Bucknell’s Hartman wins EIWA title; NCAAs up next

By JONATHAN GUTH

MVI Sports

The third time was the charm for Bucknell University junior and Belle Vernon Area High School graduate Zach Hartman.

Hartman, who has a career collegiate record of 65-17, including a 10-0 mark this season, was runner-up in his first two EIWA Championship Tournaments before winning his first title in a 9-0 major decision over Navy’s Tanner Skidgel Feb. 26. Skidgel defeated Hartman, 4-2, in last year’s final.

“It took me three tries to win a conference title,” Hartman said. “Going into the match, it was more just mindset that I was focusing on. Just controlling the controllables in my life.”

Hartman was ranked seventh by Intermat and eighth in a NCAA Coaches’ Panel Rankings at the time of the tournament. He opened action in the quarterfinals with a pin over Army’s Clayton Fielden in 2:40 before advancing to the finals with a 5-2 decision over Drexel’s Evan Barczak.

Hartman got the better of Skidgel this time by riding him for the full two minutes of the second period before scoring a reversal and adding six back points in the third.

“I knew he was a strong kid, and I knew I needed to get to my attacks,” Hartman said. “I wasn’t really stressing about hypothetical positions I may have found myself in. I was just going to take whatever he gave me.”

Hartman joined Andy Rendos (165, 2010), current Bison assistant coach Kevin LeValley (149, 2011) and Joe Stolfi (285, 2014) as Bucknell’s EIWA champions. He became the second Bison to earn the EIWA Coaches’ Trophy as the EIWA Championships’ Outstanding Wrestler. LeValley is the other winner.

Hartman earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Championships in winning his conference crown at 165 pounds. The tournament will be held March 18-20 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Hartman wrestled near his hometown at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh two years ago in the national tournament. He would have wrestled at the NCAAs last season, but it was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.

“I was just happy to be able to compete,” Hartman said. “I think to be able to throw on a singlet was a win in itself, and to be able to go out there with nine other guys and compete. That is not to say I would have been happy if the match went the opposite way.”

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