Pittsburgh Panthers wrestling

Infobox College Wrestling Team
name = Pittsburgh Panthers

logo_size = 150px
university = University of Pittsburgh
conference = Eastern Wrestling League
conference_short = EWL
division =
city = Pittsburgh
stateabb = PA
state = Pennsylvania
athletic director = Steve Pederson
coach = Rande Stottlemyer
tenure = 29th
arena = Fitzgerald Field House
capacity = 6,798
nickname = Panthers
current season = 2007–08
record = 13–4
conference finish = 2nd
ncaa finish = 16th
color1 = Blue
color2 = Gold
color3 =
hex1 = 091C44
hex2 = CEC499
hex3 =
Nationalchampion =
NCAAchampion =
Individualchampion = 16
All-American = 68
Conferencechampion =
conference_tournament = 1954, 1955, 1956, 1960
update date = March 25, 2008

The Pittsburgh Panthers wrestling program is the NCAA Division 1 intercollegiate wrestling program of the University of Pittsburgh. The team competes in the Eastern Wrestling League and host home meets at Fitzgerald Field House on the campus of the school.

History

Wrestling at Pitt began in the 1912-1913 school year [Citation
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The Owl (1914): the annual of the University of Pittsburgh
place = Documenting Pitt: Owl Yearbooks
year = 1914
pages = 294
publisher = Digital Research Library, University of Pittsburgh
date = July 2006
url = http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittyearbooks&cc=pittyearbooks&idno=1914e49702&node=1914e49702%3A5&frm=frameset&view=image&seq=307
accessdate = 2008-03-26] and eventually became one of the most tradition-rich sports at the University. Pitt's wrestling program boasts 16 individual NCAA national champions, the 13th most among all schools [cite web
title = NCAA Wrestling Champions By School 1928-2006
publisher = Wrestlingstats.com
date = 2006-04-02
url = http://www.wrestlingstats.com/ncaa/pdf/Champs%20by%20School.pdf
accessdate = 2008-03-30] , and 68 All-Americans throughout the program's history. Pitt's all-time dual meet record is 457-363-17 (0.556).

The school's most prominent years were the during the era the program was directed by head coach Rex Peery. During this stretch from 1952 until 1963, the team never finished lower than 9th at the NCAA Championship, placing second both in 1954 and when hosting the NCAA Championship at Fitzgerald Field House in 1957. [cite web
title = The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Champion Stats: University of Pittsburgh
publisher = National Wrestling Hall of Fame
date = 2007
url = http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/teams.php?team=415
accessdate = 2008-03-29 ] Perry coached 13 individual national champions and twice during this span, in 1956 and 1957, the Panthers boasted five All-Americans in one season. Pitt also won the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association tournament in 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1960.

Since 1979, Pitt's wrestling team has been under the leadership of head coach Rande Stottlemyer, a three time All-American wrestler for Pitt in 1974, 1975, and 1978 and a three-time EWL Coach of the Year (1986-87, 1989-90, 2007-08). Under his direction, Pitt has produced 27 All-Americans and 3 individual National Champions including the 2008 champion at 174lbs, Keith Gavin.

Individual National Champions

Pitt wrestlers have won the national championship 16 different times in various weight classes.

*Hugh Peery, 115lbs (1952, 1953, 1954)
*Joe Solomon, 167lbs (1954)
*Ed Peery, 123lbs (1955, 1956, 1957)
*Ed DeWitt, 167lbs (1956)
*Tom Alberts, 167lbs (1957)
*Ron Schirf, 191lbs (1957)
*Paul Powell, 123lbs (1958)
*Larry Lauche, 130lbs (1961)
*Jim Harrison, 167lbs (1963)
*Pat Santoro, 142lbs (1988, 1989)
*Keith Gavin, 174lbs (2008)

Hall of Fame

Pitt has three individuals inducted as Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a wrestler or a coach.

*Rex Peery, coach, inducted 1976 [cite web
title = The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum Offers a Historical View of Wrestling: Rex Peery
publisher = National Wrestling Hall of Fame
date = 2007
url = http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/bio.php?id=11
accessdate = 2008-03-30 ]
*Ed Peery, wrestler, inducted 1980 [cite web
title = The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum Offers a Historical View of Wrestling: Ed Peery
publisher = National Wrestling Hall of Fame
date = 2007
url = http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/bio.php?id=42
accessdate = 2008-03-30 ]
*Hugh Peery, wrestler, inducted 1980 [cite web
title = The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Museum Offers a Historical View of Wrestling: Hugh Peery
publisher = National Wrestling Hall of Fame
date = 2007
url = http://www.wrestlinghalloffame.org/bio.php?id=43
accessdate = 2008-03-30 ]

External links

* [http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/pitt-m-wrestl-body.html Official Pitt Wrestling Website]
* [http://pittsburghwrestlingclub.com/ Pittsburgh Wrestling Club]
* [http://ewlwrestling.com/ Eastern Wrestling League] Video
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4krXW-o14A 2008 Pitt Wrestling Intro]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPreUNQCE-s 2008 Keith Gavin NCAA Championship highlights]

References

* [http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/pitt/sports/m-wrestl/auto_pdf/0708MediaGuide.pdf 2007-2008 Pitt Wrestling Media Guide]
* [http://pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/pitt-m-wrestl-body.html Pitt Wrestling Homepage]