Latrobe grad Pletcher hopes to continue his statewide success at NCAA wrestling championships
If it’s a competitive wrestling match somewhere in Pennsylvania, Luke Pletcher is probably winning it.
And guess where this season’s NCAA championships happen to be?
“Of course it’s going to be cool to come back to Pittsburgh,” Pletcher said, referring to the NCAA wrestling championships that begin Thursday at PPG Paints Arena. “It’s a little homecoming, and there’s nothing more we want to do is (compete) back where it all started.”
In high school, Pletcher went 166-5 at Latrobe, including three PIAA titles. He also scored a big win in his lone collegiate dual match in the Commonwealth, beating Penn State’s Corey Keener last season.
Pletcher is favored to achieve All-American status at 133 pounds for the second consecutive year. He finished fourth at the NCAAs as a sophomore last year and part of Ohio State’s national runner-up team.
With Pletcher ranked No. 7 in the country in his weight class by intermatwrestle.com and Ohio State at No. 6 in the coaches’ poll, Pletcher isn’t afraid to set some lofty goals for his competitive return to western Pennsylvania.
“Personally, (the goal is to) win a national title,” Pletcher said. “And for the team, it’s the same with the team: win a national title.”
That Pletcher emphasizes the team doesn’t come as a surprise to Ohio State coach Tom Ryan, who said Pletcher has been a team leader since he arrived in 2016.
“Luke is just a great team person,” Ryan said. “He gives 100 percent in everything he does. He’s easy to get along with, and we’re really glad he chose Ohio State. He’s been a pleasure to have in the program.”
Pletcher enters the NCAA championships with a 78-17 career record, including 23-5 this season. He was the Big Ten runner-up at 133 pounds.
Pletcher also has been the type of teammate who, as Te’Shan Campbell explained, was the first to reach out to him after Campbell transferred to Ohio State from Pitt.
“Luke made the transition for me easy in the beginning. That’s the type of guy he is,” Campbell said. “Luke is a guy who I would just say you know what you’re gonna get out of him. He’s consistent. He shows up at practice. He does what he has to do. He’s friends with everyone. He’s easy to talk to.”
Ohio State has been runner-up each of Pletcher’s two seasons, and Pletcher has advanced to at least the Round of 16 at NCAAs each year.
This season, his only losses have come to wrestlers ranked in the top 12 nationally, one of whom (Cornell’s Chas Tucker) he also has beaten.
“There’s always something to work on, so you’re constantly improving,” Pletcher said. “Even when you have your best match, there is something that you did wrong. So just picking up the offense, picking up different ways of hand-fighting, leg defense, just multiple different things.”
All the preparation and competition leads up to this weekend. And this year, Pletcher and others from the area have the added bonus of competing in their hometown.
“There’s small goals along the line, whether it’s performing at (the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational) or the Penn State match, the Michigan match. There’s different stepping stones along the line,” Pletcher said. “But in the end, the main goal is definitely nationals.”
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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