The Pittsburgh Panthers are struggling to find their place in the ongoing wrestling season. However, with a 7-4 record, the Panthers aren’t in a good spot and have a long way ahead to find their place among the elites. While the Panthers’ Sunday schedule has been postponed because of adverse weather conditions across the Midwest, their last night clash against the No. 5 Oklahoma State didn’t yield positive results either.

And yet, it looks like their fans are doing more than their part to help the team limp on. Despite a loss, the Panthers crowd gathered in record numbers to cheer the team while also celebrating one of the Pitt seniors. Nino Bonaccorsi has been bestowed with All-American honors for 2023 and stole the show again at the Fitzgerald Field House on Friday.

NCAA champ remains a story of success amid Panthers’ tough times

In a post on X by the official Pitt Wrestling account, the record-making crowd has been hailed by the school. “...a record crowd“, read the post, highlighting the 2,510 attendees during the dual between the Pitt Panthers and the Oklahoma Cowboys. “Thanks to everyone who helped us set a Pitt wrestling program record tonight for fans hosted at the Fitzgerald Field House!“, wrote the post, despite the wrestlers taking a massive 31-6 loss at the dual.

To make space for the overflowing crowd, extra seating arrangements had to be made, while standing-room-only areas were also packed to the brim. Last night’s attendance broke the previous program record gathering at the Fitzgerald Field House. While the crowd didn’t get a lot of chances to celebrate the Panthers’ win on the mat, it was the moment during the intermission time that the viewers really got the scope to express their feelings.

Nino Bonaccorsi became the Panthers’ 17th national title winner last season by becoming the 2023 NCAA Champion. The attendees stood on their feet to honor the Pitt senior, despite the team suffering massively at the hands of the superior squad. However, there is a silver lining.

A glimmer of hope for the Panthers

The Panthers won only two matches from the 10 bouts. But the good news is that both wins were against ranked opponents. Luca Augustine, the Pitt sophomore, won a tiebreaker with a 2-1 decision win over Oklahoma’s Brayden Thompson in the 174lb weight class. With this win, Augustine has now a 9-2 record for the ongoing season.

Read more: Iowa Hawkeyes Maintain 3-Decade Old Supremacy Over Huskers With 15th Straight Win

In the 197lb matchup, Panthers’ Mac Stout triumphed over the Cowboys’ Luke Surber with a 5-2 decision win. Stout’s win may have been his best of the season and should work as a morale boost during the Pitt team’s tumultuous times.

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