Pitt athletics competes against national, ACC foes this weekend

Pitt athletics compete in several events over the weekend, including two NCAA championships in wrestling and women’s swim and dive. Here’s how each program fared.

Women’s swim and dive

This past weekend, Pitt women’s swim and dive finished up its season at the NCAA Championship in Athens, Georgia.

There were definitely some highlights, as sophomore swimmer Claire Jansen swam a season best of 1:54.55 in the 200-meter backstroke. Senior swimmer Sophie Yendell placed 17th in the 100-meter fly with a time of 51.35 and placed 20th in the 50 Free.

Wrestling

Pitt wrestling ended its season this past weekend as well. Pitt traveled to the NCAA Wrestling Championship in Kansas City, Missouri. The Panthers scored 13.0 points to tie for 26th place as a team. 

Redshirt senior Cole Matthews and redshirt first-year Mac Stout both made it to Round 16 but did not advance past that. Matthews finished his collegiate career with 103 collegiate wins, five NCAA appearances, two ACC titles, five ACC medals and a 2022 All-American title. 

Women’s gymnastics 

Pitt gymnastics had an upstart weekend at the ACC championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Panthers earned third overall, tying with North Carolina, while also earning their third-highest team score of the season. 

Junior Hallie Copperwheat tied for second overall on the beam with a score of 9.900, securing her spot on the podium. Junior Jordyn Ewing also claimed a spot on the podium, tying second on the floor with a score of 9.950. 

Baseball 

Pitt baseball lost both games against No. 14 Virginia during this weekend’s contests. On Friday, the game only went into the seventh inning because the score was beyond a 10-run difference, as Pitt fell 18-2. 

Senior outfielder Dom Popa increased his hitting streak to 19 games. This is Pitt’s longest game-hitting streak since 2019. He is now tied with his brother, Nico Popa, for this achievement. Sophomore infielder Jake Kendro is coming off of an injury, but this has not stopped him from becoming Pitt’s season batting average leader.

Softball 

Pitt softball fell victim to a sweep against No.18 Florida State this past weekend. The run rule was in effect, as Pitt lost 13-4, 10-0 and 17-7 in the fifth inning. 

On March 23, Pitt had to battle an hour weather delay due to cold temperatures at Vartabedian Field. This, however, did not stop Florida State from dominating the Panthers in the first game of the series.

Sophomore outfielder Macy Hamilton went one for one with a bases-clearing double and a stellar sliding catch at left field. Junior infielder Ana Hernandez went one for two, extending her hitting streak to three games. 

Women’s lacrosse 

Pitt lacrosse is having a tough season so far, as it has a 3-8 record. On March 23, the Panthers lost an ACC matchup against Virginia Tech at the Highmark Stadium by a score of 13-9. 

Pitt made a strong effort to keep up with the Hokies. The Panthers recorded the most ground balls with 23, and the most caused turnovers with 19, in their 2024 season. The 19 turnovers are a new all-time program high for the Pitt lacrosse team. 

Junior attack Jenna Hendrickson pocketed her fifth game this year scoring at least a hat trick. Junior defender Rachel Familetti and first-year defender Megan Sheridan both ended the game with seven ground balls and six caused turnovers.