Inside The Panthers

LIVE FEED: Pitt Wrestling Begin NCAA Championships

The Pitt Panthers start day one at the NCAA Championships.

Dominic Campbell

Pitt Wrestling had three ACC Champions, including Mac Stout
Pitt Wrestling had three ACC Champions, including Mac Stout / Courtesy of Pitt Athletic

PHILADELPHIA — The Pitt Panthers start competing at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center.

Pigtails (preliminaries) and First Round matches start at noon, while Round of 16 and consolation matches start at 7 p.m.

Eight matches will take place at the same time, which will allow for the 330 wrestlers to compete on the first day.

Pitt had eight wrestlers earn a spot at the NCAA Championships, in redshirt freshman Dylan Evans at 157 pounds. redshirt sophomores in Briar Priest at 141 pounds, Jared Keslar at 165 pounds, Mac Stout at 197 pounds and Dayton Pitzer at 285 pounds, redshirt junior Luca Augustine at 174 pounds and graduate students in Nick Babin at 125 pounds and Reece Heller at 184 pounds.

Stout, Pitzer and Heller all won ACC Championships, while Augustine finished as runner-up.

Evans was the only at-large bid for the Panthers, as the other seven wrestlers made it via automatic bid through the ACC Championships.

The eight NCAA qualifiers is the most under head coach Keith Gavin since he took over in 2017 and the most for the program since 2014.

Keslar is the only Pitt wrestler starting in the preliminaries, while the other seven will start in the First Round.

The NCAA Championships will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia from March 20-22. Stay tuned for live coverage from Pittsburgh Panthers on SI all weekend long.

Pitt Wrestling at NCAA Championships Live Results

125 Pounds: No. 9 Caleb Smith (Nebraska) 3-0 SV-1 over No. 24 Nick Babin (Pitt) (First Round)

Smith rode out Babin for the second period, but then chose bottom in the third period. Babin took advantage of this, riding Smith out for the third period and sending the match into extra time.

Babin took some shots at Smith, but wasn't successful, while Smith got a late takedown, winning in sudden victory.

He headed to consolations later in the night, and faced No. 25 Charlie Farmer of Army. The two have won a match each against each other, as Babin won a 6-2 decision at Midlands Chamionships on Dec. 29, 2022 and Farmer won a 12-5 decision on Nov. 14, 2021.

Consolations: No. 25 Charlie Farmer (Army) 7-4 decision (riding time) over No. 24 Nick Babin (Pitt)

Babin got an early takedown and led 3-0 in the second period while riding Farmer, but allowed a reversal and then four back points. Both wrestlers made escapes, but Farmer would win it 7-4 after riding time over Babin.

This ends Babin's time at the NCAA Championships and his collegiate career.

141 Pounds: No. 3 Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) 21-5 technical fall (5:41) over No. 30 Briar Priest (Pitt) (First Round)

Mendez, the reigning National Champion at 141 pounds, dominated this matchup, with seven takedowns en route to a technical fall over Priest.

He also defeated Priest in a 20-4 techical fall (4:19) back in a dual at Fitzgerald Field House on Dec. 13.

Consolations: No. 30 Briar Priest (Pitt) 5-0 decision (riding time) over No. 33 Lorenzo Frezza (Columbia)
No. 19 Mosha Schwartz (Oklahoma) 9-5 decision (riding time) over No. 30 Briar Priest (Pitt)

Priest faced No. 33 Lorenzo Frezza of Columbia in the first consolation and performed much better.

He rode Frezza for the entirety of the second round, got an escape and a takedown in the third period and held on for the 5-0 victory after riding time.

Priest faced No. 19 Mosha Schwartz of Oklahoma in the next round of consolations later in the night.

Schwartz got two quick takedowns and took a 6-2 lead and then rode out Priest the entirety of the second period.

Priest managed a takedown late in the third period, but Schwartz held on for the 9-5 decision after riding time, ending Priest's time at the NCAA Championships.

157 Pounds: No. 9 Tommy Askey (Minnesota) 7-2 decision over No. 24 Dylan Evans (Pitt) (First Round)

Askey got an early takedown and fended off shots from Evans throughout, scoring a takedown towards the end of the bout, winning on a 7-2 decision.

