After posting a 17-1-1 dual meet record last season, and winning the EWL regular season title, the Panthers will return 10 lettermen, including five NCAA qualifiers for the 2010-11 season.
The Panthers will face a challenging schedule in 2010-11, including seven teams that finished among the top 25 at the 2010 NCAA Championships: Ohio State (8th), Penn State (9th), Nebraska (T-12th), American (14th), Edinboro (16th), Lehigh (17th) and Kent State (25th).
The annual Blue vs. Gold wrestle-offs will kick off the season on October 24, at Fitzgerald Field House. The event will start at 1:30 p.m.
The Panthers will also compete in three tournaments, starting with the Clarion Open on Nov. 6. Other tournaments include the Penn State Open on Dec. 5 in State College, and the Midlands Championships in Evanston, Ill., on Dec. 29-30.
Pitt opens the dual season at home, when the Panthers host Lehigh on Nov. 12. The Mountain Hawks are coached by former Pitt wrestling standout Pat Santoro. In his four years at Pitt, Santoro amassed 167 victories and 43 pins – both current records.
The Panthers will then travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on Big Ten powerhouse Michigan on Nov. 14.
The team will compete in the Buckeye Duals in Columbus, Ohio on Nov. 21 where they will take on top-20 teams in Nebraska and Ohio State. Following the Buckeye Duals, Pitt will travel to Albany, N.Y., on Nov. 27 when the Panthers compete in the Journeyman Northeast Duals against Penn, Virginia and American.
Pitt’s second home match will be held on Dec. 12 when the Panthers host Kent State. Following the Midland Championships, the Panthers will return home to host the Pitt Duals on Jan 9.
This year’s Pitt Duals will feature Davidson, Drexel, Millersville and Northwestern – all of whom the Panthers will face in the event.
Eastern Wrestling League competition begins on Jan. 14 with a 7 p.m. meeting at Lock Haven.
A week later, the Panthers will face in-state rival Penn State. Last season both teams fought to a 19-19 tie in Pittsburgh.
Pitt’s first EWL home match will feature Bloomsburg on Jan. 30. Rounding out the EWL home matches are West Virginia on Feb. 4 and Cleveland State on Feb. 11.
Pitt will travel to Clarion this year on Feb. 10, and finish the regular season on the road against Edinboro. Last year, Pitt clinched the EWL season title with a 21-13 victory over the Fighting Scots on home turf.
On March 6, Pitt will travel back to Bloomsburg for the EWL Championships. March 17-19, the Panthers look to the NCAA Championships, held in Philadelphia, Pa.
For more information and up-to-date match times, fans are encouraged to visit the Pitt team website at www.pittsburghpanthers.com
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