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Jackson-Milton’s Pizzuto qualifies for NCAA tournament
By Brandon Judeh
While most sports fanatics are preparing for the madness that is college basketball in March, Eastern Michigan wrestler and Jackson-Milton alum Vinnie Pizzuto is preparing for a little madness of his own.
The 21-year-old punched his ticket to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Oklahoma City, set for March 20-22. He will compete in the 133-pound weight class.
Pizzuto finished fifth this past weekend at the Mid-American Conference tournament at Kent State, which was good enough to qualify him for the NCAA tournament.
Though fifth place is not what he wanted, Pizzuto says he can’t wait to make the trip to Oklahoma.
“Once I got the one win I needed, I felt all the pressure that was on my shoulders lifted. It was very exciting,” Pizzuto said.
The redshirt sophomore finished the season with a record of 20-9. He said he doesn’t plan on changing his routine as the tournament inches closer.
“I just took a couple of days off to rest, but now its back to working hard,” Pizzuto said.
Long before Pizzuto began his path to greatness as an Eagle, he was soaring as a Bluejay.
He finished his high school career with 134 wins and three state tournament appearances. He placed all three times, including third in his senior year.
“He joined our program in junior high after wrestling in the Austintown Youth league and as soon as he joined we knew he was going to be special,” Jackson-Milton wrestling coach Dave Tomaino said. “He’s dedicated, focused and a hard worker. When he has a goal in mind he goes out and gets it.”
Tomaino said that Pizzuto qualifying for the NCAA tournament will have a lasting effect on an already stellar Jackson-Milton wrestling program, as he’s the first Bluejay to qualify for the Division I tournament.
“When I first started coaching here the goal was to send a wrestler to college on a scholarship,” Tomaino said. “Now the program has reached yet another goal and when our future wrestlers walk into the practice room, they’ll see Vinnie’s accomplishment hanging on the wall beside his picture.”
Pizzuto said he is the wrestler he is today is because of his older brother Santino, who made two trips to state at Jackson-Milton, and mentor and coach Nick Dierkes.
Vinnie Pizzuto, a criminal justice major who currently carries a 3.25 GPA, grew up living near Dierkes, who had quite a career of his own as a Bluejay. Dierkes finished second twice in the state tournament in 2004 and 2005.
“Nick is like a second father to me and has really helped me become a better wrestler,” Pizzuto said. “He would always stay after practice and help me out and also would work out with me.”
Dierkes said, “Vinnie is a very hard worker and deserves all of the success he’s achieving. He’s a good kid and does great things on and off the mat.”
As the tournament approaches, Pizzuto — ranked 23rd in the nation — has many goals in mind.
He said the ultimate goal is to win it all, but he knows he has to take it one match at a time.
“Obviously, every wrestler out there wants to win, but my first goal is to win my first match and work my way onto the podium,” Pizzuto said. “I really want to place and end the season as an All-American.”