Pitt Wrestling
Pitt Wrestling Begins ACC Duals with No. 8 NC State at Home
No. 19 Pitt wrestling begins their ACC Duals this Friday, as they face off against No. 8 NC State at Fitzgerald Field House at 7:00 p.m.
Pitt comes into this dual 7-5 on the season, coming off of losses at home against No. 5 Oklahoma State on Jan. 12 and No. 24 Arizona State on Sunday. They have had little success against NC State since joining the ACC prior to the 2013-14 season, just two wins in their 10 encounters, with their last coming in 2019. NC State won 23-9 at home last season, which ensured that them, Pitt and Virginia Tech shared the ACC dual title as co-champions.
This will also end the three-dual homestand for Pitt wrestling and their last dual of January. They will wrestle both Duke next Friday, Feb. 2 and North Carolina on Feb. 9 on the road, and then on final three-dual homestand to close out the season in Virginia Tech on Feb. 16, Rider on Feb. 22 and Virginia on Feb. 23.
No. 19 Pitt Wrestling vs. No. 8 NC State Probables
125 Pounds: No. 31 redshirt senior Colton Camacho (7-7) vs. No. 22 redshirt junior Jakob Camacho (7-4)
133 Pounds: No. 20 redshirt first-year Vinnie Santaniello (12-9) vs. No. 6 redshirt junior Kai Orine (8-2)
141 Pounds: No. 27 redshirt senior Cole Matthews (9-9) vs. No. 4 junior Ryan Jack (12-2)
149 Pounds: No. 29 redshirt first-year Finn Solomon (12-6) vs. No. 3 sophomore Jackson Arrington (12-1)
157 Pounds: Redshirt first-year Jared Keslar (12-11) vs. No. 7 junior Ed Scott (15-3)
165 Pounds: No. 14 redshirt senior Holden Heller (7-4) vs. No. 16 redshirt sophomore Derek Fields (10-2)
174 Pounds: No. 17 redshirt sophomore Luca Augustine (10-2) vs. No. 31 fifth year Alex Faison (8-6)
184 Pounds: No. 12 redshirt senior Reece Heller (13-4) vs. No. 7 redshirt first-year Dylan Fishback (12-4)
197 Pounds: No. 13 redshirt first-year Mac Stout (14-3) vs. No. 4 redshirt senior Trent Hidlay (16-0)
285 Pounds: Redshirt junior Geoff Magin vs. No. 14 redshirt junior Owen Trephan (9-5)
The biggest omission from the probables for Pitt Wrestling in this match is No. 12 redshirt first-year Dayton Pitzer (8-4) at heavyweight. Pitzer dislocated his shoulder against Arizona State No. 5 redshirt junior Cohlton Schultz (3-1) on Sunday in their dual match at Fitzgerald Field House and will miss the rest of the regular season.
Redshirt junior Geoff Magin will take his place at 285 pounds but has not wrestled at all this season. He wrestled the past two seasons at 197 pounds, going 11-6 last season and 5-7 in 2021-22. Magin has spent a lot of time competing in mixed martial arts and won his last bout, the Advanced Amateur Light Heavyweight Title at Brawl in the Burgh 17, last July.
The loss of Pitzer also means that the top two heavyweight wrestlers in the ACC won’t face off, with Wolfpack No. 14 redshirt junior Owen Trephan coming to town. Trephan, reigning ACC Champion at heavyweight, will make a tough matchup for the inexperienced Magin.
One of the most exciting matches of the night comes at 141 pounds with Pitt No. 27 redshirt senior Cole Matthews wrestles NC State No. 4 junior Ryan Jack. Matthews holds a 4-0 record over Jack at the collegiate level, defeating him in both duals and at the ACC Championship Final at 149 pounds the past two seasons.
Despite the previous record for Matthews, he has struggled this season and Jack also won on criteria over Matthews at the U23 Nationals this past summer. The two will likely face off again at the ACC Championships in March, so this should serve as a great first dual of the season against one another.
The two are also 1-1 against common opponents this season. Matthews lost an 8-2 decision to Oklahoma State No. 8 redshirt first-year Tagen Jamison, but defeated Ohio State No. 3 sophomore Jesse Mendez in a 4-2 decision with a late takedown. Jack won a 6-4 decision against Jamison, but Mendez pinned him at 6:54.
The higher weights have the best matchups of the night overall, with three of them featuring the two top ranked wrestlers in the conference at their weight.
Panthers redshirt first-year Mac Stout has had a great season so far but will have a great challenge in Wolfpack No. 4 redshirt senior Trent Hidlay at 197 pounds. Hidlay is undefeated this season, has won the past three ACC titles at 184 pounds and finished in the top five at the NCAA Championships the past three seasons.
Stout is 1-3 against common opponents with Hidlay this season, suffering defeats to Lehigh No. 11 senior Michael Beard on a technical fall, decisions to Maryland No. 10 redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smith and Cornell No. 7 senior Jacob Cardenas, but won a 7-1 decision against Ohio State No. 22 redshirt first-year Luke Geog. Hidlay had major decisions over Beard and Cardenas, technical fall against Geog and a 5-2 decision against Smith.
