unranked wrestler making the trip to Oklahoma City is freshman Mikey Racciato at 149 pounds. Racciato is joined by Edgar Bright, also a freshman, who is the No. 14 seed in the 141-pound weight class.

Zanetta, who has qualified for every NCAA Tournament in his four years of eligibility, has been helping the young grapplers prepare for their first trip to nationals.

“It’s important for the freshmen to not overthink the national tournament,” Zanetta said. “It is going to be an environment they have never experienced before, so they must not get caught up in all the hype.”

While Tasser did not qualify for nationals as a freshman, he is offering similar advice to his younger teammates.

“I just tell Mikey and Eddie to soak it all in. It’s an amazing experience and to be there as true freshmen is something not many people can say,” Tasser said. “Soak it all in, and don’t hold anything back.”

Despite all of the talk about seniors in their final tournament and freshmen in their first, two juniors hold Pitt’s best hopes at a national championship and are expected to earn All-American honors.

Tyler Wilps enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed at 174 pounds and Max Thomusseit is the No. 4 seed at 184 pounds.

This will be Wilps’ second tournament and Thomusseit’s third. Being seeded in the top eight puts a target on their backs, though. Their opponents know they have to take down the seeded wrestlers to finish in the top eight and earn All-American honors.

With so many Panthers making the trip to the tournament, the feeling is similar to other tournaments in which the whole team is competing.

“It’s great having a lot of the guys going,” Tasser said. “We can go out as a team and show the fans that the Panthers are here to compete.”