University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Session III Recap
Pitt Johnstown Rallies to Win
2005 NCAA Division II East Regional Wrestling Tournament 02/26/05.....Trailing by 8.5 points entering Saturday's action at the 2005 NCAA Division II East Regional Wrestling Tournament, Head Coach Pat Pecora, the 2005 East Region Coach of the Year, and the Pitt Johnstown Mountain Cats rallied with five individual champions and eight National Qualifiers to win the school's 18th Regional Championship in front their home crowd. The Mountain Cats accummulated 143 teams points to win the title over second place Mercyhurst College, who will also have eight wrestlers at the National Championships.
Ryon Mazzocco (125 lbs.), Thad Benton (141 lbs.), Matt Roncolato (157 lbs.), Howard Bell (197 lbs.) and Zach Majocha (285 lbs.) all claimed individual titles for Pitt Johnstown, while Ryan Ickes (149 lbs.) and Mike Corcetti (184 lbs.) both placed third and Eli Garshnick (174 lbs.) placed fourth to advance to the University of Nebraska-Omaha for the 2005 National Championships on March 11-12.
Mercyhurst College, who led the team standings after the first day of competition, placed second with 132 team points. Five Mercyhurst wrestlers earned runner-up finishes, including J.J. Zanetta (133 lbs.), Don Cummings (141 lbs.), Zach Schafer (165 lbs.), Ben McAvinew (184 lbs.) and Angelo Caponi (285 lbs.). Ricky Randazzo (125 lbs.) and Justin Mautz (197 lbs.) both placed third and Hudson Harrison (157 lbs.) placed fourth to qualify for nationals.
Shippensburg University placed third (94.5 team points) with six National Qualifiers, followed by the University of North Carolina-Pembroke with five National Qualifiers, including the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler Curry Pickard (133 lbs.). Rounding out the top five was West Liberty State College with 83 team points. Four Hilltoppers earned to trip to this year's National Tournament.
R.J. Patternitti's championship at 149 lbs. led four qualifiers and a sixth-place finish for Gannon University. Kutztown University placed seventh with a pair of National Qualifiers, followed by Anderson College's pair of National Qualifiers, including Careef Robertson, who won an individual title at 174 lbs. Limestone College placed ninth with one qualifier, while American International College finished the tournament in 10th place.