Press release:
The 25th-ranked University of Pittsburgh wrestling team split a pair of duals Friday night at the Icardo Center, defeating CSU Bakersfield and falling to No. 18 Wisconsin.
Pitt outlasted the Roadrunners, 21-18, for its first win of the season. The Badgers then downed the Panthers, 26-6, to move them to 1-1 on the season.
“We did some things well tonight and there are some areas that we need to improve,” said first-year head coach Keith Gavin. “We had some guys that wrestled well, but didn’t expect to win until it was too late. Each time out is a chance to grow and it is important for us to continue to work to improve regardless of the result.”
#25 Pitt 21, CSU Bakersfield 18
Five Panthers posted wins en route to Pitt’s first victory of the season.
CSUB took the first three bouts, building a heavy 11-0 lead. Junior Robert Lee at 149 recorded the first Pitt win, bringing the team score to 11-3 after winning in an 8-1 decision over Kalani Tonge.
Redshirt sophomore Taleb Rahmani recorded his first pin of the season at a clutch time, bumping the team score to 11-9 in favor of the home team. Rahmani, ranked 15th in the country at 157 pounds, recorded the fall in 3:37.
Feeding off the team’s momentum, redshirt freshman Jake Wentzel won by technical fall 15-0 in 5:41. Wentzel upset No. 17 Bryan Battisto to give Pitt a 14-11 lead in the dual.
At 174 pounds, freshman Tommy O’Brien dropped a 4-2 decision to Bryan Battisto to tie the dual, 14-14.
Redshirt freshman Gregg Harvey came up clutch as he posted a 15-9 decision over Dom Ducharme, giving Pitt a 17-14 lead.
Heading to 197 pounds, redshirt freshman Kellan Stout lost in an 11-3 major decision to No. 10 Matt Williams, giving CSU Bakersfield an 18-17 lead.
The deciding match came down to the heavyweights and redshirt senior Ryan Solomon showed why he’s ranked No. 8 in the country. Solomon picked up a 10-0 major decision to give the Panthers a 21-18 victory.
Pitt vs. CSU Bakersfield Results
125: Sergio Mendez (CSUB) dec. Brendan Price (UP), 9-5 – CSUB leads 3-0
133: Sean Nickell (CSUB) tech. fall Jake Cherry (UP), 15-0, 3:55 – CSUB leads 5-0
141: #19 Russell Rohlfing (CSUB) def. Nick Zanetta (UP), SV-1, 7-5 – CSUB leads 11-0
149: Robert Lee (UP) dec. Kalani Tonge (CSUB), 8-1 – CSUB leads 11-3
157: #15 Taleb Rahmani (UP) pins Coleman Hammond (CSUB), 3:37 – CSUB leads 11-9
165: Jake Wentzel (UP) tech. fall #17 Bryan Battisto (CSUB), 15-0, 5:41 – Pitt leads 14-11
174: Bryan Battisto (CSUB) dec. Tommy O’Brien (UP), 4-2 – Tied 14-14
184: Gregg Harvey (UP) dec. Dom Ducharme (CSUB), 15-9 – Pitt leads 17-14
197: #10 Matt Williams (CSUB) maj. dec. Kellan Stout (UP), 11-3 – CSUB leads 18-17
285: #8 Ryan Solomon (UP) maj. dec. Jarrod Snyder (CSUB), 10-0 – Pitt wins 21-18
#18 Wisconsin 26, #25 Pitt 6
The Badgers claimed eights bouts to secure the win over the Panthers.
Zanetta and Solomon were the lone Pitt wrestlers to win their match.
Zanetta outlasted Wisconsin’s Cole Martin in a 7-3 decision, giving the Panthers their first team points of the night.
In the final bout, with the team score 26-3 in favor of the Badgers, Solomon picked up a 4-0 decision over Ben Stone.
Pitt vs. Wisconsin Results
125: Ethan Rotondo (WISC) dec. Brendan Price (UP), 4-1 – Wisconsin leads 3-0
133: Michael Cullen (WISC) dec. Jake Cherry (UP), 6-5 – Wisconsin leads 6-0
141: Nick Zanetta (UP) dec. Cole Martin (WISC), 7-3 – Wisconsin leads 6-3
149: Zander Wick (WISC) dec. Robert Lee (UP), 6-3 – Wisconsin leads 9-3
157: Andrew Crone (WISC) dec. #15 Taleb Rahmani (UP), 3-1 – Wisconsin leads 12-3
165: #10 Evan Wick (WISC) dec. Jake Wentzel (UP), 6-3 – Wisconsin leads 15-3
174: Ryan Christensen (WISC) maj. dec. Tommy O’Brien (UP), 11-0 – Wisconsin leads 19-3
184: #11 Ricky Robertson (WISC) maj. dec. Zach Bruce (UP), 9-1 – Wisconsin leads 23-3
197: #16 Hunter Ritter (WISC) dec. Kellan Stout (UP), 5-4 – Wisconsin leads 26-3
285: #8 Ryan Solomon (UP) dec. Ben Stone (WISC), 4-0 – Wisconsin wins 26-6
Pitt concludes its trip out west with a visit to No. 12 Arizona State, Sunday, Nov. 19. The top-25 dual is set to begin at 2 p.m. EST at the ASU Gammage Theatre.
