Pitt
NC State
No. 19 Pitt Hosts No. 8 NC State for ACC Network Dual
1/25/2024 3:00:00 PM | Wrestling
PITTSBURGH—The No. 19 Pitt wrestling team meets its seventh ranked opponent of the season and opens the conference campaign on Friday night when No. 8 NC State comes to the Fitzgerald Field House for a 7 p.m. dual set for live television coverage on the ACC Network.
The Panthers (7-5) have already beaten No. 17 Lehigh and No. 5 Ohio State this season and face another exciting test for their ACC opener under the bright lights of national television as the Wolfpack (10-2) come to Pittsburgh for a matchup of teams that shared the conference's 2023 regular season dual title.
Buy tickets for Friday's Fitz showdown with the Wolfpack here.
Pitt's difficult nonconference slate helped prepare Keith Gavin's young squad, with nine Panthers ranked in the most recent InterMat and NCAA Coaches' Poll rankings.
However, Pitt will be without injured heavyweight Dayton Pitzer, who is set to miss the remainder of the regular season with the goal of hopefully making a healthy return for the 2024 postseason.
Leading the Panthers will be senior captains No. 14 Holden Heller at 165 pounds and No. 26 Cole Matthews at 141 pounds, and fellow seniors No. 12 Reece Heller at 184 pounds and No. 31 Colton Camacho at 125 pounds, against an NC State lineup full of ranked individuals.
Surging underclassmen No. 17 Luca Augustine at 174 pounds and No. 13 Mac Stout at 197 pounds have displayed significant improvements this season and are among Pitt's most consistent performers. Additionally, No. 20 Vinnie Santaniello at 133 pounds and No. 29 Finn Solomon at 149 pounds are set for their debuts in ACC dual meet action on Friday night.
Redshirt freshman Jared Keslar at 157 pounds and veteran heavyweight Geoff Magin round out the Panthers' projected lineup ready to take on the Wolfpack in the conference opener for both teams.
Fans attending the dual can take advantage of a 50% off domestic beers happy hour at the concession stand before wrestling begins, while the evening also serves as Panther Club Appreciation Day, providing vouchers and giveaways to Panther Club members on the concourse.
Play-by-play Shawn Kenney and analyst Rock Harrison, fan favorite ACC wrestling broadcasters, will be on hand at the Fitzgerald Field House for the ACC Network's live coverage of the dual.
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