Evans faced No. 25 Sonny Santiago (North Carolina) in the consolations later in the night.

He won 4-1 in the dual on Feb. 7 with a late takedown, while Santiago won 4-1 in sudden victory in the ACC Third Place match

Consolations: No. 24 Dylan Evans (Pitt) 4-1 SV-1 over No. 25 Sonny Santiago (North Carolina)

Much like the two prior matchups, this one was low scoring, with both wrestlers getting an escape each before heading into extra time.

Santiago and Evans both made shots, but Evans completed his and got the takedown, winning 4-1 in sudden victory.

He'll face No. 23 Chase Saldate of Michigan in the morning.

165 Pounds: No. 33 Chandler Amaker (Central Michigan) 8-5 SV-1 over No. 32 Jared Keslar (Pitt)(Preliminaries)

Amaker took an early lead on Keslar with a takedown in the first period. Keslar got two escapes, but Amaker got an escape to start the third period, keeping him up 4-2.

Keslar managed a takedown on Amaker and rode him for most of the period, but Amaker escaped with six seconds remaining, sending the match into extra time.

Both wrestlers took attempts on each other, but Amaker was successful, winning 8-5 in sudden victory.

Keslar wil face No. 30 Aiden Riggins of Iowa State in the Consolations, the first match between the two wrestlers.

Consolations: No. 30 Aiden Riggins (Iowa State) 7-6 decision over No. 32 Jared Keslar (Pitt)

Riggins got a takedown each in the first and second periods and Keslar got one as well, but so late in the third period, that he fell just short at 7-6, ending his time at the NCAA Championships.

174 Pounds: No. 18 Gaven Sax (Oklahoma) 5-0 decision (riding time) over No. 15 Luca Augustine (Pitt) (First Round)

Sax chose neutral to start the second period and after fending off shots from Augustine, dominated him on top in the third period. He would get Augustine on his back for four near fall points and won 5-0 after riding time, not allowing Augustine an escape.

Augustine will head to the consolations and face No. 31 Branson of Lock Haven later in the night. Augustine won a technical fall, 20-4 (6:26) back in the Rider Quad Meet on Dec. 20.

Consolations: No. 15 Luca Augustine (Pitt) vs. No. 31 Branson John (Maryland)

184 Pounds: No. 9 Reece Heller (Pitt) 2-0 decision (riding time) No. 24 Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) (First Round)

Heller avoided a takedown in the first period and excelled on top, riding Hendricsk out for the entirety of the second period.

He chose bottom to start the third period, but Hendricks wanted neutral, giving Heller a point. Heller then stood strong the rest of the period and held on for the 2-0 decision after riding time.

Heller will move on to the Round of 16, where he'll take on No. 8 Jaxon Smith of Maryland.

Smith won a 3-2 decision in tiebreakers over Heller at the Rider Quad Meet back on Dec. 20.

Round of 16: No. 8 Jaxon Smith (Maryland) pins (2:45) No. 9 Reece Heller (Pitt)

Smith would get Heller on his back, earning the takedown, near fall points and then pinning him with 15 seconds left in the third period.

This is Heller's first loss in three months and he'll head to the consolations.

197 Pounds: No. 6 Mac Stout (Pitt) 12-0 major decision over No. 27 Michael Dellagata (Cornell) (First Round)

Stout dominated Dellagatta, with three takedowns and exceptional defense for the 12-0 major decision.

He will face his brother, No. 11 Luke Stout of Princeton, in the Round of 16 later in the night, the first match between the two.

Round of 16: No. 6 Mac Stout (Pitt) vs. No. 11 Luke Stout (Princeton)

285 Pounds: No. 10 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt) 6-2 decision (riding time) over No. 23 Daniel Bucknavich (Cleveland State) (First Round)

Pitzer got a takedown in the second period after a scoreless first period to take a 3-2 lead. He then made a reversal early in the third period and rode Bucknavich out for the 6-2 decision.

He'll face No. 7 Isaac Trumble of NC State in the Round of 16 later in the night.

Trumble won a 10-1 major decision in the dual back on Jan. 24, but Pitzer got revenge with a 4-1 win in the ACC Semifinals.

Round of 16: No. 10 Dayton Pitzer (Pitt) vs. No. 7 Isaac Trumble (NC State)

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Dominic Campbell
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