Nino Bonaccorsi and Cole Matthews won the ACC Championships Sunday at North Carolina State and Pitt qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament.
The Panthers finished a distant third with 60 points — 18 behind Virginia Tech and 41.5 behind NC State, which won its fifth straight team title.
“It was a tough tournament,” Panthers coach Keith Gavin said. “I thought we had a tough semi-final there. We were hoping to bring more guys to the final. Overall, I feel good about these guys we have in Tulsa. I think we have guys who can score points there.
Bonaccorsi captured his third conference title with a 2-1 win over a familiar foe in North Carolina State’s Isaac Trumble. After losing to Trumble in double encounters in 2021 and 2022, Bonaccorsi beat him in the ACC tournament a year ago and in the duel last month. On Sunday, he got a locked hands call and a breakout in the second period and got him on his feet.
“It was definitely a weird game,” Bonaccorsi said. “It wasn’t a very high score.”
Bonaccorsi is known for his high volume of leg attacks, but he was cautious in the first half in the final. He’s struggled deep against Trumble in the past, but opted to go down in the second period. He credited his sparring sessions with Pitt Wrestling Club member Greg Bulsak with helping him improve his ground game.
“Having someone like that on you every day gives you confidence in that,” Bonaccorsi said.
A national finalist in 2021, Bonaccorsi improved to 16-0 this season and is expected to be the NCAA Tournament seed at 197 pounds.
“It’s not something that worries me,” he said. “I really haven’t followed conference tournaments other than my own. I made a commitment not to take my head off. I think this can cause problems. I know that, but my actions and training wouldn’t change if I was the 33rd seed.
Matthews is also expected to earn a high seed in Tulsa, possibly third at 141. All-American a year ago, he beat NC State’s Ryan Jack 2-1 on Sunday thanks to a driving time point. He also beat Jack in the conference finals last year.
“Jack doesn’t really shoot at him,” Gavin said. “Not much happened. Cole kind of did what he does. He did a good job down there – he had to get out fast. I think he did a good job staying cool in a tight game.
Pitt had two other top-ranked wrestlers who failed to win conference titles.
Micky Phillippi finished second, losing by pinfall in a sudden victory over North Carolina State’s Kai Orine. Phillippi had 1:10 driving time before Orine got away in the second, but the Panther couldn’t get away fast enough in the third to hold on to the one-minute advantage, and they are went to overtime tied at 1. As time ended in the sudden victory period, Orine hit a cement mixer on the boundary for the takedown and fall.
Top-seeded Holden Heller at 165 pounds was upset by Virginia Tech’s Connor Brady, 7-5, in the semifinals. Heller rebounded with victories over Gabe Dinette of Duke and Matthew Singleton of North Carolina State in the consolation rounds.
Luca Augustine finished third at 174 pounds for an automatic qualifying spot. The redshirt freshman beat Virginia’s Victor Marcelli 3-1 for third place.
Reece Heller was fourth at 184, but that’s enough for a berth in Tulsa because the ACC had five automatic qualifiers at the weight. Heller went 2-2 and nearly knocked out Virginia Tech’s Hunter Bolen for the second time this season, but Hokie’s late knockdown gave him a 7-5 win.
There is still hope for a seventh Pitt qualifier as Colton Camacho could get an overall offer at 125 pounds. He finished third – beating North Carolina’s Jack Wagner in the consolation final – at a weight where the ACC got just two automatic qualifiers.
“I think it’s going to be tight,” Gavin said of Camacho’s chances for a general offer. “I don’t know (if he will have one). It was a good win (over Wagner).
General offers are expected to be released on Wednesday.
Heavyweight Jake Slinger won his first match on Sunday but lost the next two. Tyler Badgett and Dazjon Casto each went 0-2.
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