University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Sunday, January 8
Pittsburgh, PA
2 PM
Pitt
vs
West Virginia
No. 21 Panthers Primed to Host Backyard Brawl
1/7/2023 12:00:00 PM | Wrestling
PITTSBURGH—The Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia will take to the mat this Sunday at Fitzgerald Field House for a 2 p.m. encounter between two programs on the rise in college wrestling.
Coach Keith Gavin and the Panthers (5-1) enter begin the 2023 calendar year coming off a second-place team finish at the 2022 Midlands Championships and on a three-dual winning streak. Likewise, Coach Tim Flynn's Mountaineers (5-1) are off to a strong start heading into the first Brawl since 2019.
The first 100 Pitt fans in attendance will receive a #PINZBURGH beanie for the Backyard Brawl, so get to Fitzgerald Field House at least an hour before Sunday's 2 p.m. dual for the free giveaway!
Fans can purchase tickets at the door or in advance via PittsburghPanthers.com.
Sunday's matchup, which will also be live streamed via ACC Network Extra and on the ESPN app, could feature as many as seven ranked wrestlers on both sides.
For Pitt, No. 7 Micky Phillippi at 133 pounds, No. 1 Cole Matthews at 141, No. 2 Nino Bonaccorsi and No. 5 Dayton Pitzer at heavyweight give the Panthers four individuals ranked in the top eight of their respective weight classes – one of only 11 teams in the country with that level of top-end talent.
West Virginia is led by No. 7 Killian Cardinale at 125 pounds and No. 12 Peyton Hall at 165.
Ranked matchups at 149 between Pitt's Tyler Badgett (No. 25) and WVU's Sam Hillegas (No. 28), at 165 between Pitt's Holden Heller (No. 28) and Hall and at 184 between Pitt's Reece Heller (No. 14) and Anthony Carman (No. 30) will be crucial to determining the outcome of the dual, while bonus points could also prove decisive in the rivalry.
#pinzburgh | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Coach Keith Gavin and the Panthers (5-1) enter begin the 2023 calendar year coming off a second-place team finish at the 2022 Midlands Championships and on a three-dual winning streak. Likewise, Coach Tim Flynn's Mountaineers (5-1) are off to a strong start heading into the first Brawl since 2019.
The first 100 Pitt fans in attendance will receive a #PINZBURGH beanie for the Backyard Brawl, so get to Fitzgerald Field House at least an hour before Sunday's 2 p.m. dual for the free giveaway!
Fans can purchase tickets at the door or in advance via PittsburghPanthers.com.
Sunday's matchup, which will also be live streamed via ACC Network Extra and on the ESPN app, could feature as many as seven ranked wrestlers on both sides.
For Pitt, No. 7 Micky Phillippi at 133 pounds, No. 1 Cole Matthews at 141, No. 2 Nino Bonaccorsi and No. 5 Dayton Pitzer at heavyweight give the Panthers four individuals ranked in the top eight of their respective weight classes – one of only 11 teams in the country with that level of top-end talent.
West Virginia is led by No. 7 Killian Cardinale at 125 pounds and No. 12 Peyton Hall at 165.
Ranked matchups at 149 between Pitt's Tyler Badgett (No. 25) and WVU's Sam Hillegas (No. 28), at 165 between Pitt's Holden Heller (No. 28) and Hall and at 184 between Pitt's Reece Heller (No. 14) and Anthony Carman (No. 30) will be crucial to determining the outcome of the dual, while bonus points could also prove decisive in the rivalry.
#pinzburgh | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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