Pitt Breakdown: 174, 184, 197, 285

Nov. 3, 2016

PITTSBURGH - With the first dual of the season just days away, PittsburghPanthers.com along with head coach Jason Peters previews what fans can expect for the 2016-17 season among all 10 weight classes. The third and final preview will take a look at the upper weights, 174, 184, 197 and 285.

The Panthers' season gets underway Sunday, Nov. 6 at the Mountaineer Duals in Morgantown, W.Va., where Pitt will take on Ohio University and Campbell.

Like the middle weights, the upper weights will also see some changes this year. With sophomore TeShan Campbell moving down to 165 from 174, that presents an opportunity for a new Panther to step in. Redshirt sophomore Zach Bruce was previously the consistent starter at 184 a year ago, but it is likely that he will move up to 197 this year as it became an open spot after losing Nick Bonaccorsi to graduation.

Below is a breakdown of each weight class with more information on the expected wrestlers.

174

Expected starter: Freshman Christian Dietrich or sophomore Cam Jacobson

Dietrich will be the second true freshman in the starting lineup this season with Jake Wentzel at 157. Dietrich, like Wentzel, comes to Pitt with an impressive high school resume after wrestling at the prestigious Wyoming Seminary for two years after transferring from Greene High School where he was a New York state champion as a sophomore at 182 pounds. While at Wyoming Seminary, Dietrich assisted his squad to a team title and earned a runner-up title at the 2016 National Prep School Wrestling Championship. Dietrich concluded his high school career ranked 11^th out of 20 at 182 pounds by InterMat. Jacobson will also be a strong backup at 174 pounds. The Pittsburgh native spent the majority of his freshman year wrestling in open tournaments and has put in the work during the offseason to be considered in the lineup.

Peters on 174:

"It looks like Christian will be the front-runner as of right now. We'll see how Cam does as the year progresses, but they'll both compete and wrestle at that weight."

184

Expected starter: Sophomore Mat Carr or freshman Alex Delp or freshman Gregg Harvey

Carr comes to Pitt after spending his freshman year at Bloomsburg. Coach Peters is particularly impressed with his maturity after just one year of college wrestling and sees that at an advantage at this weight class.

Peters on 184:

"It looks like we'll move Mat up to 184 to start the year. We'll also utilize Alex and Gregg to add some depth at this weight. Mat has the most experience out of this group since he transferred in from Bloomsburg and he's more mature. We need someone at this weight and someone that is going to compete. Mat is a big, strong kid and we're looking to get a national qualifier out of this weight class."

197

Expected starter: Redshirt sophomore Zach Bruce or senior John Rizzo or junior Lucas Chestnut

Bruce started every dual at 184 last year for the Panthers, but after moving some guys around, he seems to be a good fit at 197 after losing Bonaccorsi to graduation. Also adding depth to 197 will be Rizzo, a senior who also transferred to Pitt. Rizzo spent his freshman year as a member of the Temple football team and has progressed over his two years training with the Panthers. Chestnut will also be a solid back-up at 184 as he has gained experience wrestling in open tournaments throughout his career at Pitt.

Peters on 197:

"Zach will be our go-to guy at 197, but I think Lucas wants to challenge him and John at that spot."

285

Expected starter: Redshirt junior Ryan Solomon

Returning starter and NCAA qualifier, Solomon provided a backbone for Pitt at 285 a year ago. Solomon earned a trip to the NCAA Championships after a third-place finish at ACCs and concluded the season 17-10 overall. Solomon pinned five opponents last year and finished 10-4 in duals. The Milton, Pa., native enters the season ranked 15^th in the nation. He is one of just two ACC 285-pounders ranked in the nation.

Peters on 285:

"Ryan is our heavyweight. We're looking for him to compete for an ACC title and become an All-American. I think he tapered a bit towards the end of last year and didn't finish strong. We made some changes in his training and diet during the offseason, so I think that will help him."

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Pitt Breakdown: 174, 184, 197, 285

Players Mentioned

Nick Bonaccorsi

Zach Bruce

TeShan Campbell

Lucas Chestnut

Christian Dietrich

Cam Jacobson

John Rizzo

Ryan Solomon

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