Marysville High School graduate Talib Rahmani, who is a red-shirt junior for the University of Pittsburgh wrestling team, prepares to take down a collegiate opponent in this file photo. Rahmani, who won the Division I 152-pound state championship as a senior at MHS, split his first two matches on Thursday during the 2019 NCAA national tournament. Rahmani competes in the 157-pound division for Pitt, which is hosting the national tournament.
(File photo)
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Former Marysville High School state wrestling champion Talib Rahmani split his first two matches in the 157-pound weight class during the NCAA national tournament on Thursday.
Rahmani, a redshirt junior at the University of Pittsburgh, took a 16-6 record into the tournament that is being hosted by the Panthers.
Rahmani’s first match of the day during the double-elimination tournament resulted in a 7-1 loss to Justin Thomas of the University of Oklahoma.
Rahmani went into the bout as the No. 12 seed, while Thomas was seeded No. 21.
The former Monarch rebounded during the wrestlebacks later that evening with an 11-3 major decision over Hunter Willis of Oregon State.
Rahmani, who won the Division I state championship at 152 pounds for the Monarchs in 2015, is a three-time NCAA tournament qualifier.
He finished second in the recent Athletic Coast Conference tournament and the Panthers finished fourth as a team.
Rahmani was scheduled to continue in the national tournament wrestlebacks this morning.
He was slated to face Ke-Shawn Hayes of The Ohio State University.