Pitt Wrestling Qualifiers, Seeds for NCAA Championships Revealed

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers discovered their qualifiers and their seeds for the upcoming NCAA Wrestling Championships.

Pitt had eight wrestlers earn a spot at the NCAA Championships, in redshirt freshman Dylan Evans at 157 pounds. redshirt sophomores in Briar Priest at 141 pounds, Jared Keslar at 165 pounds, Mac Stout at 197 pounds and Dayton Pitzer at 285 pounds, redshirt junior Luca Augustine at 174 pounds and graduate students in Nick Babin at 125 pounds and Reece Heller at 184 pounds.

Evans was the only at-large bid for the Panthers, as the other seven wrestlers made it via automatic bid through the ACC Championships.

Redshirt sophomore Finn Solomon is also an alternate at 149 pounds and will replace any potential injured wrestler at that weight if needed.

The eight NCAA qualifiers is the most under head coach Keith Gavin since he took over in 2017 and the most for the program since 2014.

Babin earned the No. 24 seed at 125 pounds and will face No. 9 Nebraska graduate student Caleb Smith in the First Round. Smith defeated Babin in their only previous matchup in an 8-6 decision on Dec. 1, 2023.

Priest took the No. 30 seed and battles the reigning National Champion at 141 pounds in No. 3 Ohio State junior Jesse Mendez in the First Round. Mendez won a 20-4 technical fall (4:19) against Priest back in a dual at Fitzgerald Field House on Dec. 13.

Evans, like Babin, got the No. 24 seed and takes on No. 9 Minnesota fifth year Tommy Askey in the First Round.

Keslar takes the No. 32 seed and will start in wrestlebacks at 165 pounds vs. No. 33 Central Michigan redshirt junior Chandler Amaker. The winner faces 2024 National Runner-Up in No. 1 Penn State sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink in the First Round.

Augustine takes the No. 15 seed and faces No. 18 Oklahoma senior Gavin Sax in the First Round at 174 pounds. The winner likely battles No. 2 Penn State junior Levi Haines in the Second Round, who won the 2024 National Title at 157 pounds.

Heller got the No. 9 seed at 184 pounds, where he'll take on No. 24 Bellarmine redshirt senior Devan Hendricks in the First Round.

Stout earned the highest seed for the Panthers at No. 6 overall at 197 pounds. He'll face No. 27 Cornell freshman Mikey Dellagatta, who he defeated in a 3-0 decision in the Clarion Open on Nov. 5, 2023.

He will likely face his brother, No. 11 Princeton senior Luke Stout, in the Second Round if they both win their First Round matchups.

Pitzer holds the No. 10 seed at heavyweight and battles No. 23 Cleveland State senior Daniel Bucknavich in the First Round. He may face No. 7 NC State redshirt junior Isaac Trumble, who he defeated in the ACC Semifinals, in the Second Round.

The NCAA Championships will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia from March 20-22. Stay tuned for live coverage from Pittsburgh Panthers on SI all weekend long.

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