Pat Bennett (Syracuse, N.Y./SUNY Brockport) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for the week of January 17-23

Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. The announcement will be made each week on Wednesday.

Bennett, a senior, claimed the heavyweight title at the New York State Championships tournament, held at SUNY-Oswego in Oswego, N.Y., Jan. 21. Bennett, who competes in NCAA Div. III, defeated four opponents during the weekend, including a pair of wrestlers from Div. I programs. 

In the opening round, Bennett stopped John Grando of Columbia, a Div. I wrestler, by a 7-4 score. His quarterfinal victory came over Div. III wrestler Trevor Hiffa of SUNY Oneonta, which ended with a 34-second pin. Bennett stopped Arkadiy Levitin of Div. III Hunter College in the semifinals, scoring an impressive 18-second pin. In the championship finals, he faced Harold Sherrell of Buffalo, who held No. 15 ranking in the NWCA/Intermat  Div. I national rankings. Bennett scored a 3-2 decision over Sherrell to capture the tournament title.

Bennett entered the tournament with a No. 6 national ranking of his own, in the most recent Brute-Adidas NWCA Div. III Individual Rankings. His record for the 2005-06 season is an impressive 20-4. Three of the losses were to Div. I wrestlers, including two who are currently ranked in the top seven on the Div. I level, Tanner Garrett of Navy and Jake Hager of Oklahoma.

Bennett competed for Marcellus High School in New York prior to attending SUNY-Brockport. He is studying sociology at SUNY-Brockport.

Note: To nominate a wrestler for TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week, send the athlete's name, accomplishments for the week and career accomplishments to Gary Abbott at gabbott@usawrestling.org