Pitt
NCAA Championships
All Seven Pitt NCAA Qualifiers Earn Wins in Kansas City
3/23/2024 5:00:00 PM | Wrestling
KANSAS CITY—Pitt produced seven individual winners at the NCAA Wrestling Championships for the first time in a decade as all of the Panthers' national qualifiers won this weekend at T-Mobile Center.
Head coach Keith Gavin produced seven NCAA qualifiers for the second time in his seven-year tenure leading his alma mater's wrestling program and watched each get their hand raised in Kansas City.
Pitt last had seven individuals score points at NCAAs in 2014 when seven of the team's eight qualifiers won matches in Oklahoma City.
Senior captain Cole Matthews at 141 pounds and redshirt freshman Mac Stout at 197 each advanced to the Round of 16 with two victories before bowing out of the national tournament on Friday.
Five other Panthers – Finn Solomon at 149 pounds, Holden Heller at 165, Luca Augustine at 174, Reece Heller at 184 and Dayton Pitzer at 285 – all were defeated in Friday's Round of 24 after picking up a win on Thursday to survive the first day of the tournament and add to Pitt's points tally.
The Panthers scored 13.0 points to tie for 26th as a team at the 2024 NCAA Championships.
Pitt won three matches by pin as both Heller brothers and Pitzer each picked up one fall and crucial bonus points. Stout also won by a major decision and technical fall to further boost Pitt's team score.
For team captains Matthews and Holden Heller, their collegiate careers ended in Kansas City.
Former NCAA All-American Matthews capped a Pitt career for the record books, finishing with 103 collegiate wins, five NCAA appearances, two ACC titles, five ACC medals and numerous memorable moments and top-five victories in addition to a No. 1 ranking and his 2022 All-America honor.
Four Panthers – freshmen Solomon, Stout and Pitzer and sophomore Augustine – all won at NCAAs for the first time in their collegiate careers.
Full results from Pitt's 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships are available below.
The Panthers finished in the top 30 for the fourth consecutive season and placed third among ACC programs competing at T-Mobile Center over the prestigious three-day tournament.
Cole Matthews, 141 Pounds, No. 18 Seed, 2-2
First Round: No. 15 Mitch Moore (Rutgers) dec. No. 18 Cole Matthews (Pitt), 7-2
Consolation: No. 18 Cole Matthews (Pitt) dec. No. 31 Kal Miller (Maryland), 2-1 TB
Consolation: No. 18 Cole Matthews (Pitt) dec. No. 17 Isaiah Powe (Chattanooga), 8-5
Round of 16: No. 7 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 18 Cole Matthews (Pitt), 4-2
Finn Solomon, 149 Pounds, No. 31 Seed, 1-2
First Round: No. 2 Kyle Parco (Arizona State) dec. No. 31 Finn Solomon (Pitt), 5-4
Consolation: No. 31 Finn Solomon (Pitt) dec. No. 15 Corbyn Munson (Central Michigan), 6-4
Consolation: No. 17 Graham Rooks (Indiana) tech fall No. 31 Finn Solomon (Pitt), 20-4 (6:44)
Holden Heller, 165 Pounds, No. 25 Seed, 1-2
First Round: No. 8 Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) maj. No. 25 Holden Heller (Pitt), 11-0
Consolation: No. 25 Holden Heller (Pitt) pins No. 24 Stoney Buell (Purdue), 2:04
Consolation: No. 7 Izzak Olejnik (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 25 Holden Heller (Pitt), 4-1
Luca Augustine, 174 Pounds, No. 23 Seed, 1-2
First Round: No. 10 Nick Incontrera (Penn) dec. No. 23 Luca Augustine (Pitt), 5-2
Consolation: No. 23 Luca Augustine (Pitt) dec. No. 26 Benny Baker (Cornell), 8-2
Consolation: No. 8 Adam Kemp (Cal Poly) dec. No. 23 Luca Augustine (Pitt), 4-1 SV
Reece Heller, 184 Pounds, No. 15 Seed, 1-2
First Round: No. 18 Ryder Rogotzke (Ohio State) pins No. 15 Reece Heller (Pitt), 2:27
Consolation: No. 15 Reece Heller (Pitt) pins No. 31 Tony Negron (Arizona State), 5:00
Consolation: No. 17 Will Feldkamp (Iowa State) maj. No. 15 Reece Heller (Pitt), 15-5
Mac Stout, 197 Pounds, No. 21 Seed, 2-2
First Round: No. 12 Rocky Elam (Missouri) dec. No. 21 Mac Stout (Pitt), 6-2
Consolation: No. 21 Mac Stout (Pitt) maj. No. 28 Jack Wehmeyer (Columbia), 12-4
Consolation: No. 21 Mac Stout (Pitt) tech fall No. 22 Garrett Joles (Minnesota), 20-5 (7:00)
Round of 16: No. 14 John Poznanski (Rutgers) dec. No. 21 Mac Stout (Pitt), 8-5 SV
Dayton Pitzer, 285 Pounds, No. 21 Seed, 1-2
First Round: No. 12 Konner Doucet (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 21 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt), 5-0
Consolation: No. 21 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt) pins No. 28 Trevor Tinker (Cal Poly), 3:49
Consolation: No. 11 Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) dec. No. 21 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt), 4-2
#pinzburgh | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Players Mentioned
