O-R Athlete of the Week: Zach Hartman, Belle Vernon
Name: Zach Hartman
School: Belle Vernon
Class: Senior
Sport: Wrestling
Hartman’s week: Hartman wrapped up his second consecutive WPIAL championship with a 3-1 decision of Gerrit Nijenhuis of Canon-McMillan in the finals of the 160-pound weight class.
Hartman captured his first title in 2016, when he pinned Luke Kemerer in the finals of the 132-pound weight class.
To cap his second title, the top-seeded Hartman opened the tournament at Canon-McMillan with a pin in 46 seconds of Nico Flati of West Allegheny then followed it with a pin of Greensburg Salem’s Luke Ewing in 3:50 of the quarterfinals.
Hartman made it to the finals with a pin of Kiski’s Nick Delp in 4:23. Against Nijenhuis, Hartman got a second period takedown to stand as the difference in the match.
It was the fourth consecutive win for Hartman over Nijenhuis.
“I definitely was feeling something different,” said Hartman, who is headed to Bucknell University this fall. “He was a little more aggressive and that’s what I like. I’m feeling like I need to be more strategic. I’m just being more cautious with my shots.”
Hartman’s finish made him the second seed in the PIAA Championships, which begin today at the Giant Center in Hershey. His first-round opponent is the winner of a preliminary-round match between Jarret Feeney of Dallastown and Hunter Wright of Clearfield.
The weight class, besides Nijenhuis, has some tough competitors, especially Carter Starocci of Erie Cathedral Prep, a Northwest champion with a 42-0 record.
Change of strategy: Hartman says one of they keys to his success is being more controlling on the mat. It’s a process put to the test when he left Hershey without a medal last year.
“I have to be more cautious with my shots. I can’t just fire when I want to,” said Hartman. “I know I’ll never be able to make up for last year (not placing in the state tournament). I always use the negative to build myself up.”
Part of that process is psychological.
“Maybe people are thinking, ‘Oh, he didn’t place last year,'” he said. “I have to be able to convince myself in my mind that I deserve this.”