One Headlee made his final appearance in the NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament, while another made his debut.

Drew Headlee made his third appearance for the University of Pittsburgh, while younger brother Ethan participated for the first time. Both are graduates of Waynesburg Central High School.

"They come from a great family," said Pitt coach Rande Stottlemyer. "We're fortunate to have them."

Drew Headlee, a 141-pound senior, feel one win short of becoming a two-time All-American. His first loss, a 5-3 decision, was to Ohio State's J Jaggers, the eventual champion.

"Drew was an All-American as a sophomore," said Stottlemyer. "Then he had a hand injury that required surgery three times in the next two years. To finish in the top 12 after facing that adversity is amazing. A lot of kids would have hung it up. Drew showed his leadership on and off the mat."

Ethan Headlee, a 165-pound freshman, posted a 2-2 record at the tournament. He had the difficult task of facing Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum, the top seed and eventual runner-up, in the first round, but turned in a strong performance.

"Ethan faced Tannenbaum at the start of the year and lost, 17-3," said Stottlemyer. "This time, it was 5-3 and Ethan had more than four minutes in riding time. He won matches on the national stage as a freshman. That's not easy to do. It was a great experience for him."

Drew Headlee finished the season with a 25-7 record and concluded his career with an 85-34 mark. Ethan Headlee concluded his freshman campaign with a 19-19 record.

McKnight an All-American

Penn State senior Mark McKnight thought his collegiate wrestling career was over after a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Big Ten Wrestling Tournament.

This South Fayette High School graduate, who wrestled for Chartiers Valley High School under a co-op agreement between the two schools, was granted a reprieve by the Big Ten Conference coaches, however, and he was one of two wild cards selected to participate in the NCAA Division I tournament.

"When I lost in the consolation for seventh place [at the Big Ten meet], I was heartbroken," said McKnight. "I sat in the locker room and realized that my college career was probably over. I was fortunate enough to get a wild card.

"At that point, I decided not to look back. I didn't want to experience that feeling of regret and have my season end that way. I just set my sights on becoming an All-American. I knew it was my last chance and I wanted to make the most of it."

And that's exactly what McKnight did. He capped a successful collegiate career by placing fourth at 125 pounds in the NCAA Division I tournament. It was his fourth appearance in the NCAA meet.

"I'm relieved," said McKnight, who posted a 6-2 record in the three-day tournament. "I have been there before and this is long overdue. I know the feeling of losing. It's definitely better than losing."

McKnight entered the tournament with a less-than-stellar 13-9 record for the season, so it was no surprise that he was not among the top 12 seeds.