Pitt Wrestling Mid-Season 2023-24 Review

Pitt wrestling is headed into its fourth month of duals in February, which has featured some fantastic and interesting moments so far.

The Panthers came into this season off a pretty successful one in 2022-23. They finished 10-4 overall and 4-1 in ACC duals, which made them co-champions of the ACC, the first since they won the title outright in their first ever season in the conference in 2014. They would bring six athletes to the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, Okla., and Nino Bonaccorsi would finish as an undefeated National Champion at 197 pounds, the first for the program since head coach Keith Gavin did it in 2008 at 174 pounds.

Changes In Lineup

Pitt wrestling has five changes to its starting lineup for duals from last season. This sees five redshirt first-years in Vinnie Santaniello at 133 pounds, Finn Solomon at 149 pounds, Jared Keslar at 157 pounds, Mac Stout at 197 pounds and Dayton Pitzer at 285 pounds.

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These wrestlers should serve as the future for the program and most will keep their positions for the rest of their careers. Santaniello and Stout took over for long-time starters in Micky Phillippi and Bonaccorsi, and have had solid seasons so far, consistently staying in the rankings.

Pitzer became a fan favorite last season as he finished second at the 2022 Midlands Championships and wrestled the most he could without burning his redshirt at heavyweight. Jake Slinger would finish the season as starter, but chose to graduate at the end of the season instead of using his COVID-19 year.

Solomon beat out redshirt junior Tyler Badgett for the starting spot at 149 pounds, with the Franklin Regional alum coming back home after starting out his collegiate career at NC State last season.

Keslar wrestled twice during duals last season and took over from Dazjon Casto, who transferred in as a graduate student from The Citadel.

Pitt Wrestling Duals So Far

Pitt wrestling started off the season with a 6-1 record, with their only loss coming against Navy in the Navy Duals on Nov. 12, and ranked wins on the road against rival No. 17 Lehigh on Nov. 19 and No. 5 Ohio State on Dec. 10.

They have only won one of their last six duals since the middle of December, with a difficult schedule that has caught up with this mostly young Panthers squad.

They lost to then ranked No. 6 Iowa State and No. 5 Cornell, while beating Little Rock at the National Collegiate Duals in Nashville, Tenn. on Dec. 18. Pitt has also lost its first three duals in 2024, all coming at Fitzgerald Field House. They lost 31-6 twice to then ranked No. 5 Oklahoma State on Jan. 5 and in their first ACC dual against No. 8 NC State last Friday, Jan. 26. Pitt also lost to No. 24 Arizona State, 21-20, which came on criteria on the last match.

Despite the recent losses, dual results mean absolutely nothing for the most part. Most of the importance on the sport is placed on one weekend of the year, the NCAA Wrestling Championships in March. This is why great wrestlers will sometimes sit out dual matches so that they don’t have to go lower in their ranking for the Championships.

Pitt wrestling head coach Keith Gavin loves the postseason for the sport, but wants dual meets to matter more, so that the entire season has bearing over how the Championships get ranked.

“I think it’s a problem that we have in our sport that 90% of the season is just useless,” Gavin said. “Not useless I shouldn’t say, but like, it doesn’t matter. It only matters for getting to Nationals, so it matters individually and it matters…That’s why you’re seeing people who won’t wrestle sometimes or holding somebody out because they’re protecting a seat because it doesn’t matter if that team wins a dual meet, it matters on how your guy’s seated at Nationals.

So, yeah, I think it’s an issue that we have in our sport. Now, with that said, the national championship is one of the best things we have in our sport. It’s an incredible event and people love it. So, we have to find, I think the leadership in our sport has to find a way to put a little more weight into the regular season.”

Schedule to Come

Pitt wrestling will face Duke this Friday and North Carolina next Friday, Feb. 9 on the road, looking to get back on track as a team. A win against Duke should come easy, since Duke doesn’t have scholarships for their wrestling program, but a win against North Carolina is vital if they want to finish as at least co-Champions of the ACC.

Their biggest dual the rest of the way will come against No. 13 Virginia Tech on Friday, Feb. 16 at Fitzgerald Field House. Pitt managed to upset Virginia Tech last season on the road and a big win at home would do wonders for not just the team, but individual wrestlers as well.

Pitt will finish the regular season duals with Rider on Thursday, Feb. 22 and then Virginia in the final ACC dual on Friday, Feb. 23, both at home.

The ACC Wrestling Championships take place on Sunday, March 10 at Carmichael Arena, home wrestling arena of UNC. The Pitt wrestlers that automatically qualify will participate in the NCAA Wrestling Championships March 21-23 at T-Mobile Arena in Kansas City, Mo.

Pitt Wrestling Individual Wrestlers Review

125 Pounds: Redshirt senior Colton Camacho
(7-8 overall) (2-3 against ranked wrestlers)

Camacho has spent time this season at the lower end of the rankings, but also a large portion of it not ranked as well.

