Pitt wrestling finishes third as a team, boasts two champions at Clarion Open

Pitt wrestling kicked off its 2023-24 campaign by traveling to Clarion University for the 2023 Clarion Open on Sunday. The Panthers showcased their talent as a team, achieving third place and boasting two champions at 184 and 197 pounds. 

Four Pitt wrestlers reached the finals, with redshirt senior Reece Heller at 184 pounds and redshirt first-year Mac Stout at 197 pounds winning their divisions. The Panthers finished third as a team at the Open and showed potential to follow up last year’s successes with another triumphant season.

At the 184-pound division, Heller won all five of his matches and was crowned one of two Pitt champions at the open. He won his first two matches by fall and the next two by tech fall. Heller then won the final by a tech fall with a score of 19-3. By starting his season out with a Clarion Open title, Heller looks like a real contender in the ACC at the 184 mark. 

Stout, who replaced former Panther and NCAA champion Nino Bonaccorsi at 197 pounds, won his division at the Open. Stout won his first match by fall and won the rest via decision. The 197-pound wrestler won the quarterfinal match via major decision, with a score of 11-2. Stout won the final via decision with a score of 3-0, showcasing his potential to continue Bonaccorsi’s legacy at the 197 division. 

Two other Pitt wrestlers reached the finals at the open, as redshirt first-years Vinnie Santaniello and Finn Solomon both qualified for the championship bout. Santaniello won each match via decision to reach the final, but Santaniello lost the final by a mere three points, with a score of 13-10. 

At the 149-pound division, Solomon reached the final after winning the first match via fall and the rest via decision. The semifinal match was particularly close, with a score of 6-5, but Solomon was unable to win the division and lost the final via major decision with a score of 12-4. 

In the 141-pound weight class, redshirt first-year Briar Priest and first-year Anthony Santaniello both reached the semifinals, but both ultimately lost and were pitted against each other in the third-place match. But the match never came to fruition, as Santaniello forfeited to let Priest walk away with third place.

Redshirt first-year Jared Keslar won his first match by tech fall and the next two via decision to reach the semifinals at 157 pounds. But Keslar lost 2-0 via decision in the semi-finals and then lost 4-1 in the third-place match to walk away with fourth place at the Open. 

As a team, the Panthers finished the day with 171 points, which is good for third place behind Ohio State and Columbia.

Out of the seven wrestlers to reach the points, six are either true or redshirt first-years. The third-place finish in the Clarion Open shows that potential is abundant throughout the roster. With the Navy Duals coming up on Nov. 12, the team looks positioned to finish among the top programs in the ACC.