2019-20 Wrestling Roster
Nick Piccininni
- Weight:
- 125
- Class:
- Redshirt Senior
- Hometown:
- East Setauket, N.Y.
- High School:
- Ward Melville
Bio
2018-19: Completed his first undefeated regular season with the Cowboys, claiming a third-straight Big 12 title… Finished the season with a 34-2 overall record… Earned All-America honors for the second time in his career with a fifth-place finish at NCAAs... Collected his third win of the season over No. 7 Pat Glory of Princeton in the fifth-place bout, pinning the Tiger in 5:29… Of his wins, 10 came against top-20 opponents and seven of those were top-10 wrestlers… Claimed all but seven wins with bonus points attached… Led all Cowboys in wins, bonus-point wins, technical falls, dual takedowns and dual nearfalls… Claimed a third conference title, defeating No. 8 Brent Fleetwood of North Dakota State in the finals… Pinned returning NCAA champion Spencer Lee of Iowa in front of a sold-out Gallagher-Iba Arena in 4:55 on Feb. 24… Won Big 12 Conference wrestler of the week honors following the Iowa dual… Landed as high as a No. 2 ranking at 125 pounds… Claimed first at the OCU Open and Reno Tournament of Champions… Collected three consecutive technical falls at the Southern Scuffle and a major decision en route to a first-place finish.
2017-18: Went 23-5 overall and 11-3 in dual appearances
at 125 pounds for the Cowboys, scoring 46 dual points … Went 7-5 against ranked opponents … Posted two pins, seven technical falls and four major decisions … Led the Cowboys in dual nearfalls with 20 … Big 12 Champion at 125 pounds, defeating No. 16 Christian Moody of Oklahoma and No. 11 Zeke Moisey of West Virginia on the way to his second conference title … Knocked off No. 11 Sean Russel of Edinboro twice over the course of his redshirt sophomore season … Earned his second career selection to the NCAA Championships and advanced to the round of 16 as the No. 6 seed … Took top honors in his division at the Journeymen Classic … Also took the 125-pound title at the Bob Smith Open … Knocked off top-ranked and defending national champion Darian Cruz of Lehigh in a season-opening exhibition match at the NWCA All-Star Classic.
2016-17: Went 27-8 overall with as 12-3 dual mark in his first season as a starter at 125 pounds … All-American at 125, going 5-2 with ranked wins over No. 9 Josh Rodriguez of North Dakota State, No. 7 Sean Russell of Edinboro and No. 10 Jack Mueller of Virginia to finish fourth overall at the national tournament … With the honor, became the program’s 35th freshman All-American … Snagged his first Big 12 title, defeating No. 4 Josh Rodriguez in sudden victory in the finals to pick up the crown … Earned 12 bonus point wins, including seven tech falls, four major decisions and a pin … Tallied seven ranked wins onRecorded 53 dual points for the Pokes to tie for the most on the team … Finished sixth at the Southern Scuffle to help the Pokes to their first team title at the event … Led the Cowboys in nearfalls with 19 … Took home top honors at the Outlaw Open … First-time NCAA qualifier.
2015-16: Put together a 16-4 year, despite battling a knee injury … Competed in open tournaments at 125 pounds … Earned 10 wins with bonus points—four tech falls, four major decisions and two pins … Went 0-2 against ranked opponents … Won the OCU Open, defeating fellow Cowboy Donald Cannon in the finals, 4-2 … Defeated Drake Foster of Wyoming in the finals of the Bob Smith Open, 6-1 … Produced runner-up finishes at the Oklahoma Open and Reno Tournament of Champions … Finished fourth at the Joe Parisi Open.
High School: Attended Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, N.Y. … Compiled a 226-5 record under coach Bill Desario … Four-time New York state champ … Was a Flo Nationals finalist in 2013 … Won Flo Nationals in 2014 … Named 2015 New York recipient of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame … Also competed in lacrosse.
Personal: Born Dec. 16, 1996 to Anthony and Loren … Has two siblings, Anthony and Samantha … Is undecided on a major.
2017-18: Went 23-5 overall and 11-3 in dual appearances
at 125 pounds for the Cowboys, scoring 46 dual points … Went 7-5 against ranked opponents … Posted two pins, seven technical falls and four major decisions … Led the Cowboys in dual nearfalls with 20 … Big 12 Champion at 125 pounds, defeating No. 16 Christian Moody of Oklahoma and No. 11 Zeke Moisey of West Virginia on the way to his second conference title … Knocked off No. 11 Sean Russel of Edinboro twice over the course of his redshirt sophomore season … Earned his second career selection to the NCAA Championships and advanced to the round of 16 as the No. 6 seed … Took top honors in his division at the Journeymen Classic … Also took the 125-pound title at the Bob Smith Open … Knocked off top-ranked and defending national champion Darian Cruz of Lehigh in a season-opening exhibition match at the NWCA All-Star Classic.
2016-17: Went 27-8 overall with as 12-3 dual mark in his first season as a starter at 125 pounds … All-American at 125, going 5-2 with ranked wins over No. 9 Josh Rodriguez of North Dakota State, No. 7 Sean Russell of Edinboro and No. 10 Jack Mueller of Virginia to finish fourth overall at the national tournament … With the honor, became the program’s 35th freshman All-American … Snagged his first Big 12 title, defeating No. 4 Josh Rodriguez in sudden victory in the finals to pick up the crown … Earned 12 bonus point wins, including seven tech falls, four major decisions and a pin … Tallied seven ranked wins onRecorded 53 dual points for the Pokes to tie for the most on the team … Finished sixth at the Southern Scuffle to help the Pokes to their first team title at the event … Led the Cowboys in nearfalls with 19 … Took home top honors at the Outlaw Open … First-time NCAA qualifier.
2015-16: Put together a 16-4 year, despite battling a knee injury … Competed in open tournaments at 125 pounds … Earned 10 wins with bonus points—four tech falls, four major decisions and two pins … Went 0-2 against ranked opponents … Won the OCU Open, defeating fellow Cowboy Donald Cannon in the finals, 4-2 … Defeated Drake Foster of Wyoming in the finals of the Bob Smith Open, 6-1 … Produced runner-up finishes at the Oklahoma Open and Reno Tournament of Champions … Finished fourth at the Joe Parisi Open.
High School: Attended Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, N.Y. … Compiled a 226-5 record under coach Bill Desario … Four-time New York state champ … Was a Flo Nationals finalist in 2013 … Won Flo Nationals in 2014 … Named 2015 New York recipient of Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, presented by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame … Also competed in lacrosse.
Personal: Born Dec. 16, 1996 to Anthony and Loren … Has two siblings, Anthony and Samantha … Is undecided on a major.
