Siblings enjoying sports activities collectively offers nice alternatives for household bonding to create unimaginable moments that final a lifetime. For Pitt, redshirt junior Reece Heller and redshirt senior Holden Heller are brothers which are competing at an extremely excessive stage this season, drawing nationwide recognition.

The duo is presently two of one of the best wrestlers on an excellent Pitt workforce in 2022-23 after arriving from Hofstra within the offseason. Reece Heller is 15-3 general, gained the Midlands Championships on the finish of December, is 6-2 in twin matches on the season and Intermat ranks him at No. 19 within the nation as a wrestler at 184 kilos. Holden Heller is 9-4 general and 7-2 in twin matches this season and Intermat ranks him at No. 23 within the nation at 165 kilos.

Pitt wrestling protection on Pittsburgh Sports activities Now could be sponsored by the Pittsburgh Wrestling Membership.

Reece and Holden Heller are part of a wrestling household and began younger, together with their brother Sage Heller. Their father, who fought as a martial artist in his 20s, taught his youngsters Judo to be taught throws and different methods very important for any sort of combating. They quickly transitioned to wrestling beneath his tutelage and grew to like the game and the competitors it introduced.

All three brothers wrestled for Hofstra, with Sage Heller competing from 2016-22, Holden Heller wrestling from 2018-22 and Reece Heller competing from 2019-22.

The brothers made their marks at Hofstra, with Holden Heller incomes a spot on the NCAA Championships in 2022 after profitable the EIWA Convention Title. Reece Heller had his finest season in 2019-20, beginning at 149 kilos and posted a 19-13 document. Reece Heller mentioned that whereas he discovered and grew lots as a wrestler at Hofstra, he didn’t like slicing kilos simply to begin and needed to search out someplace he may wrestle at a extra snug weight.

Holden Heller November 18, 2022 David Hague/PSN

The duo determined to switch after the 2021-22 season and most popular to go to the identical college and compete collectively. Reece Heller mentioned that inside 10 minutes of asserting their resolution to enter the switch portal, former Pitt assistant coach and present Brown head coach Jordan Leen obtained in touch with them.

“We talked to him on the telephone, and he got here right down to see us in Lengthy Island like two days later,” Reece Heller mentioned. “They had been on prime of it. That pursuit was actually cool for us. We thought to ourselves, “Man these guys actually need us, possibly that is the place we belong sort factor.”

The Heller brothers becoming a member of the Panthers made sense for each events. This system wanted prime wrestlers at 165 and 184 kilos, with NCAA qualifiers in Jake Wentzel, who’s presently an assistant coach at Pitt, and Gregg Harvey each graduating after the 2021-22 season. Reece Heller mentioned that whereas retaining his brother round and competing at a greater weight enticed him, this system as a complete is what satisfied him to grow to be a Panther.

“It was completely the proper place to land,” Reece Heller mentioned “I used to be searching for a greater match for my weight, but additionally only a higher wrestling atmosphere. The room right here and the coaches right here, it’s so good, it’s so wrestling oriented. Pittsburgh is such a wrestling place that all of it actually labored out.”

Reece and Holden Heller bunked as youngsters and presently stay collectively now. The significance of their relationship on and off the mat is one thing that they each mentioned makes them higher wrestlers and other people.

“We all know what one another wants,” Holden Heller mentioned. “On off days we’ll are available in and fiddle with one another and determine stuff out. I really feel like that’s a part of what makes it lots simpler for us is that we’re going by means of the identical stuff every single day.”

The Heller brothers have bonded and get together with all of their teammates. They lean on the expertise from redshirt seniors in Micky Phillippi, Cole Matthews and Nino Bonaccorsi, and likewise work with the youthful guys like first-year Dayton Pitzer and Jared Keslar.

The competitors from wrestling nice teammates has made the Heller brothers a lot better over the course of their time at Pitt. In addition they profit from head coach Keith Gavin and assistant coach Drew Headlee difficult them every single day as nicely.

“I’ve undoubtedly grown within the sense of how I view the game,” Holden Heller mentioned since coming to Pitt. “I by no means actually seen it in the way in which that I recognize it and I find it irresistible and I’ve it enjoyable doing it now. It’s form of how I’ve grown essentially the most since being right here is simply my appreciation for the game and having fun with it reasonably than viewing it as onerous labor.” 

Reece Heller November 18, 2022 David Hague/PSN

The Heller brothers each recognize the rise in competitors they’ve confronted wrestling for Pitt as nicely. The step up from EIWA to ACC forces them to work tougher to take down far harder opponents on a constant foundation. They mentioned that they will rebound after a troublesome loss as a result of they’ve many alternatives to succeed all through this season, permitting them to remain motivated always.

Reece and Holden Heller additionally each mentioned that scrambling is a big a part of their success, one thing that Gavin additionally sees a giant a part of their strengths as wrestlers.

“They’re enjoyable to educate as a result of they wrestle by means of positions on a regular basis,” Gavin mentioned. “There’s no place the place they’re attempting to only stalemate or get a restart. They’re attempting to attain. Whether or not the man will get their leg or they get the man’s leg. It doesn’t matter what occurs, they’re seeking to rating. It’s enjoyable to educate and I believe that’s the explanation that they’ve been growing and getting higher.” 

Gavin additionally mentioned that the switch portal is a giant plus for his program in quite a lot of methods. It permits him and his employees to deliver again prime wrestlers from western Pennsylvania who went to varsity elsewhere to come back again. An ideal instance of that is senior Dazjon Casto who wrestles at 157 kilos for Pitt, who beforehand wrestled at The Citadel and at Erie Cathedral Prep in highschool. With Pitt being in a metropolis and never a small city, Gavin mentioned it additionally offers this system an edge over others relating to graduate transfers as nicely.

The Heller brothers have an excellent relationship with Gavin and credit score him partially for making them fall in love with the game once more.

“I’ve a very nice relationship with Keith,” Holden Heller mentioned. “Keith is a brilliant distinctive coach. I haven’t had a coach like him the place he’s so reassuring and motivating and will get you to understand the game extra. Clearly, the sports activities actually robust and he’s who I look to provide me reassurance and get me feeling excited once more. He’s undoubtedly a supply of vitality too.” 

Pitt takes on two robust opponents this upcoming weekend. North Carolina involves the Petersen Occasions Heart on Friday, Feb. 3 to determine who takes prime spot within the ACC and No. 3 Iowa State arrives at Fitzgerald Subject Home on Saturday, Feb. 4 to find out how nice of a squad Pitt actually is that this season.

Each of the Heller brothers face nice wrestlers on every squad. Reece Heller takes on UNC No. 13 sophomore Gavin Kane and Iowa State No. 4 senior Marcus Coleman, whereas Holden Heller takes on UNC redshirt senior Joey Mazzara and Iowa State No. 5 junior Yonger Batisda. 

Holden and Reece Heller proved final week in opposition to then ranked No. 7 Virginia Tech how prepared they’re to tackle one of the best within the nation. Holden Heller gained a 2-0 resolution over then ranked No. 25 redshirt sophomore Connor Brady and Reece Heller pinned then ranked No. 7 first-year Hunter Bolen at 4:32 within the second interval to primarily seal the victory for Pitt and likewise earn NCAA and ACC Wrestler of the week honors.

“These are the duels, once I knew I used to be coming right here, these are the duels that I envisioned myself wrestling in,” Holden Heller mentioned. “Virginia Tech and NC State and UNC. These are the duels that I’m most excited for. Simply because they’re prime tier groups. They’re groups that I grew up watching. I wish to exit and I wish to kick their buts.”