---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Jurich, Julie <jjurich@athletics.pitt.edu>
Date: Fri, Nov 1, 2019 at 9:44 AM
Subject: @Pitt_WRES: #14 Panthers Open Season at Michigan State Open
To:
LINK: Panthers Ready for Michigan State Open
#14 Panthers Open Season at Michigan State Open
Pitt Wrestling Opens Season at MSU Open Saturday
MSU OPEN CENTRAL
PITTSBURGH – The 14th-ranked University of Pittsburgh wrestling team opens the season Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Mich. Pitt will have 21 wrestlers competing, as well as five additional Panthers wrestling unattached.
The Open will feature two divisions: Freshman/Sophomore Division for wrestlers within the first two years of college and the Open Division for college and post-college wrestlers.
THE SCHEDULE
· Weigh-ins will begin at 7:30 a.m. and wrestling will start at 9:30 a.m. in Jenison Fieldhouse.
HOW TO FOLLOW
· Fans can follow along with live results, video and brackets on TrackWrestling.
· Follow the team on Twitter for updates throughout the Open at @Pitt_WRES.
PANTHERS AT THE MSU OPEN
· Pitt is participating in the Michigan State Open as a team for the first time.
GAVIN ENTERS THIRD SEASON
· Head coach Keith Gavin enters his third season at the helm of his alma mater with a 17-14 overall record and 5-5 in the ACC.
· At the conclusion of his first season, the Panthers finished 4-11 overall.
· Year two featured almost a complete turnaround, as Pitt finished the 2018-19 season 13-3 and ranked 16th in the nation.
PANTHERS IN THE POLLS
· Pitt enters the season ranked No. 14 by the NWCA Coaches Poll after finishing the 2018-19 season ranked 16th.
· Individually, five Panthers are ranked inside the top 10 by InterMat.
o 133 – Micky Phillippi, #4
o 157 – Taleb Rahmani, #5
o 184 – Nino Bonaccorsi, #5
o 285 – Demetrius Thomas, #9
NO EASY OPPONENTS
· Pitt will wrestle seven teams ranked in the top 25 NWCA Coaches Poll this season.
· The Panthers will take on highly ranked non-conference foes in No. 3 Ohio State (11/15), No. 4 Oklahoma State (1/18) and No. 11 Lehigh (11/24).
· In ACC action, four teams are among the top 25 in No. 10 NC State (2/1), No. 16 Virginia Tech (2/22), No. 17 North Carolina (2/14) and No. 24 Virginia (2/7).
A LOOK BACK AT 2018-19
· The Panthers finished with 13 wins and just three losses in duals.
· Pitt went 3-2 in conference action, placing fourth at the ACC Championship.
· The Panthers opened the year 8-0 before falling to No. 3 Oklahoma State, 36-9, Jan. 19 in Pittsburgh.
· Three of Pitt’s wins were over ranked opponents and highlighted by an upset over No. 8 NC State on the road, 18-16.
· Two Panthers reached the top of the podium at the ACC Championship in 133-pounder Micky Phillippi and heavyweight Demetrius Thomas. Phillippi was named the Tournament MVP at the conclusion of the championship.
· Five Pitt wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh: Phillippi (133), Taleb Rahmani (157), Nino Bonaccorsi (184), Kellan Stout (197) and Thomas (285). All five return to the lineup for 2019-20.
HEY MICKY!
· Redshirt sophomore Micky Phillippi will continue his quest of becoming an All-American and NCAA Champion this season.
· Phillippi enters the year ranked fourth by InterMat at 133 pounds.
· The Derry, Pa., native finished his first season as a starter with just four losses.
o Overall: 21-4
o Dual: 13-1
o ACC: 6-1
o Tournaments: 8-3
· Phillippi was crowned the 2019 133-pound ACC Champion and was named the Tournament MVP.
· At NCAA’s, the local standout fell in the Round of 12, coming up short of becoming an All-American.
· Phillippi recorded eight wins over ranked opponents, including No. 2 Daton Fix of Oklahoma State.
MEECH MEANS BUSINESS
· Senior Demetrius Thomas is a fan favorite at heavyweight who finished his first season at Pitt with a team-best 27 wins and just five losses.
· Thomas enters the year ranked ninth by InterMat.
· Thomas recorded six pins and came up clutch for the Panthers on numerous occasions as he lifted the team to victory in the final bout.
· The Williams Baptist College transfer was the 2019 heavyweight ACC Champion and made his debut at the NCAA Championships.
HOMEGROWN PANTHERS
· The 2019-20 roster features 23 student-athletes from the state of Pennsylvania and 12 out of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL).
· Of the projected starting lineup, five are from the WPIAL.
FLEX SEASON TICKETS
· Flex season tickets for the 2019-20 season are on sale as the Panthers will host seven duals in the Fitzgerald Field House. Tickets are available for purchase at $50 apiece online or by calling the Panthers Ticket Office at 800-643-7488.
Wrestling Season Ticket Holder Benefits:
· Flexibility to use season tickets in any combination and get the most usage out of your tickets
· Access to reserved seating area at the center of the mat, up until 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the match
· Season ticket holders will have access to a limited amount of mat-side seating
· Wrestling season ticket holder exclusive gift: Pitt wrestling license plate
UP NEXT
· Pitt hosts Campbell Saturday, Nov. 9 in the Fitzgerald Field House for the first dual of the season. Action will get underway at 2 p.m.
