Sunday, March 5
Raleigh, NC
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ACC Championship
Pitt Crowns Two ACC Champions, Finishes Third Overall
3/5/2023 10:00:00 PM | Wrestling
RALEIGH, N.C.—Pitt's wrestling postseason kicked off by crowning two champions and placing third as a team at the 2023 ACC Wrestling Championship held at NC State's Reynolds Coliseum.
Winning ACC titles were Nino Bonaccorsi at 197 pounds and Cole Matthews at 141 pounds, with Bonaccorsi earning his third straight conference title and Matthews repeating for a second straight year.
Both Panthers beat top-10 opponents from NC State to win gold. Bonaccorsi joined Jake Wentzel as Pitt's only three-time ACC champions in wrestling by defeating Isaac Trumble in Raleigh by 2-1 decision. Matthews topped Ryan Jack by the same scoreline, earning his victory thanks to riding time.
At 133 pounds, Micky Phillippi made his fifth straight ACC final before settling for a runner-up finish.
The Panthers, who shared the 2022-23 ACC dual title with NC State and Virginia Tech, tallied 60 points to finish third at the conference tournament for the second straight season.
"We had some really good moments and also some matches that we wish we could have back," Pitt head coach Keith Gavin said after the tournament on Sunday. "Overall, I was happy with how the guys finished the day after a disappointing semifinal round. I feel good about the six guys who qualified for the NCAA Championships in Tulsa; we hope to maybe get one more with an at-large bid."
"Really happy for Nino and Cole," Gavin said of Pitt's ACC champions. "This conference continues to get more difficult to win, yet they are now consistently winning it. That says a lot about them as wrestlers, and we know that the ACC has prepared them really well for nationals."
Making runs through the consolation brackets, three other Panthers earned places on the ACC podium as conference bronze medalists this season: Colton Camacho at 125 pounds, Holden Heller at 165 and Luca Augustine at 174. Reece Heller also placed fourth to secure his trip to nationals.
In total, Pitt booked six automatic tickets to the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships set to be held in Tulsa, Okla., from March 16-18, with Phillippi (133), Matthews (141), Heller (165), Augustine (174), Heller (184) and Bonaccorsi (197) each securing trips to nationals via conference qualification.
Camacho and other Panthers will have to hope for an at-large bid to NCAAs this week.
Here are Pitt's results from Sunday's 2023 ACC Wrestling Championship in Raleigh:
Colton Camacho, 125 Pounds, 3-1, Third Place
First Round: Colton Camacho (Pitt) maj. dec. Patrick McCormick (Virginia), 12-2
Semifinals: Jarrett Trombley (NC State) dec. Colton Camacho (Pitt), 10-5
Consolation Semifinals: Colton Camacho (Pitt) maj. dec. Ethan Grimminger (Duke), 17-3
Consolation Final: Colton Camacho (Pitt) dec. Jack Wagner (North Carolina), 3-2
Micky Phillippi, 133 Pounds, 1-1, Second Place, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Micky Phillippi (Pitt) dec. Marlon Yarbrough (Virginia), 6-2
Final: Kai Orine (NC State) pins Micky Phillippi (Pitt), 8:45
Cole Matthews, 141 Pounds, 2-0, ACC Champion, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Cole Matthews (Pitt) dec. Tom Crook (Virginia Tech), 6-3
Final: Cole Matthews (Pitt) dec. Ryan Jack (NC State), 2-1
Tyler Badgett, 149 Pounds, 0-2
First Round: Zach Sherman (North Carolina) dec. Tyler Badgett (Pitt), 7-2
Consolation Semifinals: Jarod Verkleeren (Virginia) dec. Tyler Badgett (Pitt), 3-2
Dazjon Casto, 157 Pounds, 0-2
First Round: Jake Keating (Virginia) dec. Dazjon Casto (Pitt), 5-4
Consolation Semifinals: Ed Scott (NC State) dec. Dazjon Casto (Pitt), 4-0
Holden Heller, 165 Pounds, 2-1, Third Place, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) dec. Holden Heller (Pitt), 7-5
Consolation Semifinals: Holden Heller (Pitt) dec. Gabe Dinette (Duke), 5-4
Consolation Final: Holden Heller (Pitt) dec. Matthew Singleton (NC State), 10-7
Luca Augustine, 174 Pounds, 2-1, Third Place, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Alex Faison (NC State) dec. Luca Augustine (Pitt), 4-2
Consolation Semifinals: Luca Augustine (Pitt) dec. Michael Goldfeder (North Carolina), 4-0
Consolation Final: Luca Augustine (Pitt) dec. Vic Marcelli (Virginia), 3-1
Reece Heller, 184 Pounds, 2-2, Fourth Place, NCAA Qualifier
First Round: Reece Heller (Pitt) maj. dec. Neil Antrassian (Virginia), 12-3
Semifinals: Trent Hidlay (NC State) tech. fall Reece Heller (Pitt), 22-5
Consolation Semifinals: Reece Heller (Pitt) maj. dec. Jack Wimmer (Duke), 12-0
Consolation Final: Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) dec. Reece Heller (Pitt), 7-5
Nino Bonaccorsi, 197 Pounds, 2-0, ACC Champion, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) maj. dec. Michael Battista (Virginia), 12-3
Final: Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) dec. Isaac Trumble (NC State), 2-1
Jake Slinger, 285 Pounds, 1-2
First Round: Jake Slinger (Pitt) dec. Brandon Whitman (UNC), 3-1 SV
Semifinals: Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke) dec. Jake Slinger (Pitt), 3-2
Consolation Semifinals: Ethan Weatherspoon (Virginia) dec. Jake Slinger (Pitt), 7-4
Pitt's NCAA qualifiers will travel to Tulsa, Okla., for the 2023 NCAA Championships from March 16-18 to compete for All-America and national honors at the marquee event in college wrestling.
