Finesilvers Qualify for NCAA Championships at 2022 ACC Championships

Sunday, March 6

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Finesilvers Qualify for NCAA Championships at 2022 ACC Championships

3/6/2022 9:10:00 PM | Wrestling

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Redshirt senior brothers Josh Finesilver and Matt Finesilver each qualified for the 2022 NCAA Championships, as Duke wrestling wrapped competition at the ACC Championships on Sunday.

With both Finesilver brothers qualifying, the Blue Devils extend their streak of consecutive seasons with at least one NCAA qualifier to 14 years. Josh and Matt both took home fourth place finishes at 149 and 174 pounds, respectively.

Josh becomes just the third Blue Devil in program history to qualify for four different NCAA Championships, joining his brother Mitch Finesilver and Conner Hartmann. Matt qualifies for the third time and first since 2019, after missing the previous two seasons for a redshirt and injury.

Both brothers earned opening round victories, with Josh defeating Pittsburgh's Dan Mancini in an 11-10 decision, while Matt cruised to a 12-0 major decision over Virginia's Justin Phillips. The day was also highlighted by a victory from junior Wade Unger, who avenged an earlier loss in the season to Pittsburgh's 18th-ranked Elijah Cleary. The Montvale, N.J., native earned his highest ranked win ever following a 3-2 decision over Cleary on Sunday.

All three would drop their semifinal rounds, with Matt nearly knocking off top-seeded Clay Lautt (North Carolina) in a 3-2 decision. However, everyone would enter the consolation bracket, where Matt made quick work of Pittsburgh's Hunter Kernan by a fall at 2:47. Josh would also move on, winning a tight sudden victory decision over Virginia's Jarod Verkleeren. Each win secured their tickets to Detroit for NCAA's.

Unger showed tremendous fight throughout the event but came up just short in his final two matches, falling 3-1 (sudden victory) to Virginia Tech's Connor Brady and 5-3 to Cleary in the fifth place match.

The Finesilver brothers will begin preparation for the NCAA Championships, hosted in Detroit, Mich., from March 17-19, while several additional Blue Devils will await their fate for a potential at-large berth at the national event.

RESULTS
125:
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Gage Curry (Pittsburgh) def. No. 6 Logan Agin (Duke) – Dec., 3-0
Consolation Semifinal: No. 4 Patrick McCormick (Virginia) def. No. 6 Logan Agin (Duke) – Dec., 7-4
133:
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) def. No. 6 Drake Doolittle (Duke) – TF, 18-3 (5:08)
Consolation Semifinal: No. 4 Kai Orine (NC State) def. No. 6 Drake Doolittle (Duke) – TF, 19-3 (4:00)
Fifth Place: No. 5 Brian Courtney (Virginia) def. No. 6 Drake Doolittle (Duke) – TF, 15-0 (5:33)
141:
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Ryan Jack (NC State) def. No. 6 Patrick Rowland (Duke) – TF, 20-5 (7:00)
Consolation Semifinal: No. 4 Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) def. No. 6 Patrick Rowland (Duke) – Dec., 8-2
149:
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Josh Finesilver (Duke) def. Dan Mancini (Pittsburgh) – Dec., 11-10
Semifinal: No. 2 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) def. No. 3 Josh Finesilver (Duke) – TF, 19-3 (6:51)
Consolation Semifinal: No. 3 Josh Finesilver (Duke) def. No. 5 Jarod Verkleeren (Virginia) – Dec., 5-3 (SV)
Third Place: No. 4 Zach Sherman (North Carolina) def. No. 3 Josh Finesilver (Duke) – Medical Forfeit
157:
Quarterfinal: No. 5 Wade Unger (Duke) def. No. 4 Elijah Cleary (Pittsburgh) – Dec., 3-2
Semifinal: No. 1 Austin O'Connor (North Carolina) def. No. 5 Wade Unger (Duke) – Dec., 13-7
Consolation Semifinal: No. 6 Connor Brady (Virginia Tech) def. No. 5 Wade Unger (Duke) – Dec., 3-1 (SV)
Fifth Place: No. 4 Elijah Cleary (Pittsburgh) def. No. 5 Wade Unger (Duke) – Dec., 5-3
165:
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Justin McCoy (Virginia) def. No. 6 Gabe Dinette (Duke) – MD, 10-2
Consolation Semifinal: No. 4 Clayton Ulrey (Virginia Tech) def. No. 6 Gabe Dinette (Duke) – Dec., 5-3
174:
Quarterfinal: No. 4 Matt Finesilver (Duke) def. No. 5 Justin Phillips (Virginia) – MD, 12-0
Semifinal: No. 1 Clay Lautt (North Carolina) def. No. 4 Matt Finesilver (Duke) – Dec., 3-2
Consolation Semifinal: No. 4 Matt Finesilver (Duke) def. No. 6 Hunter Kernan (Pittsburgh) – Fall (2:47)
Third Place: No. 2 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) def. No. 4 Matt Finesilver (Duke) – Dec., 7-6
184:
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) def. No. 6 Vincent Baker (Duke) – MD, 16-3
Consolation Semifinal: No. 5 Gregg Harvey (Pittsburgh) def. No. 6 Vincent Baker (Duke) – Dec., 5-3
Fifth Place: No. 4 Michael Battista (Virginia) def. No. 6 Vincent Baker (Duke) – Dec., 12-6
197:
Quarterfinal: No. 3 Jay Aiello (Virginia) def. No. 6 Kaden Russell (Duke) – TF, 16-0 (6:51)
Consolation Semifinal: No. 4 Max Shaw (North Carolina) def. No. 6 Kaden Russell (Duke) – Dec., 4-2
285:
Quarterfinal: No. 4 Quinn Miller (Virginia) def. No. 5 Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke) – Dec., 3-1
Consolation Semifinal: No. 6 Brandon Whitman (North Carolina) def. No. 5 Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke) – Fall (9:00)

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