Pitt sports look to capitalize on major wins and continue success through this weekend

Gymnastics

Pitt gymnastics had a solid start to its season with a 3-0 win over Illinois State, George Washington and Western Michigan University at the Next Level Podium Challenge last weekend. Pitt racked up 10 podium finishes and ended with a team score of 195.575. 

Graduate student Jah’Liyah Bedminster came out on top in the uneven bars and finished second on the floor to senior Jordyn Ewing. First-year Meika Lee also had an impressive performance, finishing second in the all-around, making the podium for the first time in her collegiate career. 

Ranked No. 19 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC Northeastern Region, the 2025 season looks bright for Pitt gymnastics. Both seniors Hallie Copperwheat and Jah’Liyah Bedminster both made the ACC Preseason Watch List, and Meika Lee made the 2025 Newcomer Watch List, proving Pitt gymnastics is a serious threat to other schools this season. 

Pitt will host No. 25-ranked Clemson in the Fitzgerald Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 17 with walkouts expected to begin at 7 p.m. 

Wrestling

The Panthers will travel to Lewisburg on Friday, Jan. 17 to take on the Bucknell Bison. Currently ranked No. 16 nationally and No. 2 in the ACC, Pitt wrestling goes into this weekend intending to keep their three-match winning streak alive. 

Pitt has raked in three big wins over Pitt-Johnstown, Stanford and WVU in January so far, with final scores coming in at 32-8, 24-15 and 25-17, respectively. 

The Panthers rallied in the final four matchups against West Virginia to come back against the Mountaineers, and the win marked the Panthers’ fifth Backyard Brawl victory this school year. 

On the individual level, graduate student Reece Heller and redshirt sophomore Mac Stout are both looking to continue their impressive winning streaks of seven and 11 matches, respectively.

Track & Field

After their solid performance against Youngstown State University at the Icebreaker meet in early December, the Panthers look to kick off 2025 with a win.

Pitt finished with 11 wins at the Icebreaker meet, and the men’s 4×400 of Thomas McDonough, Nigel Hussey, Devin Nugent and Malik Ricketts set a meet record, clocking in at 3:11.3. This weekend, Pitt track and field travels to Happy Valley to take on Penn State at the Nittany Lion Challenge on Jan. 18. 

The Panthers excelled when they attended the Nittany Challenge in 2024. Pitt finished with multiple podium finishes and event winners. A good performance at a meet like this with other track powerhouses will go a long way toward setting the tone for the rest of Pitt’s indoor season. 

Women’s basketball

Following a big win against No. 11 SMU this past Sunday, the women’s basketball team looks to keep the momentum going.

This weekend, Pitt will face two opponents from North Carolina, both of whom are ranked in the national top 10. First, the Panthers will take on the No. 5 Wolfpack at N.C. State on Jan. 16, followed by a matchup against the Tar Heels in the Peterson Center on Sunday, Jan. 19. 

This is a tough weekend for the Panthers, who are ranked No. 16 in the ACC with a 9-9 overall record and 1-4 in conference play. Even though it feels like Pitt is still trying to find its footing in 2025, the Panthers already have more victories in the first half this season than they had over the entire 2023-2024 season where they went 8-24 overall and 2-16 in the ACC. 

Hopefully, the Panthers can capitalize on their exciting victory against the Mustangs — the largest regulation comeback in NCAA history for women’s basketball — and continue their success this weekend.