PITTSBURGH – First-year head coach Keith Gavin previews the final group of Panthers in the upper weights (174, 184, 197, 285) ahead of the No. 24 Pitt Panthers opening the season Saturday, Nov. 11 at the Eastern Michigan Open.
These four weight classes feature redshirt freshman Austin Bell at 174 pounds, redshirt freshman Gregg Harvey or redshirt junior Zach Bruce at 184 pounds, redshirt sophomore transfer Kellan Stout at 197 pounds and returning NCAA qualifier Ryan Solomon at 285 pounds.
Pitt finished the 2017 season 11-5 overall with a 2-3 mark against ACC opponents while placing third at the ACC Championships.
174 Probable starter: Austin Bell (RS-Fr.)
Pittsburgh native Austin Bell will get the starting nod at 174 pounds after returning from injury. Bell, a standout wrestler from nearby Belle Vernon, had a successful high school campaign placing twice at states and winning two WPIAL titles.
Redshirt Freshman Austin Bell
Gavin on 174:
"Austin Bell is our expected starter. Again, we have some young guys that will challenge him for this spot, but right now it looks like Austin is the front runner. Like Jake Wentzel, he was also injured last year and missed a good portion of the season. However, Austin is off to a good start and been working hard ever since we started season here. He has been doing a good job with his weight, which is a big deal for him, making sure he's properly prepared. Austin is used to winning, as he had a very successful high school career, and we are hoping that transitions well into college."
184 Probable starter(s): Gregg Harvey (RS-Fr.) or Zach Bruce (RS-Jr.)
Looking to get time at the 184 spot is either redshirt freshman Gregg Harvey or redshirt junior Zach Bruce. Bruce opened the 2016-17 season at 197 then dropped down to 184 for the remainder of the year. The Seneca, Pa., native is 23-30 overall and brings two years of varsity experience to the weight class. As a freshman last year, Harvey wrestled in open tournaments.
Redshirt junior Zach Bruce
Gavin on 184: "This class is up for grabs right now. We have Gregg Harvey or Zach Bruce, but we also have freshman Nino Bonaccorsi at that weight. Our early plan with Nino is to redshirt him, but we will see how that goes. Zach was the starter last year with Harvey being a redshirt, but both of those guys are working hard and doing the right thing. We plan on early in the year using them both, most likely, and seeing who does better against other competition and that will be the guy we go with."
197 Probable starter: Kellan Stout (RS-So.)
Redshirt freshman Kellan Stout is one of two transfers that came to Pitt for the 2017-18 season. Eligible immediately, Stout will be Pitt's 197-pounder after spending his first two years at Penn State. A product of nearby Mt. Lebanon High School, Stout looks to bring consistency to this weight class after three different Panthers competed at that weight a year ago. Stout had a stellar high school career, finishing 138-18 through his four years, while capturing a PIAA title as a senior.
Redshirt sophomore Kellan Stout
Gavin on 197:
"Kellan Stout will be our guy at 197 and is one of our transfers. He came from a great program [Penn State], he knows what he's doing, he's a very mature kid and we think he will fit in very nicely at the 197 spot."
285 Probable starter: Ryan Solomon (RS-Sr.)
Redshirt senior Ryan Solomon is the most experienced of the upper weights as he enters his fifth and final year as a Panther. Solomon is a three-time NCAA qualifier and three-time ACC Championship placer. The Milton, Pa., native looks to reach the podium in Cleveland in his final run and build on his 53-28 career record. The heavyweight finished the 2016-17 season one win short of reaching All-America status and went 20-6 overall.
Redshirt senior Ryan Solomon
Gavin on 285:
"Our heavyweight is Ryan Solomon. Ryan was one match away from being an All-American last year, so the focus with him is getting him on the podium this year. I think he is in a pretty good place as far as training partners go this year, which is often hard to do for heavyweights because of their size since they can't just wrestle with anybody. We have some young guys and some big bodies for him to roll with and get a good feel, so his training has been going great. Like Nick [Zanetta], he's a fifth-year senior, so he's been through the ringer. A big part of getting him on the podium is keeping him healthy, so we are constantly monitoring that, and so far so good."
Gavin on the mix of young guys with minimal seniors on the team:
"We are still a young team with only three seniors, but it's good. I think that we are fortunate to have the team be that way because when you're younger, you're more open to learning. It hasn't been too difficult to introduce our standard or the way that we teach and the techniques that we are showing. Everyone has been open towards it, and the older guys on the team are doing a good job of leading by example. The three seniors we have in our starting lineup are all hard workers, so that in itself goes a long way."
CATCH ALL THE ACTION
New this year, Pitt will be offering a flex season ticket package for $35. Each package will include a total of seven tickets, which can be used for any match. Tickets can be used traditionally (one ticket for each match) or in any combination (two tickets for three matches, seven tickets for one match, etc.).
Benefits for Flex Season Ticketholders include:
Flexibility to use the tickets in any combination and get the most usage out of them
Access to a reserved seating area at the center of the mat, available up until 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the match
A set of Pitt wrestling gifts per Flex Season Ticket Package purchased (to be picked up at a match), which includes a stainless steel Pitt wrestling koozie and rally towel.
PANTHERS IN THE PETE
Pitt versus Virginia will be the lone dual held in the Petersen Events Center this year. Fans with flex season tickets will have the option to sit in a reserved seating area similar to when Pitt wrestles in the Fitzgerald Field House. Flex season tickets are now on sale and can be purchased here. Single tickets for the Virginia dual can be purchased by clicking here. The last time Pitt wrestled in the Petersen Events Center in 2015, the Panthers drew 7,103 spectators when they hosted Penn State.