He has the potential to beat any wrestler it seems, but also, will lose matches that you’d expect him to win, which makes him a hard wrestler to gauge at times. He started the season 2-4, ended the calendar year 7-5, but has lost his past three matches.

His two ranked wins came against Cornell No. 5 sophomore Brett Ungar in a 3-1 decision and Ohio State No. 19 redshirt first-year Brendan McCrone in a 14-9 decision, proving he can wrestle against anyone and get victories.

Losing three straight matches dropped him out of the rankings. He likely has two ranked wrestlers he’ll face in redshirt sophomores Virginia Tech No. 6 Cooper Flynn and UNC No. 29 Spencer Moore, which will prepare him for the ACC Championships.

The question for Camacho isn’t his determination or drive to win. Rather, it’s if he can win when it matters most, especially in March.

133 Pounds: Redshirt first-year Vinnie Santaniello
(12-10 overall) (3-10 against ranked wrestlers)

Santaniello has had one of the toughest individual schedules for anyone on Pitt wrestling so far, with 13 matches against ranked opponents and five against wrestlers ranked in the top 10 at the time

He has faced off against the top three wrestlers in the Intermat poll, Lehigh No. 1 sophomore Ryan Crookman, Cornell No. 2 senior Vito Arujau and Oklahoma State No. 3 redshirt senior Daton Fix, as well as three other top 10 wrestlers in NC State No. 6 redshirt junior Kai Orine, Little Rock No. 7 first-year Nasir Bailey and Iowa State No. 8 redshirt first-year Evan Frost.

Santaniello has lost all those matches, but they will prove crucial not just for his development this season, but for the future. Gavin has scheduled tough opponents, and it will hopefully pay off for wrestlers like Santaniello going forward.

The only current ranked opponent he has coming up is Virginia Tech No. 11 redshirt senior Sam Latona.

141 Pounds: No. 22 redshirt senior Cole Matthews
(10-9 overall) (2-8 against ranked wrestlers)

Matthews has had a much different season than he did last season, when he only had one loss throughout the entire regular season and won his second straight ACC Title at 141 pounds.

He already has nine losses, with eight of them coming against ranked wrestlers. These wrestlers he has lost to, he usually won against last season, sparking questions about if he still has it in him to wrestle at a high level.

Despite the shaky start, Matthews still has what it takes against the best wrestlers, he got a late 4-2 decision over Ohio State No. 3 sophomore Jesse Mendez back in December and a 15-10 decision against NC State No. 4 junior Ryan Jack last Friday, his fifth against him in his career. The win improved Matthews to 9-1 against the top six wrestlers in the Intermat rankings.

Gavin said that the new installation of the three-point takedown is not what Matthews has struggled with this season. He points to him breaking out in 2022, where he would finish in fifth place at Nationals and that people have started to take notice of him, making him more of a target for everyone of his opponents.

“…he has a defensive style, and that’s how he’s been since he’s been a kid,” Gavin said. “It’s tough to keep that up and especially when the cat’s out of the bag. It’s easy to kind of sneak up on somebody like that, but once you’re an All-American, people know what you’re about. So for him, he just has to be extremely efficient with what he’s doing, you know. In his sixth year, he’s not gonna change into a different wrestler. So he needs to just become more efficient with what he does, so that when he has his opportunities, he gets his points.”

Matthews will face off against two ranked wrestlers in North Carolina No. 5 redshirt sophomore Lachlan McNeil and Virginia Tech No. 13 sophomore Tom Crook. He is 3-0 combined against both wrestlers and will need his previous experience to lead him back to his fullest potential the rest of the season.

149 Pounds: No. 28 redshirt first-year Finn Solomon
(12-7 overall) (1-5 against ranked wrestlers)

Solomon has certified his spot at 149 pounds for Pitt wrestling and has done well for his first season, 11-2 against non-ranked wrestlers, proving he belongs in the rankings.

He has wrestled against some of the top guys in the country, NC State No. 3 sophomore Jackson Arrington, Arizona State No. 4 redshirt junior Kyle Parco and Ohio State No. 9 redshirt senior Dylan D’Emilio twice, giving him great experience for the road ahead.

Solomon will likely take on Virginia Tech No. 2 sophomore Caleb Henson and Rider No. 33 redshirt senior Quinn Kinner, two ranked wrestlers to end the season.

157 Pounds: Redshirt first-year Jared Keslar
(12-12 overall) (0-7 vs. ranked wrestlers)

Keslar has had the least success of anybody on Pitt wrestling this season, with no wins against ranked opponents. In many of those matches, he struggled to keep up with competition, with only one of those seven losses resulting in just a decision, as four ended in major decisions, one on technical fall and one on a fall.

The schedule doesn’t get much easier for Keslar, who has three potential ranked wrestlers ahead of him. This includes Virginia Tech No. 8 senior Bryce Andonian, Virginia No. 27 senior Dylan Cedeno and Rider No. 28 junior Colton Washleski.

If Keslar doesn’t improve over this time or during the ACC Championships, he may lose his starting spot next season, with former two-time PIAA Champion at Chartiers Valley/first-year Dylan Evans coming off his redshirt this season.

