For Zack Zavatsky, something that’s been a significant part of his life will come to an abrupt end later this month.

So why not go out on top?

A Latrobe alum, Zavatsky’s final competitive wrestling act figures to come at the NCAA championships this weekend at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. A senior at Virginia Tech, Zavatsky will begin training for his job at a Corning ceramics plant in Virginia just days after the tournament.

The No. 3-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds by intermatwrestle.com, Zavatsky has been competing in the sport since he was 5. And while he pledges to continue to stay involved with wrestling going forward, Zavatsky has legitimate reason to believe he can begin his new job as an NCAA champion.

“I am definitely going in there trying to wrestle one match at a time,” Zavatsky said, “and I’m not going in there thinking I am going to lose.

“I am definitely trying to shoot for the top. Anybody can beat anyone on any given day, so just trying to have fun with it and not really worry about it right now and let the wrestling happen. Being on the top of the podium has been on my mind since coming in as a freshman, so I’m not going to change that now.”

If that sounds like bravado, it belies the quiet, cerebral maturity that emanates from Zavatsky, a three-time WPIAL champion who went undefeated (capped by a PIAA title) as a senior and posted a 166-18 record at Latrobe.

“Zack has always been a really mature kid,” Virginia Tech coach Tony Robie said, “even when he came in as a freshman in terms of doing things the right way and how he approaches the sport of wrestling.

“He’s definitely a pro. He takes care of his body, does everything that he can to control the things he can control and makes sure that he’s in his best physical and mental state of mind when he steps out there.”

A reigning All-American after placing sixth at the NCAA championships last year, Zavatsky has a 24-3 record this season and a 105-22 career mark after winning his third ACC championship earlier this month.

Zavatsky is the sixth Virginia Tech wrestler to win three or more ACC titles.

Robie lauds Zavatsky’s consistency this season — he has lost just once since November. Zavatsky is hoping to remain that way through March, a month that has had great success but also mixed results.

Zavatsky was the ACC champion as a freshman and sophomore. As a junior, though, he placed second despite being the top seed. That was OK, though, because he had his best showing at NCAAs two weeks later, making the semifinals at 184 pounds.

“It’s just a perspective thing and trying to just look forward to the next match and not really stress about the seeds of the NCAA, how ACC ends up and where people are going to be in the bracket,” Zavatsky said. “It’s just about trying to be free and peak at the right time and just wrestle hard.”

Said Robie: “When Zack goes out there and his effort is really consistent and really good and he wrestles hard for seven minutes and just focuses on scoring points and enjoying the whole process, he’s a great wrestler. He can wrestle with anybody in the country and beat anybody in the country.”

Zavatsky embraces that mindset.

No matter what happens in Pittsburgh, there will be more memories to add from Zavatsky’s 18 years of wrestling. He also knows, no matter what happens, it’s time to move on to applying his degree in packing systems and design.

“Definitely, All-American, it would be awesome to end my career like that,” Zavatsky said. “But I am gonna have a job after this, and I am not going to be defined really by how this ends up. It’s just about having fun and enjoying myself.”

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