9 Penn State, 6 Pitt wrestlers qualify for NCAAs after conference tournaments

Through performances at their respective conference tournaments, Pitt and Penn State combined to qualify 15 wrestlers for the NCAA championships to be held later this month.

Nine Nittany Lions and six Panthers assured themselves participation in the event March 17-19, in Detroit.

Among Pitt’s six qualifiers from this past weekend’s ACC championships in Charlottesville, Va., were conference champions Cole Matthews (141 pounds), Jake Wentzel (165 pounds) and Nino Bonaccorsi (197 pounds). Wentzel, a South Park alumnus, became Pitt’s first three-time ACC champion, and Bonaccorsi won a title for the second consecutive year.

Four-time ACC finalist Micky Phillippi (Derry) lost in the 133-pound championship match to Virginia Tech’s Korbin Myers.

A pair of “super seniors” also punched proverbial tickets to NCAAs by placing high enough at ACCs: Elijah Cleary was fifth place at 157 pounds and Gregg Harvey fourth place at 184 pounds.

When the Big Ten championships wrapped up Sunday in Lincoln, Neb., Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci and Max Dean won titles, respectively, at 133, 141, 174 and 197 pounds.

Drew Hildebrandt (125 pounds) and Aaron Brooks (184) were runners up at their respective weight classes, and Brady Berge (157 pounds) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) each took third-place honors.

Sophomore Beau Bartlett finished seventh in the 149-pound tournament, taking the Big Ten’s final available automatic NCAA berth at that weight.

Penn State was runner-up to Michigan in the team Big Ten standings. Pitt finished third in the ACC.