Tyrone High School graduate AJ Schopp made quite a name for himself as a standout wrestler for the Golden Eagles, finishing his senior year in 2010 with a perfect 42-0 record and his first PIAA state championship title.

Schopp’s quest for gold continues this week at the NCAA Division I National Championships in St. Louis, MO where he will make his fourth trip to Nationals for the Fighting Scots of Edinboro University.

Schopp has 19-2 record this season and is ranked fourth in the nation by InterMat.

Schopp, a two-time All-American, finished fourth in the nation at 133 pounds in both 2013 and 2014. He has a 126-16 career record, tied for 11th all time at Edinboro in career victories, and he holds the school record for career falls (63).

But his wresting roots go back to “the cage” in the basement of Tyrone Area High School.

“My favorite high school memory is definitely winning a state title. It was nice to finally win my senior year after being in the finals twice before,” Schopp said. “I think I carried from high school to college the mental aspect of wanting to dominate on the mat. And I believe I somewhat achieved that by either pinning or tech falling around 75% of my opponents in college.”

Despite being one of the top wrestlers in the country at 133 pounds, Schopp enters the tournament as the 9th seed. Schopp was ranked first in his weight class earlier this season but suffered a knee injury at the Midlands Championships in late December that forced him to miss two months.

Schopp returned to action with only one regular-season match remaining. The Edinboro senior looked to become a four time EWL champion, but he was rocked by an upset in the semi-finals. Schopp then pinned his way into third place.

“I don’t mind being the ninth seed because it’s alright being the underdog, less pressure. I actually just laugh at the seed.” Schopp said.

“I’m just ready to go out and have fun and really enjoy being able to have the opportunity to wrestle in an event like NCAA D1 wrestling nationals. God has blessed me with great abilities and put the amazing people in my life to get me to where I am now. I am very blessed,” added Schopp.

Schopp also stated that his knee is 100% healthy and will not slow him down as he tries to become a national champion.

How confident is Schopp in his abilities?  His Twitter handle: @GoldSchopping, says it all.

Notes:

Schopp will face Penn’s Caleb Richardson (25-9) in the first round of the tournament, which begins on Thursday, March 19 at 6:00 pm. The matches will be televised on ESPN U and ESPN 3 and can also be seen online at ESPN by following this link.

The National Champion will be crowned on Saturday, March 21 with wrestling beginning at 7:00 pm.

The full brackets for the 133 pound weight class can be downloaded here: NCAA Wrestling Brackets

Follow the Eagle Eye on Twitter @TyroneEagleEye for live updates on A.J’s matches.