Pitt Wrestling
LIVE: Pitt Wrestling Day 2 at the NCAA Championships
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pitt wrestling is competing at the NCAA Championships at the T-Mobile Center on Friday on Day 2, with seven wrestlers looking to progress through the consolation rounds.
Pittsburgh Sports Now will provide coverage throughout the weekend, and I, Dominic Campbell, will do so live from the arena, as I travel Thursday morning to make it in time for the opening matches and will cover Pitt wrestling throughout the weekend. This includes a post with live updates for each day, interviews with wrestlers and head coach Keith Gavin, as well as posts on big moments throughout the weekend.
141 Pounds: No. 18 Cole Matthews
16-10 overall record
5-8 record against NCAA Wrestlers this season
17-11 record against NCAA Wrestlers over career
No. 15 Rutgers graduate student Mitch Moore (15-6) defeated Matthews in a 7-2 decision. He got an early takedown and a second period reversal won him the match.
Matthews faces No. 31 Maryland sophomore Kal Miller (12-11) in the Consolations later tonight. Miller defeated Matthews in the dual back in November and at the Franklin & Marshall Open in early January.
Matthews would get revenge, winning 2-1 on tiebreakers, after riding Miller for the entirety of the first tiebreaker.
He defeated No. 17 Chattanooga’s Isaiah Powe (25-4) on Friday morning in an 8-5 decision. Matthews will take on No. 7 Northern Iowa junior Cael Happel later on Friday. He defeated Happel last season on a 1-0 decision in the NCAA Championships.
149 Pounds: No. 31 Finn Solomon
19-11 Overall Record
1-8 record against NCAA Wrestlers this Season
2-9 against NCAA Wrestlers in Career
Solomon lost a close 5-4 decision after riding time to No. 2 Arizona State redshirt junior Kyle Parco is his foe in the Round of 32.
Parco got an early takedown, but Solomon battled back with two escapes and then the referees called two stall points on Parco.
Solomon battled No. 15 Central Michigan graduate student Corbyn Munson (26-6) in the Consolations, their first match against each other.
He got a takedown and two back points against Munson, en route to a victory on a 6-4 decision.
Solomon lost to No. 17 Indiana graduate student Graham Rooks (20-11) on Friday morning on a technical fall, 20-4 (6:44) ending his season.
165 Pounds: No. 25 Holden Heller
14-8 Overall Record
4-7 against NCAA Wrestlers this Season
7-13 against NCAA Wrestlers in Career
No. 8 Nebraska first-year Antrell Taylor (21-7) defeated Holden Heller in an 11-0 major decision in the Round of 32 in their first ever matchup. Taylor used three takedowns in a complete domination of Holden Heller, to win his match.
Holden Heller took on No. 24 Purdue redshirt sophomore Stoney Buell (17-13) in the Consolations.
Buell looked in control, but a great scramble like Holden Heller took advantage of him, pinning him at 2:04 to move on.
He faced off against No. 7 Oklahoma State redshirt senior Izzak Olejnik (26-6) on Friday morning. Olejnik defeated him earlier this year in the dual and won last year at the NCAA Championships on injury forfeit.
Both wrestles kept it close throughout and Holden Heller faced off shots throughout. Unfortunately for him, Olejnik got a takedown and then three back points for the 7-1 victory.
Holden Heller is now done with his career after six seasons and two with the Panthers.
174 Pounds: No. 23 Luca Augustine
15-8 Overall Record
7-5 against NCAA Wrestlers this Season
10-14 against NCAA Wrestlers in Career
No. 10 Penn junior Nick Incontrera (24-5) defeated Augustine on a 5-2 decision. He used an early takedown and then held off attacks from Augustine to get the victory.
Augustine faced No. 26 Cornell senior Benny Baker (14-14) in the Consolations later Thursday night. Augustine defeated Baker back on Dec. 18 at the National Collegiate Duals in a 5-1 decision and did so again at the NCAA Championships, with an 8-2 decision for his first win at this level.
He then wrestled against No. 8 Cal Poly graduate student Adam Kemp (18-5) and both wrestlers struggled to score, making it 1-1 and sending it to sudden victory. Kemp got in on Augustine and got the crucial takedown to get the victory, ending Augustine’s season.
184 Pounds: No. 15 Reece Heller
20-7 Overall Record
5-5 against NCAA Wrestlers this Season
7-7 against NCAA Wrestlers in Career
Reece Heller faced No. 18 Ohio State first-year Ryder Rogotzke (19-8) in the First Round, their first bout against each other.
He got the only takedown of the first session for Pitt Wrestling, but Rogotzke would pin him at 2:28 in the first period.
Reece Heller faced off against No. 31 Arizona State redshirt senior Tony Negron (13-10) in the Consolations, and pinned him to reverse his previous match and give crucial team points to Pitt.
He took on No. 17 Iowa State senior Will Feldkamp (14-10) on Friday, who he defeated at the National Collegiate Duals in a 14-6 major decision.
Feldkamp took an early 6-1 lead, but Reece Heller countered with a takedown and an escape to make it 6-5. Feldkamp would end up winning after he got a takedown and three back points for the 15-5 major decision.
The loss ends Reece Heller’s time at the NCAA Championships.
197 Pounds: No. 21 Mac Stout
21-7 Overall Record
3-6 against NCAA Wrestlers this Season
Stout lost to No. 12 Missouri junior Rocky Elam (12-3), who finished in Third Place at the NCAA Championships last season, in the Round of 32. Elam got an early takedown, but Stout used a reversal to make it 3-2. Elam would ride out Stout the entire second period en route to a 6-2 decision after riding time.
He would then defeat No. 28 Columbia sophomore Jack Wehmeyer (22-13) on a 12-4 major decision.
Stout dominated No. 22 Minnesota sixth year Garnett Joles (21-10) in a 20-4 technical fall (7:00).
He took the lead against No. 14 Rutgers junior John Poznaski (18-5) in the Third Round of Consolations, with a takedown. Poznaski would battle back with two escapes and a takedown himself in the third period, sending the match into sudden victory.
Poor defense from Stout allowed Poznaski to get in on his leg, bring him to the ground for the takedown to get the victory.
285 Pounds: No. 21 Dayton Pitzer
11-6 Overall Record
3-5 against NCAA Wrestlers this Season
6-7 against NCAA Wrestlers in Career
Pitzer lost to No. 12 Oklahoma State redshirt junior Konner Doucet in the Round of 32. Doucet got three back points while on top of Pitzer in the second period. Pitzer chose to go on top of Doucet for most of the third period, but couldn’t score points and Doucet finished off with a reversal to get the 5-0 decision.
This is the second time Pitzer lost to Doucet this season, as Doucet defeated him on a 3-0 decision back on Jan. 12 at home.
Pitzer controlled his match with No. 28 Cal Poly redshirt sophomore Trevor Tinker (13-7) in the Consolations, pinning him at the 3:49 mark.
He battled with No. 11 Oklahoma redshirt senior Josh Heindselman (24-7) on Friday, losing a close 4-2 decision after Heindselman got a takedown in the second period.
Pitzer is done for Pitt Wrestling at the NCAA Championships.
