Pitt Wrestling
Pitt Wrestling Ends Season at Day 2 of NCAA Championships
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pitt Wrestling ended their season with a disappointing finish Friday afternoon at the NCAA Championships at the T-Mobile Center.
The Panthers finish with no All-Americans, as no wrestler made it to at least the Round of 12 Friday night. Everyone lost in the morning/afternoon session, resulting in the end of the season coming in the first session of the day.
Pitt Wrestling Excels in Consolations on Day 1 of NCAA Championships
This is the first time that Pitt wrestling has had no All-Americans since 2019, when three wrestlers lost in the Round of 12. It is also the first time that no wrestlers made the Round of 12 since 2018, in head coach Keith Gavin’s first season at the helm.
“I think that we need to get better,” Pitt wrestling head coach Keith Gavin said. “We lost some heartbreakers and we got some young guys coming back next year that gotta get better from that experience and turn it around next time.”
Two wrestlers won their first match in the Second Consolation Round in No. 18 redshirt senior Cole Matthews (18-12) at 141 pounds and No. 21 redshirt first-year Mac Stout (23-8) at 197 pounds.
He defeated No. 17 Chattanooga first-year Isaiah Powe (25-4) on Friday morning in an 8-5 decision.
Matthews then faced off against No. 7 Northern Iowa junior Cael Happel in the Third Consolation Round. This served as a rematch from last year’s Round of 16 at the NCAA Championships, which Matthews won 1-0.
Happel made a crucial takedown in the second period and managed to fend off attacks from Matthews to secure the 4-2 victory.
That loss for Matthews ended his six-year collegiate career, all with Pitt Wrestling. He finished in Fifth Place in 2022, his only season as an All-American, five-time NCAA Qualifier, two-time ACC Champion and five-time ACC medalist.
“Cole’s been here the whole time,” Gavin said. “He was our first recruit. It’s just bitter sweet to see him leave. I wish that we could’ve got him on that podium again because he worked really hard.”
No. 25 redshirt senior Holden Heller (14-9) lost his Second Round Consolation match to No. 7 Oklahoma State redshirt senior Izzak Olejnik (29-6) 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 Pitt Wrestling after transferring in from Hofstra.
Stout dominated No. 22 Minnesota sixth year Garnett Joles (21-10) in a 20-4 technical fall (7:00) in the Second Round of Consolations.
He took the lead against No. 14 Rutgers junior John Poznaski (18-6) 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.
No. 31 redshirt first-year Finn Solomon (18-12) lost to No. 17 Indiana graduate student Graham Rooks (20-12) on a technical fall, 20-4 (6:44) at 149 pound.
Gavin compliments both Stout and Solomon for their efforts this weekend and hopes that they’ll take this weekend and improve on it next season.
“If you have the right attitude about it, it could certainly propel you forward,” Gavin said. “Especially Mac and Finn, they both lost some close ones, in on some really good guys. Mac wrestled really well. You can really build off that experience for those two.”
No. 23 redshirt sophomore Luca Augustine (15-8) wrestled against No. 8 Cal Poly graduate student Adam Kemp (18-5) at 174 pounds 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.
No. 15 redshirt senior Reece Heller (21-8) took on No. 17 Iowa State senior Will Feldkamp (14-11) at 184 pounds, 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.
No. 21 redshirt first-year Dayton Pitzer (12-7) battled with No. 11 Oklahoma redshirt senior Josh Heindselman (25-8), but losing a close 4-2 decision after Heindselman got a takedown in the second period.
Gavin said that Pitzer needs to get surgery for his right shoulder, which he dislocated against No. 4 Arizona State redshirt junior Cohlton Schultz back on Jan. 21. The injury kept him out for six weeks until he competed at the ACC Championships and had a good enough performance to make the NCAA Championships.
Making it through only three sessions at the NCAA Championship is not what Gavin envisioned when he flew to Kansas City with the team on Tuesday. He is disappointed in the performance, but for the guys that are returning next year, he is committed, along with his coaching staff, to making sure his Pitt Wrestling places guys on the podium, giving them All-American status.
“We have some guys that are close right now,” Gavin said. “You’ve got to clean some things up technically and be boring, if I have to be specific with that. But you just have to improve your skills and continue to add to your game I think, but the good news is that we have some kids with great attitudes and that’s something that is very difficult to teach.”