#pinzburgh | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Julie Jurich | Director of Social Media & Media Relations
WRES, WLAX
University of Pittsburgh | Petersen Events Center
E: jjurich@athletics.pitt.edu
C: 412.952.0122 | O: 412.648.8245
@Pitt_Athletics
Pitt Panthers PittsburghPanthers.com
From: Jurich, Julie <jjurich@athletics.pitt.edu>
Date: Fri, Nov 1, 2019 at 9:44 AM
Subject: @Pitt_WRES: #14 Panthers Open Season at Michigan State Open
To:
LINK: Panthers Ready for Michigan State Open
#14 Panthers Open Season at Michigan State Open
Pitt Wrestling Opens Season at MSU Open Saturday
MSU OPEN CENTRAL
PITTSBURGH – The 14th-ranked University of Pittsburgh wrestling team opens the season Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Mich. Pitt will have 21 wrestlers competing, as well as five additional Panthers wrestling unattached.
The Open will feature two divisions: Freshman/Sophomore Division for wrestlers within the first two years of college and the Open Division for college and post-college wrestlers.
THE SCHEDULE
· Weigh-ins will begin at 7:30 a.m. and wrestling will start at 9:30 a.m. in Jenison Fieldhouse.
HOW TO FOLLOW
· Fans can follow along with live results, video and brackets on TrackWrestling.
· Follow the team on Twitter for updates throughout the Open at @Pitt_WRES.
PANTHERS AT THE MSU OPEN
· Pitt is participating in the Michigan State Open as a team for the first time.
GAVIN ENTERS THIRD SEASON
· Head coach Keith Gavin enters his third season at the helm of his alma mater with a 17-14 overall record and 5-5 in the ACC.
· At the conclusion of his first season, the Panthers finished 4-11 overall.
· Year two featured almost a complete turnaround, as Pitt finished the 2018-19 season 13-3 and ranked 16th in the nation.
PANTHERS IN THE POLLS
· Pitt enters the season ranked No. 14 by the NWCA Coaches Poll after finishing the 2018-19 season ranked 16th.
· Individually, five Panthers are ranked inside the top 10 by InterMat.
o 133 – Micky Phillippi, #4
o 157 – Taleb Rahmani, #5
o 184 – Nino Bonaccorsi, #5
o 285 – Demetrius Thomas, #9
NO EASY OPPONENTS
· Pitt will wrestle seven teams ranked in the top 25 NWCA Coaches Poll this season.
· The Panthers will take on highly ranked non-conference foes in No. 3 Ohio State (11/15), No. 4 Oklahoma State (1/18) and No. 11 Lehigh (11/24).
· In ACC action, four teams are among the top 25 in No. 10 NC State (2/1), No. 16 Virginia Tech (2/22), No. 17 North Carolina (2/14) and No. 24 Virginia (2/7).
A LOOK BACK AT 2018-19
· The Panthers finished with 13 wins and just three losses in duals.
· Pitt went 3-2 in conference action, placing fourth at the ACC Championship.
· The Panthers opened the year 8-0 before falling to No. 3 Oklahoma State, 36-9, Jan. 19 in Pittsburgh.
· Three of Pitt’s wins were over ranked opponents and highlighted by an upset over No. 8 NC State on the road, 18-16.
· Two Panthers reached the top of the podium at the ACC Championship in 133-pounder Micky Phillippi and heavyweight Demetrius Thomas. Phillippi was named the Tournament MVP at the conclusion of the championship.
· Five Pitt wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh: Phillippi (133), Taleb Rahmani (157), Nino Bonaccorsi (184), Kellan Stout (197) and Thomas (285). All five return to the lineup for 2019-20.
HEY MICKY!
· Redshirt sophomore Micky Phillippi will continue his quest of becoming an All-American and NCAA Champion this season.
· Phillippi enters the year ranked fourth by InterMat at 133 pounds.
· The Derry, Pa., native finished his first season as a starter with just four losses.
o Overall: 21-4
o Dual: 13-1
o ACC: 6-1
o Tournaments: 8-3
· Phillippi was crowned the 2019 133-pound ACC Champion and was named the Tournament MVP.
· At NCAA’s, the local standout fell in the Round of 12, coming up short of becoming an All-American.
· Phillippi recorded eight wins over ranked opponents, including No. 2 Daton Fix of Oklahoma State.
MEECH MEANS BUSINESS
· Senior Demetrius Thomas is a fan favorite at heavyweight who finished his first season at Pitt with a team-best 27 wins and just five losses.
· Thomas enters the year ranked ninth by InterMat.
· Thomas recorded six pins and came up clutch for the Panthers on numerous occasions as he lifted the team to victory in the final bout.
· The Williams Baptist College transfer was the 2019 heavyweight ACC Champion and made his debut at the NCAA Championships.
HOMEGROWN PANTHERS
· The 2019-20 roster features 23 student-athletes from the state of Pennsylvania and 12 out of the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL).
· Of the projected starting lineup, five are from the WPIAL.
FLEX SEASON TICKETS
· Flex season tickets for the 2019-20 season are on sale as the Panthers will host seven duals in the Fitzgerald Field House. Tickets are available for purchase at $50 apiece online or by calling the Panthers Ticket Office at 800-643-7488.
Wrestling Season Ticket Holder Benefits:
· Flexibility to use season tickets in any combination and get the most usage out of your tickets
· Access to reserved seating area at the center of the mat, up until 10 minutes prior to the beginning of the match
· Season ticket holders will have access to a limited amount of mat-side seating
· Wrestling season ticket holder exclusive gift: Pitt wrestling license plate
UP NEXT
· Pitt hosts Campbell Saturday, Nov. 9 in the Fitzgerald Field House for the first dual of the season. Action will get underway at 2 p.m.
#pinzburgh | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Julie Jurich | Director of Social Media & Media Relations
WRES, WLAX
University of Pittsburgh | Petersen Events Center
E: jjurich@athletics.pitt.edu
C: 412.952.0122 | O: 412.648.8245