The 25th-ranked University of Pittsburgh wrestling team split a pair of duals Friday night at the Icardo Center, defeating CSU Bakersfield and falling to No. 18 Wisconsin.
Pitt outlasted the Roadrunners, 21-18, for its first win of the season. The Badgers then downed the Panthers, 26-6, to move them to 1-1 on the season.
“We did some things well tonight and there are some areas that we need to improve,” said first-year head coach Keith Gavin. “We had some guys that wrestled well, but didn’t expect to win until it was too late. Each time out is a chance to grow and it is important for us to continue to work to improve regardless of the result.”
#25 Pitt 21, CSU Bakersfield 18
Five Panthers posted wins en route to Pitt’s first victory of the season.
CSUB took the first three bouts, building a heavy 11-0 lead. Junior Robert Lee at 149 recorded the first Pitt win, bringing the team score to 11-3 after winning in an 8-1 decision over Kalani Tonge.
Redshirt sophomore Taleb Rahmani recorded his first pin of the season at a clutch time, bumping the team score to 11-9 in favor of the home team. Rahmani, ranked 15th in the country at 157 pounds, recorded the fall in 3:37.
Feeding off the team’s momentum, redshirt freshman Jake Wentzel won by technical fall 15-0 in 5:41. Wentzel upset No. 17 Bryan Battisto to give Pitt a 14-11 lead in the dual.
At 174 pounds, freshman Tommy O’Brien dropped a 4-2 decision to Bryan Battisto to tie the dual, 14-14.
Redshirt freshman Gregg Harvey came up clutch as he posted a 15-9 decision over Dom Ducharme, giving Pitt a 17-14 lead.
Heading to 197 pounds, redshirt freshman Kellan Stout lost in an 11-3 major decision to No. 10 Matt Williams, giving CSU Bakersfield an 18-17 lead.
The deciding match came down to the heavyweights and redshirt senior Ryan Solomon showed why he’s ranked No. 8 in the country. Solomon picked up a 10-0 major decision to give the Panthers a 21-18 victory.
Pitt vs. CSU Bakersfield Results
125: Sergio Mendez (CSUB) dec. Brendan Price (UP), 9-5 – CSUB leads 3-0
133: Sean Nickell (CSUB) tech. fall Jake Cherry (UP), 15-0, 3:55 – CSUB leads 5-0
141: #19 Russell Rohlfing (CSUB) def. Nick Zanetta (UP), SV-1, 7-5 – CSUB leads 11-0
149: Robert Lee (UP) dec. Kalani Tonge (CSUB), 8-1 – CSUB leads 11-3
157: #15 Taleb Rahmani (UP) pins Coleman Hammond (CSUB), 3:37 – CSUB leads 11-9
165: Jake Wentzel (UP) tech. fall #17 Bryan Battisto (CSUB), 15-0, 5:41 – Pitt leads 14-11
174: Bryan Battisto (CSUB) dec. Tommy O’Brien (UP), 4-2 – Tied 14-14
184: Gregg Harvey (UP) dec. Dom Ducharme (CSUB), 15-9 – Pitt leads 17-14
197: #10 Matt Williams (CSUB) maj. dec. Kellan Stout (UP), 11-3 – CSUB leads 18-17
285: #8 Ryan Solomon (UP) maj. dec. Jarrod Snyder (CSUB), 10-0 – Pitt wins 21-18
#18 Wisconsin 26, #25 Pitt 6
The Badgers claimed eights bouts to secure the win over the Panthers.
Zanetta and Solomon were the lone Pitt wrestlers to win their match.
Zanetta outlasted Wisconsin’s Cole Martin in a 7-3 decision, giving the Panthers their first team points of the night.
In the final bout, with the team score 26-3 in favor of the Badgers, Solomon picked up a 4-0 decision over Ben Stone.
Pitt vs. Wisconsin Results
125: Ethan Rotondo (WISC) dec. Brendan Price (UP), 4-1 – Wisconsin leads 3-0
133: Michael Cullen (WISC) dec. Jake Cherry (UP), 6-5 – Wisconsin leads 6-0
141: Nick Zanetta (UP) dec. Cole Martin (WISC), 7-3 – Wisconsin leads 6-3
149: Zander Wick (WISC) dec. Robert Lee (UP), 6-3 – Wisconsin leads 9-3
157: Andrew Crone (WISC) dec. #15 Taleb Rahmani (UP), 3-1 – Wisconsin leads 12-3
165: #10 Evan Wick (WISC) dec. Jake Wentzel (UP), 6-3 – Wisconsin leads 15-3
174: Ryan Christensen (WISC) maj. dec. Tommy O’Brien (UP), 11-0 – Wisconsin leads 19-3
184: #11 Ricky Robertson (WISC) maj. dec. Zach Bruce (UP), 9-1 – Wisconsin leads 23-3
197: #16 Hunter Ritter (WISC) dec. Kellan Stout (UP), 5-4 – Wisconsin leads 26-3
285: #8 Ryan Solomon (UP) dec. Ben Stone (WISC), 4-0 – Wisconsin wins 26-6
Pitt concludes its trip out west with a visit to No. 12 Arizona State, Sunday, Nov. 19. The top-25 dual is set to begin at 2 p.m. EST at the ASU Gammage Theatre.