“It’s just another match really,” Stout said. “I feel really good about the match honestly. I feel confident in my abilities, and I feel if I go out there, obviously he’s an established wrestler, he’s a vet you could say and so it’s like one of those things, I don’t really have much to lose. Go out there, wrestle hard and I expect it to be a tough scrap. He’s a really tough competitor and I expect it to be a tough match. So, I’m excited.”
Pitt wrestling No. 12 redshirt senior Reece Heller battles No. 7 redshirt first-year Dylan Fishback at 184 pounds. Both wrestlers are 2-1 and have almost the same record against their opponents. They both defeated Kingsley Menifee of Morgan State and Maryland redshirt junior Chase Mielnik, but lost to Oklahoma State No. 2 senior Dustin Plott.
Panthers No. 14 redshirt senior Holden Heller faces off against Wolfpack No. 16 redshirt sophomore Derek Fields at 165 pounds. Holden Heller started the season 7-0, but has lost his past four matches, including defeats to Sun Devils redshirt senior Chance McLane, and Big Red No. 3 junior Julian Ramirez. Fields defeated McLane, but like Holden Heller, lost to Ramirez and defeated Ohio State senior Isaac Wilcox.
Pitt No. 17 redshirt sophomore Luca Augustine (10-2) will wrestle against NC State No. 31 fifth year Alex Faison in their third match overall at 174 pounds. The two faced off twice last year with Faison coming out victorious, 3-1 in sudden victory in the dual and then a 4-2 decision in the ACC Championships.
Augustine does have a 2-0 advantage over wrestlers that Faison has faced, with a 9-7 decision over No. 30 Navy first-year Danny Wask and 2-1 tiebreakers over Oklahoma State No. 28 First-Year Brayden Thompson. Faison lost in tiebreakers to both Wask, 3-2 TB-1, and Thompson, 3-2 TB-2.
“I’d say I’m approaching it the same way,” Augustine said. “Mentality is not changing. That’s my goal. Mentality doesn’t change before or after a match, win or lose. The approach is the same. I’m just going to let all my training do the work. I’ve worked on my weaknesses all summer and I’m hoping that shows tomorrow against him. Get some more action going more so than last year.”
The Wolfpack have four top 10 ranked wrestlers in the lighter weight classes, making for tough battles for the Panthers.
Panthers No. 20 redshirt first-year Vinnie Santaniello takes on Wolfpack No. 6 redshirt junior Kai Orine at 133 pounds. Orine won the ACC title last season and finished in eighth place at the NCAA Wrestling Championships and is still one of the best in the country at his weight.
Both wrestlers have struggled against similar opponents this season. Santaniello split his two meetings with No. 12 redshirt first-year Nic Bouzakis, lost to Iowa State No. 8 redshirt first-year Evan Frost 9-6 in sudden victory and a 11-0 major decision defeat to Oklahoma State No. 3 redshirt senior Daton Fix. Orine won a 12-4 major decision over Frost but lost an 11-3 major decision to Fix and Bouzakis pinned him at 0:51.
Pitt wrestling No. 29 redshirt first-year Finn Solomon will battle against a familiar wrestler in NC State No. 3 sophomore Jackson Arrington at 149 pounds. Solomon transferred in from NC State, gaining a starting position with Pitt, while Arrington solidified his starting position at the weight for NC State.
The two have faced one common wrestler in Ohio State No. 9 redshirt senior Dylan D’Emilio. Solomon has lost to him twice, while Arrington won at the Cliff Kean Invitational in Las Vegas, but lost in the dual.
Panthers redshirt first-year Jared Keslar has a serious test in Wolfpack No. 7 junior Ed Scott at 157 pounds. Keslar has struggled against ranked opponents this season, with a 0-6 record against them.
The two have a 1-2 record against similar opponents, with Keslar defeating Joey Blaze of Purdue, but losing major decisions to Buckeyes No. 13 redshirt sophomore Paddy Gallagher and Cowboys No. 20 redshirt sophomore Teague Travis. Scott won a 4-2 decision over Gallagher but lost a 7-6 decision to Travis and in sudden victory to Blaze, 4-1.
The dual should start with Pitt wrestling No. 31 redshirt senior Colton Camacho vs. NC State No. 22 redshirt junior Jakob Camacho at 125 pounds. The two faced off once three years ago, where Jakob Camacho, no relation, won a 13-5 decision in their dual in 2021.
Colton Camacho is 1-1 with common opponents compared to Jakob Camacho, who is 0-2. Colton Camacho lost to Oklahoma State No. 19 redshirt first-year Troy Spratley, who pinned him at 5:52, but defeated Ohio State No. 19 redshirt first-year Brendan McCrone in a 14-9 decision. Jakob Camacho lost a 7-3 decision to Spratley and McCrone pinned him at 0:37.
The ACC Network will broadcast this dual on television, just the second for Pitt wrestling, who defeated then ranked No. 5 Ohio State on Dec. 10 on the Big Ten Network.
Pitt head coach Keith Gavin has confidence in his squad during the ACC duals, even with Pitzer out for the next month.
“With Dayton out now in dual meets, it’s going to be difficult,” Gavin said. “That was a guy we were counting on winning pretty much every time. But, again, everybody just has got to focus on doing their job. We have some very capable guys as well and we’ve seen that. Look at our match against Ohio State. They’re as good as NC State or Virginia Tech. We had that match won going into heavyweight. Our guys have shown that they can compete with the top guys in the country. You just go to continue to do that.”
