Saturday, March 9
Blacksburg, VA
All Day
Pitt
vs
ACC Championships
Phillippi, Thomas Earn ACC Titles
3/9/2019 11:13:00 PM | Wrestling
Micky Phillippi Named ACC Championship MVP
BLACKSBURG, Va. – Redshirt freshman Micky Phillippi and junior Demetrius Thomas of the University of Pittsburgh wrestling each captured titles at their respective weight classes at the 2019 ACC Wrestling Championship Saturday night at Cassell Coliseum.
Phillippi, the 133-pound ACC Champion, was also crowned the ACC Most Valuable Wrestler for his efforts. The Derry, Pa., native becomes just the second to collect the honor as Tyler Wilps (174 pounds) also accomplished the feat in 2015.
Four Pitt wrestlers punched tickets to the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships including Phillippi, Thomas, redshirt junior Taleb Rahmani (157 pounds) and redshirt freshman Nino Bonaccorsi (184 pounds). Rahmani is the lone returner of the group, making his third trip, while the rest make their first.
Rahmani and Bonaccorsi also made it to the finals tonight in their respective weight classes, but came up short to finish second.
All four wrestlers earned a spot on the All-ACC Wrestling Team.
As a team, the Panthers finished fourth with 41 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
133 – Micky Phillippi – First Place – 2-0
SEMIFINAL: After receiving a first round bye, Phillippi faced the No. 4 seed Korbin Myers of Virginia Tech. Phillippi was seeking revenge as Myers handed Phillippi just his second loss of the year Jan. 25 in the Pitt vs. Virginia Tech dual meet. Phillippi held a 1-0 advantage after two periods of action, but Myers escaped to tie it 1-1 to force overtime. After a round of sudden victory, Phillippi started on top and held on to keep things knotted 1-1. He then took bottom and escaped to win it 2-1.
FINAL: Phillippi faced Tariq Wilson of NC State for the first time this season in the finals. After a scoreless first period, Phillippi began the second on bottom and escaped for the 1-0 lead with 1:20 on the clock. He took top in the third and picked up two nearfall points to claim the ACC title, 3-0. Both were hit with stalling bringing the final score to 4-1.
157 – Taleb Rahmani – Second Place – 1-1
SEMIFINAL: Rahmani also received a first round bye as the No. 2 seed and faced third-seeded B.C. LaPrade of Virginia Tech. Like Phillippi, Rahmani and LaPrade needed extra time to reach an end result. The 157 pounders were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation and after the first sudden victory period. Rahmani then took bottom and escaped to take a 2-1 lead. LaPrade then took bottom and also escaped to force another round of sudden victory. Neither wrestler was able to score a point again, forcing another round of rideouts. LaPrade started on bottom to take the lead, 3-2, however Rahmani also escaped to tie it 3-3. Rahmani ultimately won the match with riding time to advance to the finals.
FINAL: Rahmani faced the top seed and reigning ACC Champion in Hayden Hidlay of NC State in the finals tonight. The redshirt junior trailed 2-1 after the first and fell behind 4-2 entering the third. Rahmani was unable to get any more points on the board as Hidlay defeated the Panther, 8-2.
184 – Nino Bonaccorsi – Second Place – 1-1
SEMIFINAL: Bonaccorsi received a first round bye to face the No. 3 seed Nick Reenan of NC State in the semifinals. The redshirt freshman quickly went to work in the opening frame, building a 4-1 advantage. The redshirt freshman continued to build his lead and ultimately defeated Reenan for a second time this year, 10-3.
FINAL: Bonaccorsi was outlasted by Virginia Tech's Zack Zavatsky, the No. 1 seed, 4-1. The redshirt freshman trailed 3-0 after two periods and was down 4-0 after being hit with stalling for a second time in the third period. Zavatsky was then hit with stalling for a second time, giving Bonaccorsi his lone point of the match.
285 – Demetrius Thomas – First Place – 2-0
SEMIFINAL: Thomas had a first round bye after earning the No. 2 seed and took on the No. 3 seed Billy Miller of Virginia Tech. Thomas got on the board first after Miller was hit with stalling on back-to-back occasions. However, Miller scored a takedown as time expired in the first to take the lead, 2-1. Thomas began the second on top and Miller quickly escaped to lead 3-1. Miller then scored a takedown, but a reversal by Thomas would cut the lead to 6-3. Thomas kept chipping away at the lead, and took over, 8-7, entering the third. The junior began the third on bottom and escaped, however Miller soon scored a takedown to tie it 9-9 with one minute to go. Miller then let Thomas escape in hopes of scoring a takedown, but Thomas would hold him off en route to the 10-9 decision.
FINAL: Thomas had a rematch with North Carolina's Cory Daniel, the No. 1 seed, at heavyweight. Thomas fell to Daniel in overtime with the dual on the line earlier in the season. After a scoreless first period, Thomas started the second on top. Daniel escaped late in the second to lead 1-0 entering the final frame. Thomas then took bottom and escaped to tie it 1-1. He followed that with a takedown to seal the deal, 3-2.
2019 All-ACC Wrestling Team
125 – Jack Mueller, Virginia
125 – Sean Fausz, NC State
133 – Micky Phillippi, Pitt
133 – Tariq Wilson, NC State
141 – Jamel Morris, NC State
141 – Mitch Moore, Virginia Tech
149 – Mitch Finesilver, Duke
149 – Austin O'Connor, North Carolina
157 – Hayden Hidlay, NC State
157 – Taleb Rahmani, Pitt
165 – Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech
165 – Thomas Bullard, NC State
174 – David McFadden, Virginia Tech
174 – Matt Finesilver, Duke
184 – Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech
184 – Nino Bonaccorsi, Pitt
197 – Malik McDonald, NC State
197 – Jay Aiello, Virginia
285 – Demetrius Thomas, Pitt
285 – Cory Daniel, North Carolina
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Phillippi, the 133-pound ACC Champion, was also crowned the ACC Most Valuable Wrestler for his efforts. The Derry, Pa., native becomes just the second to collect the honor as Tyler Wilps (174 pounds) also accomplished the feat in 2015.
