Pitt Features Four Wrestlers in the Semifinals of the Midlands Championships

The Pitt wrestling team saw four of its wrestlers make it to the Semifinals of the Midlands Championships in Hoffman Estates, Ill. on Thursday and four others who are aiming for top seven placements.

125 Pound Weight Class

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Redshirt junior Colton Camacho (9-4) lost his First-Round bout against Lehigh Killian Delaney in a 3-2 decision. He earned a technical fall, 16-0, over D. Guanajuato and a major decision, 12-2, over N. Gonzalez in the Consolation Rounds. Camacho finished his day with a loss, 5-3 decision, to No. 9 seeded Michigan Jack Medley.

141 Pound Weight Class

No. 1 redshirt senior Cole Matthews (8-0) showed why he is one of the best wrestlers in the country as he won all four bouts to earn a spot in the semifinals. He took down UW-Whitewater Dakarai Clay in a 4-3 decision in the First Round, won a 1-0 close bout with Princeton Daniel Coles in the Second Round, earned an 11-3 major decision over Indiana Cole Rhemrev in the Round of 16 and then finished off with another close, 2-1 decision, over No. 9 unattached Rutgers Joe Olivieri in the Quarterfinals.

Matthews faces off against SIU Edwardsville Saul Ervin in the semifinals.

Redshirt sophomore Ryan Michaels (7-1) wrestled unattached and lost in sudden victory, 14-10, to a great opponent in No. 2 Rutgers Sammy Alvarez.

Michaels then moved on to the Consolation Rounds where he excelled. He pinned Coles at 3:32 and then George Mason Shaun Nonaka at 6:53, before earning a 3-1 sudden victory over Penn Kyle Hauserman and moving on after J. Vasquez put in a medical forfeit.

He will finish in the top seven and will wrestle the winner of Olivieri and Bloomsburg Josh Mason on Friday.

149 Pound Weight Class

Redshirt sophomore Tyler Badgett (8-4) had a good day of wrestling on Thursday as he made the Quarterfinals. After a First-Round bye, he won a 4-2 decision over SIU Edwardsville Caine Tyus in the Second Round and then won a 3-2 decision over Penn Jude Swisher in the Round of 16. Badgett lost to No. 2 Northwestern Yahya Thomas in a 12-5 decision in the Quarterfinals.

Badgett wrestles Princeton Rocco Camillaci in the Consolation Rounds on Friday.

157 Pound Weight Class

No. 4 senior Dazjon Casto (2-4) put on a poor performance at the Midlands Championships. He lost in an 8-6 decision to Harvard Cael Berg in the First Round and then lost a 4-3 decision to Missouri Jerrdon Fisher in the Consolation Rounds.

Redshirt junior Dan Mancini (1-2) defeated Princeton Ty Whalen in a 7-0 decision in the First Round, before losing a close 6-5 decision to No. 9 unattached Oklahoma Jared Hill in the Second Round. He suffered a 3-1, sudden victory loss to Virginia Nic Sansone in the Consolation Rounds.

Redshirt first-year Brock McMillen (3-6) lost in a Second-Round bout in a 7-0 decision to No. 10 Northern Illinois Anthony Gibson and then again in the Consolation Rounds to Whalen, in a 10-7 decision.

165 Pound Weight Class

No. 7 redshirt senior Holden Heller (5-2) made it to the Quarterfinals after winning a 10-4 decision over Central Michigan Tracy Hubbard in the Second Round and then a 6-0 decision against unattached Virginia Nick Hamilton in the Round of 16. He lost a tough bout to No. 2 Princeton Quincy Monday and goes into the Consolation Rounds, where he faces No. 14 Penn Lucas Revano.

174 Pound Weight Class

First-year Lucas Augustine (4-3) earned a technical fall, 17-2, on Indiana Isaiah Levitz in the First Round and then a 14-1 major decision over Arizona State Cael Valencia in the Round of 16. He wrestled hard with No. 1 Illinois Edmond Ruth, but lost in a 5-3 decision.

Augustine faces off against rival WVU senior Scott Joll in the Consolation Rounds on Friday.

184 Pound Weight Class

No. 2 redshirt junior Reece Heller (11-1) joined Matthews in the Semifinals with some great wrestling on Thursday. He started with a 9-8 decision over Princeton Nate Dugan in the First Round, then won with a technical fall, 20-4, over Air Force Andrew Wenzel in the Second Round. He pinned Virginia Hadyn Danals in the Round of 16 and earned a 2-0 sudden victory over No. 10 Illinois Dylan Connell in the Quarterfinals.

He wrestles rival No. 3 WVU redshirt junior Anthony Carman in the Semifinals on Friday.

Redshirt sophomore James Lledo (6-4) lost in a major decision, 15-4, to rival No. 8 unattached West Virginia junior Dennis Robin in the First Round. Lledo pinned Central Michigan Benjamin Cushman to start in the Consolation Rounds, before losing in a 5-2 decision to Northwestern Jon Halvorsen.

197 Pound Weight Class

First-year Mac Stout (7-0) began his Thursday with a major decision, 14-4, over Central Michigan Cade Dallwitz in the First Round. He then won an 8-1 decision against Buffalo Eli Sheeran in the Round of 16, putting him against rival WVU redshirt sophomore Austin Cooley in the Quarterfinals.

Stout won the bout after Cooley suffered an injury at the 4:20 mark. Stout takes on No. 1 Wisconsin Braxton Amos in the Semifinals.

Heavyweight Class

First-year Dayton Pitzer (4-0) had the most surprising performance of Thursday for the Pitt with three upsets. He took down No. 9 NC State Tyrie Houghton in a 7-3 decision in the First Round and then won a major decision over rival No. 8 WVU Michael Wolfgram in the Round of 16. He finished his day with a 4-0 decision over No. 1 Arizona State Colton Schultz to make it to the Semifinals.

Pitzer wrestles against No. 4 Wisconsin Trent Hillger in the Semifinals.

No. 11 Mike Slinger (4-5) lost both of his bouts on Thursday. He lost a 5-2 decision to Central Michigan Bryan Caves in the First Round and then a 6-4 decision to Buffalo Greg Hodulick in the Consolation Rounds.

Schedule for Friday-Semifinals

141-No. 1 Cole Matthews vs. SIU Edwardsville Saul Ervin

184- No. 2 Reece Heller vs. No. 3 WVU Anthony Carman

197-No. 4 Mac Stout vs. No. 1 Wisconsin Braxton Amos

Heavyweight-Dayton Pitzer vs. No. 4 Wisconsin Trent Hillger

Consolation Rounds

141-Unattached Ryan Michaels vs. winner of No. 9 Rutgers Joe Olivieri and Bloomsburg Josh Mason

149-Tyler Badgett vs. Princeton Rocco Camillaci

165-No. 7 Holden Heller vs. No. 14 Penn Lucas Revano

174-Luca Augustine vs. WVU Scott Joll

Semifinals, Consolations and Seventh Place matches start at 12:00 p.m. on Friday. The Final session, which includes first, third and fifth place matches start at 7:05 p.m. Friday.