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Winning ACC titles were Nino Bonaccorsi at 197 pounds and Cole Matthews at 141 pounds, with Bonaccorsi earning his third straight conference title and Matthews repeating for a second straight year.
Both Panthers beat top-10 opponents from NC State to win gold. Bonaccorsi joined Jake Wentzel as Pitt's only three-time ACC champions in wrestling by defeating Isaac Trumble in Raleigh by 2-1 decision. Matthews topped Ryan Jack by the same scoreline, earning his victory thanks to riding time.
At 133 pounds, Micky Phillippi made his fifth straight ACC final before settling for a runner-up finish.
The Panthers, who shared the 2022-23 ACC dual title with NC State and Virginia Tech, tallied 60 points to finish third at the conference tournament for the second straight season.
"We had some really good moments and also some matches that we wish we could have back," Pitt head coach Keith Gavin said after the tournament on Sunday. "Overall, I was happy with how the guys finished the day after a disappointing semifinal round. I feel good about the six guys who qualified for the NCAA Championships in Tulsa; we hope to maybe get one more with an at-large bid."
"Really happy for Nino and Cole," Gavin said of Pitt's ACC champions. "This conference continues to get more difficult to win, yet they are now consistently winning it. That says a lot about them as wrestlers, and we know that the ACC has prepared them really well for nationals."
Making runs through the consolation brackets, three other Panthers earned places on the ACC podium as conference bronze medalists this season: Colton Camacho at 125 pounds, Holden Heller at 165 and Luca Augustine at 174. Reece Heller also placed fourth to secure his trip to nationals.
In total, Pitt booked six automatic tickets to the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships set to be held in Tulsa, Okla., from March 16-18, with Phillippi (133), Matthews (141), Heller (165), Augustine (174), Heller (184) and Bonaccorsi (197) each securing trips to nationals via conference qualification.
Camacho and other Panthers will have to hope for an at-large bid to NCAAs this week.
Here are Pitt's results from Sunday's 2023 ACC Wrestling Championship in Raleigh:
Colton Camacho, 125 Pounds, 3-1, Third Place
First Round: Colton Camacho (Pitt) maj. dec. Patrick McCormick (Virginia), 12-2
Semifinals: Jarrett Trombley (NC State) dec. Colton Camacho (Pitt), 10-5
Consolation Semifinals: Colton Camacho (Pitt) maj. dec. Ethan Grimminger (Duke), 17-3
Consolation Final: Colton Camacho (Pitt) dec. Jack Wagner (North Carolina), 3-2
Micky Phillippi, 133 Pounds, 1-1, Second Place, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Micky Phillippi (Pitt) dec. Marlon Yarbrough (Virginia), 6-2
Final: Kai Orine (NC State) pins Micky Phillippi (Pitt), 8:45
Cole Matthews, 141 Pounds, 2-0, ACC Champion, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Cole Matthews (Pitt) dec. Tom Crook (Virginia Tech), 6-3
Final: Cole Matthews (Pitt) dec. Ryan Jack (NC State), 2-1
Tyler Badgett, 149 Pounds, 0-2
First Round: Zach Sherman (North Carolina) dec. Tyler Badgett (Pitt), 7-2
Consolation Semifinals: Jarod Verkleeren (Virginia) dec. Tyler Badgett (Pitt), 3-2
Dazjon Casto, 157 Pounds, 0-2
First Round: Jake Keating (Virginia) dec. Dazjon Casto (Pitt), 5-4
Consolation Semifinals: Ed Scott (NC State) dec. Dazjon Casto (Pitt), 4-0
Holden Heller, 165 Pounds, 2-1, Third Place, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) dec. Holden Heller (Pitt), 7-5
Consolation Semifinals: Holden Heller (Pitt) dec. Gabe Dinette (Duke), 5-4
Consolation Final: Holden Heller (Pitt) dec. Matthew Singleton (NC State), 10-7
Luca Augustine, 174 Pounds, 2-1, Third Place, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Alex Faison (NC State) dec. Luca Augustine (Pitt), 4-2
Consolation Semifinals: Luca Augustine (Pitt) dec. Michael Goldfeder (North Carolina), 4-0
Consolation Final: Luca Augustine (Pitt) dec. Vic Marcelli (Virginia), 3-1
Reece Heller, 184 Pounds, 2-2, Fourth Place, NCAA Qualifier
First Round: Reece Heller (Pitt) maj. dec. Neil Antrassian (Virginia), 12-3
Semifinals: Trent Hidlay (NC State) tech. fall Reece Heller (Pitt), 22-5
Consolation Semifinals: Reece Heller (Pitt) maj. dec. Jack Wimmer (Duke), 12-0
Consolation Final: Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) dec. Reece Heller (Pitt), 7-5
Nino Bonaccorsi, 197 Pounds, 2-0, ACC Champion, NCAA Qualifier
Semifinals: Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) maj. dec. Michael Battista (Virginia), 12-3
Final: Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) dec. Isaac Trumble (NC State), 2-1
Jake Slinger, 285 Pounds, 1-2
First Round: Jake Slinger (Pitt) dec. Brandon Whitman (UNC), 3-1 SV
Semifinals: Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke) dec. Jake Slinger (Pitt), 3-2
Consolation Semifinals: Ethan Weatherspoon (Virginia) dec. Jake Slinger (Pitt), 7-4
Pitt's NCAA qualifiers will travel to Tulsa, Okla., for the 2023 NCAA Championships from March 16-18 to compete for All-America and national honors at the marquee event in college wrestling.
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