Donny Pritzlaff (Northport, N.Y./New York Athletic Club.) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for the week of April 12-18.

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.

Pritzlaff became the first American since 2000 to knock off Joe Williams when he upset the two-time World bronze medalist in the 163-pound freestyle finals of the U.S. Nationals on April 15 in Las Vegas. Pritzlaff won his first U.S. Nationals title.

The second-seeded Pritzlaff, a two-time NCAA champion for Wisconsin, won the match when the top-seeded Williams stepped out of bounds with seven seconds left in the third period while the two wrestlers were involved in a scramble.

The first period was scoreless before going to the leg clinch. Pritzlaff won the coin flip and scored a takedown off the single he was given to win the period. Williams came back to win the second period 3-0.

The 27-year-old Pritzlaff placed third at the 2002 and 2005 World Team Trials. He was a Junior World Champion in 1998.

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 Craig Sesker at csesker@usawrestling.org