165 Pounds: No. 15 redshirt senior Holden Heller
(7-5 overall) (2-4 against ranked wrestlers) 

Holden Heller started out the season fantastically, a perfect 7-0 and a No. 8 ranking. This all started to change at National Collegiate Duals, when he lost major decisions to both Iowa State No. 2 senior David Carr, 9-1, and Cornell No. 4 junior Julian Ramirez, 11-1.

He has lost his past five matches, which includes Oklahoma State No. 3 redshirt senior Izzak Olejnik and NC State No. 14 redshirt sophomore Derek Fields, but also one he should’ve gotten against Arizona State redshirt senior Chance McLane.

Holden Heller has one more scheduled ranked wrestler in Virginia Tech No. 22 redshirt junior Connor Brady. They split the two matches against each other last season, with Holden Heller winning a 2-0 decision in the dual, but Brady winning a 7-5 decision at the ACC Championships.

This is his final season, so it’s his last chance to prove to the world how great of a wrestler he truly is.

174 Pounds: No. 21 redshirt sophomore Luca Augustine
(10-3 overall) (5-3 against ranked wrestlers)

Augustine has had one of the best seasons for anyone on Pitt wrestling, with an impressive record and dominant showings throughout.

He is the only one on Pitt wrestling to have an above .500 record against ranked wrestlers this season, but his two top 10 matches ended in defeats in Ohio State No. 9 redshirt senior Carson Kharchla and Illinois No. 4 redshirt junior Edmond Ruth. He also suffered a defeat last time out to then ranked No. 31 fifth year Alex Faison, who defeated him twice last year.

Augustine has improved his offense and his defense continues to remain strong, but if he wants to rise up the rankings, he’ll need to defeat the very best to do so.

Virginia Tech No. 2 redshirt fifth-year Mekhi Lewis, who defeated him in a major decision last year, is a great opportunity, but also an incredibly difficult opponent. Graduate students in Virginia No. 14 Justin McCoy and North Carolina No. 29 Tyler Eischens will both provide tough challenges for Augustine the rest of the regular season.

184 Pounds: No. 9 redshirt senior Reece Heller
(14-4 overall) (3-3 against ranked wrestlers)

Reece Heller continues to excel at 184 pounds this season, with a 2-2 record against wrestlers in the top 10 right now. He won a 14-6 major decision against Iowa State No. 8 senior Will Feldkamp and then a 4-3 decision against NC State No. 10 redshirt first-year Dylan Fishback, while his losses came against Oklahoma State No. 2 senior Dylan Plott in a 14-4 major decision and to Cornell No. 7 junior in an 18-1 technical fall defeat.

He is the highest ranked wrestler on Pitt wrestling and the highest of any ACC wrestler at his weight, dethroning Fishback in the recent rankings with the win.

Reece Heller will take on Virginia Tech No. 20 redshirt junior Sam Fisher and North Carolina No. 23 junior Gavin Kane the rest of the way. Kane defeated Reece Heller last season in a 6-3 decision in the dual at the Petersen Events Center last season.

197 Pounds: No. 15 redshirt first-year Mac Stout
(14-4 overall) (2-4 against ranked wrestlers)

Stout has had a solid season for a first-year starter, filling in for the National Champion in Bonaccorsi. He is the brother of former Pitt wrestler Kellen Stout and current Princeton wrestler, No. 13 juniorLuke Stout, also at 197 pounds.

His four ranked losses come against top 10 opponents in NC State No. 3 redshirt senior Trent Hidlay, Lehigh No. 4 senior Michael Beard, Maryland No. 5 redshirt sophomore Jaxon Smith and Cornell No. 7 senior Jacob Cardenas.

The Mt. Lebanon native has wins against Oklahoma State No. 16 senior Luke Surber and Ohio State No. 22 redshirt first-year Luke Geog, showing he has what it takes to beat quality opponents.

Stout has two more ranked opponents in redshirt juniors, Virginia Tech No. 25 Andy Smith and UNC No. 26 Max Shaw, a Thomas Jefferson alum, where he’ll have the chances to prove himself as one of the best in his weight class in the country.

285 Pounds: No. 13 redshirt first-year Dayton Pitzer
(8-4 overall) (4-4 against ranked wrestlers)

Pitzer has put on great performances like he did last season, coming after any and all opponents and never backing down.

He unfortunately dislocated his shoulder against Arizona State No. 4 redshirt junior Cohlton Schultz, which will keep him out the rest of the regular season. Gavin hopes that Pitzer is healthy by the time ACC Championships and Nationals come along, as he has the chance to really succeed at the highest level.

Redshirt junior Geoff Magin has stepped in his place at heavyweight and lost, 20-4 technical fall (4:53) vs. NC State No. 14 redshirt junior Owen Trephan. He will likely wrestle against three ranked student-athletes in Virginia Tech No. 20 redshirt junior Hunter Catka, Rider No. 32 junior David Szuba and Virginia No. 33 junior Ryan Catka.