BLACKSBURG, Va. – Dayton Pitzer finished as the ACC runner-up at heavyweight and Mac Stout claimed third at 197 pounds as the Panthers secured five NCAA qualifiers at the ACC Wrestling Championships at Cassell Coliseum Sunday.
Pitzer battled Isaac Trumble in the finals as Trumble started strong with a three-point takedown and four near-fall points to take a 7-0 lead in the first period. Trumble added an escape and secured a riding-time point for the 9-0 victory.
Pitt opened the championship with six wins in the first round and advanced eight wrestlers to the semifinal round, highlighted by an overtime pin from Briar Priest at 141 pounds and a major decision victory from Dylan Evans at 157.
Pitzer delivered Pitt’s lone semifinal victory, securing an 8-0 major decision to advance to the championship finals and punch his ticket to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
Pitt dropped four hard-fought semifinal matches, sending the Panthers to the consolation side. No. 1 seed Aaron Seidel (Virginia Tech) defeated Evan Tallmadge by technical fall, while Briar Priest was narrowly edged 5-4 by No. 1 seed Jack Consiglio (Stanford). Kade Brown fell 6-2 to No. 1 seed Koy Buesgens (NC State), and Dylan Evans dropped a tight 4-3 decision to No. 2 seed Ethen Miller.
At 174 pounds, Luca Augustine fell 8-3 to Sergio Desiante (Virginia Tech) after the Hokie built an early lead with a takedown. Chase Kranitz dropped a 9-2 decision to Jake Dailey (North Carolina) at 184. Stout battled Sonny Sasso (Virginia Tech) to a 1-1 tie through regulation before surrendering a takedown in sudden victory at 197.
Pitt had five automatic qualifiers for the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships: Tyler Chappell (125), Kade Brown (149), Chase Kranitz (184), Mac Stout (197) and Dayton Pitzer (285). The Panthers will now await at-large selections for the NCAA Tournament in Cleveland, set for March 19-21.
125 | Tyler Chappell, Fifth Place (NCAA Qualifier)
First Round: Kysen Terukina (UNC) dec. Chappell, 4-3
Cons. Round: Vincent Robinson (NCST) dec. Chappell, 2-1
Fifth Place: Chappell def. Keyveon Roller (UVA), 5-1
133 | Evan Tallmadge, Fourth Place
First Round: Tallmadge dec. Ethan Oakley (UNC), 4-1 SV
Semifinal: Aaron Seidel (VT) tech. fall Tallmadge, 17-2 (7:00)
Cons. Round: Tallmadge dec. Marlon Yarbrough (UVA), 5-3
Third Place: Zach Redding (NCST) dec. Tallmadge, 5-4
141 | Briar Priest
First Round: Priest fall Tom Crook (VT), 8-5 SV (7:10)
Semifinal: Jack Consiglio (STAN) dec. Priest, 5-4
Cons. Round: Gable Porter (UVA) dec. Priest, 8-6
Fifth Place: Tom Crook (VT) dec. Priest, 4-1
149 | Kade Brown, Fourth Place (NCAA Qualifier)
First Round: Brown dec. Wynton Denkins (UVA), 4-1
Semifinal: Koy Buesgens dec. Brown, 6-2
Cons. Round: Brown def. Dylan Ross (DUKE), 10-2 (5:47)
Third Place: Aden Valencia (STAN) major dec. Brown, 11-0
157 | Dylan Evans, Fifth Place
First Round: Evans major dec. Luca Feliz (NCSU), 14-3
Semifinal: Ethen Miller (VT) dec. Evans, 4-3
Cons. Round: Colton Washleski (UVA) dec. Evans, 5-2
Fifth Place: Evans major dec. Mikey Boulanger (DUKE), 14-3
165 | Jared Keslar, Fifth Place
First Round: Bryce Hepner (UNC) dec. Keslar, 4-0
Cons. Round: EJ Parco (STAN) dec. Keslar, 4-2
Fifth Place: Keslar major dec. Michael Murphy (UVA), 11-3
174 | Luca Augustine, Fourth Place
First Round: BYE
Semifinal: Sergio Desiante (VT) dec. Augustine, 8-3
Cons. Round: Augustine dec. Collin Guffey (STAN), 4-1
184 | Chase Kranitz, Fourth Place (NCAA Qualifier)
First Round: BYE
Semifinal: Jake Dailey (UNC) dec. Kranitz, 9-2
Cons. Round: Kranitz dec. Griffin Gammell (UVA), 4-3
Third Place: Abraham Wojcikiewicz (STAN) fall Kranitz, 4:41
197 | Mac Stout, Third Place (NCAA Qualifier)
First Round: Stout tech. fall Owen McGrory (DUKE), 21-4 (4:29)
Semifinal: Sonny Sasso (VT) dec. Stout, 4-1 SV
Cons. Round: Stout dec. Patrick Brophy (NCST), 9-6
Third Place: Stout dec. Robert Platt (UNC), 5-2
285 | Dayton Pitzer, Runner-Up (NCAA Qualifier)
First Round: Pitzer fall Luke Duthie (STAN), 1:56
Semifinal: Pitzer major dec. Jimmy Mullen (VT), 8-0
Final: Isaac Trumble (NCST) major dec. Pitzer, 9-0
Team Standings
1. Virginia Tech, 106.0
2. Stanford, 84.0
3. NC State, 57.0
4. North Carolina, 53.0
5. Pitt, 37.0
6. Virginia, 21.5
7. Duke, 2.0
