While Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech dominated the 2014 All-ACC Wrestling Team, two North Carolina and two NC State wrestlers made the squad – Tommy Gantt (NCSU), Nick Gwiazdoski (NCSU), Nathan Kraisser (UNC), John Staudenmayer (UNC).
Virginia Tech senior Devin Carter, who overcame a serious hamstring injury to capture the ACC championship at 141 pounds and lead the Hokies to the 2014 ACC Wrestling Championship, heads the 2014 All-ACC Wrestling Team.
Pitt, which finished first in the conference in the regular season in its inaugural year in the ACC, led all schools with five All-ACC wrestlers, followed by Virginia Tech and Virginia with four each. Maryland placed three on the team while NC State and North Carolina had two each.
Both the individual champion for each weight class and the runner-up earned All-ACC honors.
Carter, a senior from Christiansburg, Va., is one of four ACC wrestlers to earn All-ACC honors for the third time. He is joined by Maryland’s Jimmy Sheptock (Northhampton, Pa.) and Spencer Myers (Selinsgrove, Pa.) and Tech’s Chris Penny (Virginia Beach, Va.).
Sheptock, the nation’s top-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, captured the ACC title in his weight class– the third league championship of his career–and improved to 27-0 on the year. He previously was named All-ACC after winning ACC championships in 2012 at 174 pounds and in 2013 at 184.
Myers, ranked 9th nationally in the heavyweight division, was the runner-up this year in the ACC Tournament to NC State’s Nick Gwiazdowski, but previously was named All-ACC in 2011 and 2012 after claiming ACC championships in both years.
Penny, who entered the ACC Tournament unranked nationally at 197 pounds but is now ranked 18th nationally after capturing this year’s ACC title, also earned All-ACC honors as the runner-up in 2011 and 2012.
Virginia’s Nick Sulzer (Cleveland, Ohio) earned All-ACC selection for the second time, claiming the title at 165 pounds. Sulzer is currently ranked 2nd nationally in the latest InterMat rankings.
Pitt was represented on the team by 125-pound senior Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 141-pound freshman Edgar Bright (Cleveland, Ohio), 149-pound freshman Mikey Racciato (Pen Argyl, Pa.), 174-pound junior Tyler Wilps (Oakdale, Pa.) and 184-pound junior Max Thomusseit (St. Paris, Ohio).
Virginia Tech placed Carter, Penny, 133-pound freshman Dennis Gustafson (Woodbridge, Va.) and 149-pound senior Zach Neibert (Dayton, Ohio).
Virginia was represented by Sulzer, 157-pound sophomore Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.), 174-pound senior Stephen Doty (St. Louis, Mo.) and 197-pound sophomore Zach Nye (Enola, Pa.).
Maryland’s All-ACC honorees were Sheptock, Myers and 133-pound freshman Tyler Goodwin.
NC State was represented by Gwiazdowski (Delanson, N.Y.), a sophomore who moved up to No. 2 nationally in the heavyweight rankings this week, and 157-pound junior Tommy Gantt (Cahokia, Ill.).
North Carolina’s two representatives were Nathan Kraisser (Ellicott City, Md.), who claimed the ACC Championship at 125 pounds, and 165-pound runner-up sophomore John Staudenmayer (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.).
2014 All-ACC Wrestling Team
Name School Wgt.
Edgar Bright Pitt 141
Blaise Butler Virginia 157
Devin Carter Virginia Tech 141
Stephen Doty Virginia 174
Tommy Gantt NC State 157
Tyler Goodwin Maryland 133
Dennis Gustafson Virginia Tech 133
Nick Gwiazdoski NC State Hwt.
Nathan Kraisser North Carolina 125
Spencer Myers Maryland Hwt.
Zach Neibert Virginia Tech 149
Zach Nye Virginia 197
Chris Penny Virginia Tech 197
Mikey Racciato Pitt 149
Jimmy Sheptock Maryland 184
John Staudenmayer North Carolina 165 So.
Nick Sulzer Virginia 165
Max Thomusseit Pitt 184
Tyler Wilps Pitt 174
Anthony Zanetta Pitt 125