Sports

Pitt athletics looks to kick February off in the win column

A busy weekend for Pitt’s winter sports places the Panthers all over the country, with some teams looking to build on momentum and others hoping to jump back to the win column. 

Wrestling

No. 16 Pitt wrestling (8-3, ACC 1-1) returns home this weekend to take on Duke (4-11, ACC 0-3). 

The Blue Devils head to Pittsburgh on a five-match losing streak with just two individuals ranked in the latest edition of the Intermat rankings. They are led by redshirt first-year Aidan Wallace who recently took home co-ACC wrestler of the week and is recognized as No. 28 wrestling in the 165 lb. weight class. 

The Panthers look to jump back to the win column after a tough loss to No. 6 NC State and pose a threat to Duke with seven ranked wrestlers. Pitt saw its first wrestler reach the top 10 in individual rankings this week, with redshirt sophomore Mac Stout (16-2) taking No. 10 in the 197 lb. weight class. 

Catch the match on Saturday at noon in the Fitzgerald Field House or on ACCNX. 

Gymnastics

After falling out of the top 25 with last weekend’s loss to No. 15 Stanford, Pitt women’s gymnastics (3-2, ACC 0-2) heads south for its second matchup with No. 22 Clemson (2-3, ACC 1-1). The teams met two weeks ago in Pittsburgh, where the Tigers left with a narrow 195.500-195.100 victory. 

Pitt senior Hallie Copperwheat had a stellar outing despite the loss, taking first on the balance beam and floor exercise with 9.875 and 9.800, respectively. The Panthers need her to shine on Friday, alongside graduate student Elizabeth Cesarone who notched a season-high 9.875 against Stanford to take first on vault for her third straight meet

The teams will take the floor in Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum on Friday at 7 p.m. with the meet broadcasted on ACCNX. 

Women’s basketball

Pitt women’s basketball (9-12, ACC 1-7) completes its West Coast trip on Sunday with a visit to No. 19 California (18-3, ACC 6-2). The game marks the first clash between the two programs in what lines up as a tough matchup for the Panthers.

The Golden Bears boast five starters averaging double figures, including graduate guard Ioanna Krimili who recorded 17 points and three assists in a recent matchup with Stanford. 

Pitt has struggled against conference opponents thus far, with its lone win coming from a record-setting 32-point comeback against SMU. Currently, the Panthers sit at No. 17 in the ACC, and with the top 15 teams set to compete in the ACC tournament, they have work to do if they hope to compete as a potential underdog come March. 

Catch the game at 5 p.m. on Sunday, streaming on ACCNX. 

Swim and dive

The undefeated Pitt women’s swim and dive team returns home for Senior Day this weekend, hosting Ohio State in Trees Pool on Saturday. In last weekend’s tri-meet, the Pitt women topped Utah and SMU to sit at 7-0 for the first time since 1985, while the men’s team moved to 4-3 with a win over Utah and a loss to SMU. 

Fifth-year swimmer Sophie Yendell was recognized as a PNC achiever of the week for her victories in the 100 butterfly and women’s 200 medley relay and the 50 freestyle, where she was just 0.13 seconds away from breaking her previously set school record. 

The meet is set to begin with dive at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday and swim events following around 12:15 p.m.

Track and field

Pitt track and field heads to State College for the Penn State National Open meet this weekend, hosted at the Multi-Sport Facility & Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track. The Panthers will compete against various teams, including ACC rival North Carolina. 

At last year’s National Open, Pitt senior Finn Walsh sprinted to third in Pitt history with a 4:03.60 mile, while senior Winnie Incorvaia ran a 9:36.96 in the women’s 3000m event, the fourth-best in Pitt history. They return to the track this weekend, hoping to continue their success at State College. 

The events will kick off at 11:15 a.m. on Friday and resume on Saturday at 10 a.m.

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