Former Marysville High School wrestler Taleb Rahmani, right, is pictured competing for the University of Pittsburgh in this file photo. Rahmani was eliminated from the NCAA national tournament in the 157-pound weight class Friday evening.
(File photo)
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The 2018-19 collegiate wrestling season came to an end Friday evening for former Marysville High School state champion grappler Taleb Rahmani.
The University of Pittsburgh redshirt junior dropped a “blood round” consolation match during the NCAA national tournament.
Rahmani fell to Christian Pagdilao of Arizona State by a 13-7 decision.
The NCAA tournament, which is being hosted by Pitt, began on Thursday and runs through this evening.
Rahmani, who won the Division I state 152-pound championship as a Marysville High School senior in 2015, split his first two matches on Thursday.
A loss on Thursday put Rahmani in the consolation bracket of the double-elimination tournament.
Rahmani, who took a 16-6 record into the national event, opened Friday’s action with a 7-1 victory over Ke-Shawn Hayes of The Ohio State University.
The former Monarch, who was competing in the NCAA national tournament for the third time, took the 157-pound weight division’s 12th seed into the bout, while Hayes was seeded No. 11.
Rahmani followed his triumph over Hayes with an overtime pin against Griffin Parriott of Purdue.
That match was deadlocked at 1-1 after regulation.
Rahmani put Parriott to the mat in 7:20.
The pinfall sent Rahmani into the tournament’s “Round of 12” against Pagdilao.
The two grapplers had never faced each other prior during their collegiate careers.
That was something that the former MHS athlete preferred.
“I’ve never wrestled him before and that’s a mental edge for me,” said Rahmani. “I’m coming off three big wins and he’s (Pagdilao) coming off a butt-kicking.”
Rahmani said he was enjoying the atmosphere of the national tournament.
“I’m loving it,” he said. “This is what I trained for.”
A victory over Pagdilao would have kept Rahmani alive in the post-season tournament for placement in the weight division.
It also would have given him the honor of becoming the first former Marysville High School wrestler to earn NCAA Division I All-American honors.