Freshmen making early impact for No. 8 Pitt wrestlers

Pitt wrestling trailed Oklahoma State 7-0 after the first two matches in Sunday’s dual meet before two freshmen stepped up to save the match for the Panthers.

Edgar Bright, ranked No. 13 in the 141-pound weight class, put Pitt on the board with a 10-5 decision over Oklahoma State’s No. 12 Anthony Collica.

Bright set the stage for fellow freshman Mikey Racciato, a 149-pounder, who pinned Josh Kindig at 1:23. His fall ended up breaking the 18-18 tie, giving the underdog Panthers a victory over the No. 5 Cowboys.

Senior heavyweight P.J. Tasser spoke highly of the young Panthers.

“Both Edgar and Mikey’s wins against Oklahoma State were pivotal, especially the pin,” Tasser said. “I think it gives them an immense amount of confidence moving forward.”

Considering Bright and Racciato are members of Pitt’s 2013 recruiting class, which ranked second in the nation, their success isn’t shocking. Regardless, the upperclassmen have taken notice of the team’s newest additions.

“It’s great having two freshman in the lineup contributing so much,” 125-pound senior Anthony Zanetta said. “They are now wrestlers in the lineup that we can count on for a big upset or win.”

With the wins, Bright moved to 13-5 on the season and Racciato jumped to 16-5. The early success was something that Bright always desired.

“It’s what my team and coaches expect of me,” Bright said. “Making an early impact was my goal. I came in knowing that I wanted to be in the lineup, making things happen for the team.”

Racciato, on the other hand, didn’t necessarily focus on making early contributions, but his wrestling style has made him very effective in his first year of collegiate competition.

“Making an impact early was never really one of my goals,” Racciato said. “Once I knew I was starting, I just figured I would continue the way I always wrestled. That’s what got me here in the first place, and hopefully I would find similar success.”

Despite their differing outlooks, the two share a common goal: to help the team win as many matches as possible.

“All I’m really trying to do is take it one match at a time and hopefully win,” Racciato said. “It’s always a great feeling to know you are helping benefit your team.”

Bright knows his role in the lineup and has embraced it.

“Winning key matches shows me that I’m doing my job in the lineup,” Bright said. “Plus, it helps me see where I stand when it comes to tough competition.” 

That tough competition — which has included No. 5 Oklahoma State and No. 1 Penn State so far this season and will culminate with matches aginst No. 12 Michigan, No. 13 Virginia, No. 14 Edinboro and No. 17 Virginia Tech — has toughened the young Panthers against the rigors of collegiate wrestling.

“You have to keep the young guys motivated all the way till March because it is such a long season,” Zanetta said. “With success comes motivation, so it is making everyone’s job a little easier.”

The tough schedule has kept the underclassmen motivated, but the experienced group of upperclassmen has also been a driving factor in their success.

Shelton Mack, a 133-pound senior, said that one thing the upperclassmen do is lead by example. 

“We all have the same goals and standards, and I feel like that’s important for the freshmen to see,” Mack said.

With those leaders in place, the young Panthers know that they have a model to follow.

“The upperclassmen have been great role models and leaders,” Racciato said. “They have made my transition into college very easy and help keep us young guys doing the right things.”

Halfway through the wrestling season, Racciato and Bright have set high expectations for themselves, and the upperclassmen said they intend to hold the starters to those goals.

“It isn’t always going to go smooth [for the freshmen], but this far into the season, I think they have realized that there are no secrets to success in college wrestling,” Zanetta said.

The Pitt seniors have won a conference championship — either regular season or tournament — the past four years and will look to their newest members to contribute this year.

After learning from one of the most successful senior classes in Pitt history, Racciato and Bright will be set to carry over those expectations of Pitt wrestling to a new group of freshmen. “Even though they are young, they carry themselves on the mat like veterans, and it’s really paying off,” Tasser said.

In a matter of years, Bright and Racciato will lead the team, and Bright looks forward to stepping into a leadership role with the knowledge he has gained from this year’s upperclassmen.

“The upperclassmen have done a lot for me to get acclimated to the tough lifestyle of college wrestling,” he said. “When my time comes, I’ll be ready to take on that position and help the wrestlers under me and after me.”