Redshirt seniors Holden and Reece Heller joined the Pitt wrestling team in 2022 after transferring from Hofstra. This dynamic duo took on wrestling from their father, Mark, as he shared his love for NCAA wrestling with his boys. Now, he can see both his sons succeed together.
The brothers grew up in Riverwood, Illinois, where their dad introduced them to judo before they transitioned into the realm of competitive wrestling. Not only do Holden and Reece share an interest in the same sport, but they are both huge Chicago Bears fans.
Prior to Pitt, the Heller Brothers had already amassed a considerable track record of accomplishments in their wrestling careers. Holden, a three-year starter for the Hofstra Pride, showcased his skills on the mat and even competed in the 2021 NCAA Championships held in St. Louis. Meanwhile, Reece commenced his wrestling journey with the Pride as a first-year in 2019, securing victory in 19 matches that year.
According to Reece Heller, the opportunity to come to Pitt with his brother was too good to pass up.
“We’ve always done everything together,” Reece Heller said. “So we decided to pursue a higher level of wrestling and transfer together. Pitt had a spot for both of us in the lineup and it’s a great wrestling program in a top conference with an awesome staff and team culture, so it was an easy decision to come here.”
Coming to Pitt, both brothers continued their remarkable success by jointly qualifying for the 2023 NCAA Championship. Holden Heller boasts a career record of 61-40 with the Panthers, while Reece Heller has accumulated an impressive 52-28 career record.
Both brothers agree that the Pitt wrestling family has made them feel like they have been at the school for more than two years.
“Pitt wrestling feels like a community that welcomed us in,” Holden said.
Holden Heller grew up watching NCAA championships with his brother, so competing in the 2023 NCAA championship was fulfilling for him. But the brothers have higher aspirations for 2024.
“It was pretty awesome,” Holden Heller said. “It was surreal because we grew up watching that tournament on TV together, but now we wanted it to be a strictly business trip this year.”
The brothers partake in various pre-match rituals, often warming up together. Each night preceding a match, they engage in a shared tradition of raising a toast with water exactly at 11 p.m. This nightly ritual is crucial when they have to make weight the following day.
Reece and Holden Heller hold great influence over each other beyond wrestling as well.
“Holden is the more militant brother,” Reece Heller said. “Sometimes he has to wake me up to get me to practice — he definitely has a bigger influence on me than I have on him.”
As the older brother, Holden Heller looks after his younger brother.
“I take care of household chores,” Holden Heller said. “I wake him up and prepare meals.”
Reece Heller had a humorous response to his brother’s claim.
“Now it sounds like you’re my mom,” Reece Heller said.
The two brothers are opposites. But despite this, Reece Heller finds a way to make his older brother’s life more enjoyable.
“I am the older brother and more organized,” Holden Heller said. “But Reece helps me with a lot and he keeps me busy. He hangs out with me and has a lot of interests and passions. I would get bored so quickly without him. He cultures me with TV shows and video games and movies. Then I start to become interested in what he likes. That’s how we bond a lot of the time.”
While Holden and Reece Heller both draw substantial support from one another, their foundation of support is furthered by the unwavering encouragement provided by their parents, Mark and Nancy.
“Our entire family has been pivotal in our lives,” Holden Heller said. “From getting us involved in Judo and wrestling to the support and love they have for us.”
Mark and Nancy Heller have consistently supported their sons’ wrestling journeys, providing an environment where their sons can thrive both athletically and personally. But Reece and Holden Heller also have other siblings who have supported them as well.
“It’s not just our parents too,” Holden Heller said. “Our brother Sage and sister Willow have been instrumental for us, because they are both athletes too and know what it takes to be successful.”
As this year goes by, Holden Heller’s wrestling season will come to an end at Pitt. Reece Heller, however, still has one more year competing for Pitt.
Holden and Reece Heller started wrestling when they were eight and nine years old, so continuing their journey with each other has benefited them.
“To be able to continue this journey through college wrestling with Reece has been incredible,” Holden Heller said. “I can’t see myself not doing it with him. It’s finally starting to hit me though that this is my last season competing, so I want to make the most of every moment.”
Regardless of the outcome of this season for the Heller brothers, they will have a lasting impact on Pitt. From the days when they were young and starting their judo journey to witnessing the remarkable success they’ve taken in their wrestling careers, the progress is inspiring. Holden and Reece Heller, inseparable since their early days, will continue to grow together as their time at Pitt comes to an end.