Four Pitt wrestlers punched tickets to the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships including Phillippi, Thomas, redshirt junior Taleb Rahmani (157 pounds) and redshirt freshman Nino Bonaccorsi (184 pounds). Rahmani is the lone returner of the group, making his third trip, while the rest make their first.
Rahmani and Bonaccorsi also made it to the finals tonight in their respective weight classes, but came up short to finish second.
All four wrestlers earned a spot on the All-ACC Wrestling Team.
As a team, the Panthers finished fourth with 41 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
133 – Micky Phillippi – First Place – 2-0
SEMIFINAL: After receiving a first round bye, Phillippi faced the No. 4 seed Korbin Myers of Virginia Tech. Phillippi was seeking revenge as Myers handed Phillippi just his second loss of the year Jan. 25 in the Pitt vs. Virginia Tech dual meet. Phillippi held a 1-0 advantage after two periods of action, but Myers escaped to tie it 1-1 to force overtime. After a round of sudden victory, Phillippi started on top and held on to keep things knotted 1-1. He then took bottom and escaped to win it 2-1.
FINAL: Phillippi faced Tariq Wilson of NC State for the first time this season in the finals. After a scoreless first period, Phillippi began the second on bottom and escaped for the 1-0 lead with 1:20 on the clock. He took top in the third and picked up two nearfall points to claim the ACC title, 3-0. Both were hit with stalling bringing the final score to 4-1.
157 – Taleb Rahmani – Second Place – 1-1
SEMIFINAL: Rahmani also received a first round bye as the No. 2 seed and faced third-seeded B.C. LaPrade of Virginia Tech. Like Phillippi, Rahmani and LaPrade needed extra time to reach an end result. The 157 pounders were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation and after the first sudden victory period. Rahmani then took bottom and escaped to take a 2-1 lead. LaPrade then took bottom and also escaped to force another round of sudden victory. Neither wrestler was able to score a point again, forcing another round of rideouts. LaPrade started on bottom to take the lead, 3-2, however Rahmani also escaped to tie it 3-3. Rahmani ultimately won the match with riding time to advance to the finals.
FINAL: Rahmani faced the top seed and reigning ACC Champion in Hayden Hidlay of NC State in the finals tonight. The redshirt junior trailed 2-1 after the first and fell behind 4-2 entering the third. Rahmani was unable to get any more points on the board as Hidlay defeated the Panther, 8-2.
184 – Nino Bonaccorsi – Second Place – 1-1
SEMIFINAL: Bonaccorsi received a first round bye to face the No. 3 seed Nick Reenan of NC State in the semifinals. The redshirt freshman quickly went to work in the opening frame, building a 4-1 advantage. The redshirt freshman continued to build his lead and ultimately defeated Reenan for a second time this year, 10-3.
FINAL: Bonaccorsi was outlasted by Virginia Tech's Zack Zavatsky, the No. 1 seed, 4-1. The redshirt freshman trailed 3-0 after two periods and was down 4-0 after being hit with stalling for a second time in the third period. Zavatsky was then hit with stalling for a second time, giving Bonaccorsi his lone point of the match.
285 – Demetrius Thomas – First Place – 2-0
SEMIFINAL: Thomas had a first round bye after earning the No. 2 seed and took on the No. 3 seed Billy Miller of Virginia Tech. Thomas got on the board first after Miller was hit with stalling on back-to-back occasions. However, Miller scored a takedown as time expired in the first to take the lead, 2-1. Thomas began the second on top and Miller quickly escaped to lead 3-1. Miller then scored a takedown, but a reversal by Thomas would cut the lead to 6-3. Thomas kept chipping away at the lead, and took over, 8-7, entering the third. The junior began the third on bottom and escaped, however Miller soon scored a takedown to tie it 9-9 with one minute to go. Miller then let Thomas escape in hopes of scoring a takedown, but Thomas would hold him off en route to the 10-9 decision.
FINAL: Thomas had a rematch with North Carolina's Cory Daniel, the No. 1 seed, at heavyweight. Thomas fell to Daniel in overtime with the dual on the line earlier in the season. After a scoreless first period, Thomas started the second on top. Daniel escaped late in the second to lead 1-0 entering the final frame. Thomas then took bottom and escaped to tie it 1-1. He followed that with a takedown to seal the deal, 3-2.
2019 All-ACC Wrestling Team
125 – Jack Mueller, Virginia
125 – Sean Fausz, NC State
133 – Micky Phillippi, Pitt
133 – Tariq Wilson, NC State
141 – Jamel Morris, NC State
141 – Mitch Moore, Virginia Tech
149 – Mitch Finesilver, Duke
149 – Austin O'Connor, North Carolina
157 – Hayden Hidlay, NC State
157 – Taleb Rahmani, Pitt
165 – Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech
165 – Thomas Bullard, NC State
174 – David McFadden, Virginia Tech
174 – Matt Finesilver, Duke
184 – Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech
184 – Nino Bonaccorsi, Pitt
197 – Malik McDonald, NC State
197 – Jay Aiello, Virginia
285 – Demetrius Thomas, Pitt
285 – Cory Daniel, North Carolina
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