Pitt Wrestling
Pitt Wrestling Excels in Consolations on Day 1 of NCAA Championships
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pitt Wrestling had an absolutely terrible start to the NCAA Championships on Thursday at the T-Mobile Center, but a strong finish in the Consolations puts them on the right track heading into Friday.
All seven wrestler for Pitt lost their first round matchups, but all seven wrestlers won their consolation matches, keeping them in the race for an All-American spot, albeit, with a difficult path ahead of them.
No. 15 Rutgers graduate student Mitch Moore (15-6) defeated No. 18 redshirt senior Cole Matthews (17-11) in a 7-2 decision at 141 pounds to start the day off for Pitt wrestling. He got an early takedown and a second period reversal won him the match.
Matthews faced No. 31 Maryland sophomore Kal Miller (12-11) in the Consolations later Thursday night. Miller defeated twice prior, in the dual back in November and at the Franklin & Marshall Open in early January.
Matthews would get his revenge, winning 2-1 on tiebreakers, after riding Miller for the entirety of the first tiebreaker.
He takes on No. 17 Chattanooga first-year Isaiah Powe (25-3) on Friday morning.
Solomon had probably the best day of anyone for Pitt wrestling on Thursday lost a close 5-4 decision after riding time to No. 2 Arizona State redshirt junior Kyle Parco in the Round of 32 at 149 pounds. He lost to Parco on a 9-2 decision back at home on Jan. 21.
Parco got an early takedown, but Solomon battled back with two escapes and then the referees called two stall points on Parco.
Solomon wrestled 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 will face No. 17 Indiana graduate student Graham Rooks (19-11) on Friday morning.
No. 8 Nebraska first-year Antrell Taylor (22-7) defeated Holden Heller in an 11-0 major decision in the Round of 32 at 165 pounds. Taylor used three takedowns in a complete domination of Holden Heller, to win his match.
No. 25 redshirt senior 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 faces off against No. 7 Oklahoma State redshirt senior Izzak Olejnik (25-6) on Friday morning. Olejnik defeated him earlier this year in the dual and won last year at the NCAA Championships on injury forfeit.
No. 10 Penn junior Nick Incontrera (24-5) defeated No. 23 redshirt sophomore Luca Augustine (15-7) 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 takes on No. 8 Cal Poly graduate student Adam Kemp (17-3) on Friday.
No. 15 redshirt senior Reece Heller faced No. 18 Ohio State first-year Ryder Rogotzke (19-8) in the Round of 32 at 184 pounds, 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 will take on No. 17 Iowa State senior Will Feldkamp (13-10) on Friday, who he defeated at the National Collegiate Duals in a 14-6 major decision.
No. 21 redshirt first-year Mac 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 wrestles No. 22 Minnesota sixth year Garnett Joles (21-9) Friday morning.
No. 21 redshirt first-year Dayton Pitzer lost to No. 12 Oklahoma State redshirt junior Konner Doucet (20-10) 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 will battle with No. 11 Oklahoma redshirt senior Josh Heindselman (23-7) on Friday.
