BLACKSBURG, Va. (theACC.com) – NC State had to go the distance before laying claim to the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championship trophy, but the Wolfpack made sure it finished the job.
Buoyed by wins from Jamel Morris (141 pounds), repeat champion Hayden Hidlay (157) and Malik McDonald (197), NC State lived up to its top 10 national ranking by fending off host Virginia Tech and emerged victorious before a crowd of 3,742 at Cassell Coliseum.
The Wolfpack finished with 93.5 points in the team scoring to Virginia Tech’s 86. North Carolina placed third at 47.5, followed by Pitt 41, Duke 39 and Virginia 27.5.
The ACC wrestling title is the Wolfpack’s 16th overall and the second under seventh-year head coach Pat Popolizio.
“Winning an ACC tournament is not an easy task, particularly when you take into account the kind of teams we have – five ranked among the (nation’s) top 25,” Popolizio said. “To be able to come in here and do that … I want our guys to take a little time to enjoy it. I know how hard they worked and how much they sacrificed to get here. I want them to celebrate, and then we’ll start getting ready for the NCAA Tournament."
NC State built close to a 30-point lead in the early team standings, but the Hokies chipped away throughout the consolation and third-place matches. The Wolfpack led Virginia Tech by just 7.5 points heading into the weight class finals. With elite Hokie wrestlers Mekhi Lewis (165 pounds), David McFadden (174) and Zack Zavatsky (184) among the finalists, the home team clearly had a chance.
All three won their matches by decision, but Morris countered with a 6-3 win over Virginia Tech’s Mitch Moore at 141, Hidlay turned back Pitt’s Taleb Rahmani by an 8-2 count, and McDonald posted 13-6 decision over top-seeded Jay Aiello of Virginia at 197 pounds. McDonald also edged Virginia Tech’s Tom Sleigh in the semifinals, giving him a pair of wins over wrestlers ranked among the nation’s top 11.
Thirty-seven ACC wrestlers punched their tickets as automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Division I Championships on Saturday night, and several more are hoping to make the trip to Pittsburgh as at-large selections March 21-23.
Virginia’s Jack Mueller remained unbeaten and claimed his first ACC championship with a 10-2 major decision over defending weight class champion Sean Fausz of NC State at 125 pounds. Two-time ACC Wrestler of the Week Micky Phillippi of Pitt outlasted the Wolfpack’s Tariq Wilson for a 4-1 decision at 133. Phillippi, who also edged Virginia Tech’s formidable Korbin Myers in the semifinals, was voted the Championship MVP by the league’s six head coaches.
Pitt picked up another Championship round win when Demetrius Thomas slipped past North Carolina’s top-ssed Cory Daniel in a heavyweight battle. For the second time in a little over two weeks, Duke’s Mitch Finesilver outscored UNC counterpart Austin O’Connor in a battle of top-five wrestlers at 149.
For the second consecutive year, Mitch Finesilver will join his three Duke teammate brothers – Josh at 141 pounds, Zach at 165 and Matt at 174 – in qualifying for the NCAA Championships. Last year marked the first time in history that four brothers had advanced to the NCAAs.
Bracket PDF: https://theacc.co/wres19bracket
Championship Most Valuable Wrestler: Micky Phillippi (133), Pitt
ACC Championship Finals Results
125 – Jack Mueller (UVA) major dec. Sean Fausz (NCSU), 10-2
133 – Micky Phillippi (Pitt) dec. Tariq Wilson (NCSU), 4-1
141 – Jamel Morris (NCSU) dec. Mitch Moore (VT), 6-3
149 – Mitch Finesilver (Duke) dec. Austin O’Connor (UNC), 5-1
157 – Hayden Hidlay (NCSU) dec. Taleb Rahmani (Pitt), 8-2
165 - Mekhi Lewis (VT) dec. Thomas Bullard (NCSU), 7-4
174 – David McFadden (VT) dec. Matt Finesilver, 7-3
184 – Zack Zavatsky (VT) dec. Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt), 4-1
197 - Malik McDonald (ST) dec. Jay Aiello (UVA), 13-6
285 - Demetrius Thomas (Pitt) dec. Cory Daniel (UNC)
The All-ACC Wrestling team is composed of the 20 wrestlers who reached the Championship finals.
2019 All-ACC Wrestling Team
125 – Jack Mueller, Virginia
125 – Sean Fausz, NC State
133 – Micky Phillippi, Pitt
133 – Tariq Wilson, NC State
141 – Jamel Morris, NC State
141 – Mitch Moore, Virginia Tech
149 – Mitch Finesilver, Duke
149 – Austin O’Connor, North Carolina
157 – Hayden Hidlay, NC State
157 – Taleb Rahmani, Pitt
165 – Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech
165 – Thomas Bullard, NC State
174 – David McFadden, Virginia Tech
174 – Matt Finesilver, Duke
184 – Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech
184 – Nino Bonaccorsi, Pitt
197 – Malik McDonald, NC State
197 – Jay Aiello, Virginia
285 – Demetrius Thomas, Pitt
285 – Cory Daniel, North Carolina
Championship page:
theacc.com/wreschamp
Live Stats/Results:
https://theacc.co/wres19results