Pitt Wrestling Receives Four At-Large Bids for NCAA Championships

Pitt Wrestling saw four individuals receive at-large bids for the upcoming NCAA Championships, set to take place at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. next Thursday, March 21 through next Saturday, March 23.

Redshirt first-years in Finn Solomon at 149 pounds and Dayton Pitzer at 285 pounds will make their debut at the NCAA Championships. Redshirt sophomore Luca Augustine at 174 pounds and redshirt senior Holden Heller at 165 pounds both earned at-large bids themselves. Redshirt first-year Vinnie Santaniello also is the first alternate at 133 pounds and will make the Championships if someone at his weight class can’t wrestle.

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Santaniello (16-15) finished fourth at the ACC Championships on Sunday in Chapel Hill, N.C., losing the Third Place match to Virginia junior Marlon Yarbrough II. He has struggled against ranked wrestlers this season, 3-14 overall, but a first-ever birth to the NCAA Championships would serve as a great finish to a first season starting for Pitt wrestling.

Solomon (18-10) finished in Third Place at the ACC Championships. His big win came against North Carolina redshirt first-year Jayden Scott in the Third Place match in a 5-2 decision. The win served as revenge for Solomon, who lost to Scott on a 3-2 decision back on Feb. 9, and helped him get an at-large bid, after spending most of the season ranked.

Augustine (14-6) just needed to finish fourth place or higher to get an automatic bid, but lost both matches at the ACC Championships. This included NC State fifth-year Alex Faison in a 4-2 decision in tiebreakers and then UNC graduate student Tyler Eischens pinned him in the consolation semifinals.

He finished in Fifth Place and that ultimately helped him get an at-large bid for his second straight appearance at the NCAA Championships.

Holden Heller is in his sixth and final collegiate season and he will make the NCAA Championships for the third time.

He only had to win his Semifinal match at the ACC Championships, but lost to Virginia Tech redshirt junior Connor Brady in an 8-3 decision off of an early seven point move. He defeated North Carolina redshirt sophomore Isaias Estrada in a 5-4 decision in the Consolation Semifinals, but lost to NC State redshirt sophomore Derek Fields in the Third Place match, 4-1 in sudden victory.

Pitzer missed the previous six weeks prior to the ACC Championships since dislocating his shoulder six weeks back against Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State on Jan. 21.

He would defeat No. 5 Duke first-year Connor Barket in a 1-0 decision on an escape in the First Round, but lost a 7-3 decision after riding time to No. 1 NC State junior Owen Trephan in the Semifinals. Pitzer finished the ACC Championships strong, pinning No. 6 UNC redshirt sophomore Cade Lautt (5:40) in the Consolation Semifinals, and then dominated No. 3 Virginia junior Ryan Catka in the Third Place match, with a 7-0 decision on two takedowns.

These four, potentially five with Santaniello, will join the three automatic qualifiers in redshirt seniors Cole Matthews at 141 pounds and Reece Heller at 184 pounds, along with redshirt first-year Mac Stout at 197 pounds at the NCAA Championships.

The seven qualifiers are the most for head coach Keith Gavin since he took over prior in 2017. It is also the most for Pitt since they brought eight wrestlers back in 2014, when they won the 2014 ACC dual team title.

Pittsburgh Sports Now will have news on Pitt Wrestling throughout the NCAA Championships, with Dominic Campbell providing coverage all weekend long.