Wrestling Media Guide 07-08.Pub (Read-Only)
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2007 - 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS Mountain Cat Wrestling TABLE OF CONTENTS Track the Mountain Cats All Season at 2007-08 Season Preview………………………… pp. 2-3 Weight-by-Weight Preview…………………………. p. 4 www.upj.pitt.edu/athletics Pitt Johnstown Administration……………………… p. 5 Head Coach Pat Pecora……………………………… p. 6 Asst. Coach Jody Strittmatter………………………. p. 7 PITT JOHNSTOWN Individual National Champions………………………p. 8 PRIMARY MEDIA OUTLETS All-Americans……………………………………….. p. 9 Wrestling Staff and Administration…………………p. 10 WJAC-TV 6 SPORTS TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT 2007-2008 Mountain Cat Roster……………………p. 11 Tim Rigby, Matt Maisel Eric Knopsnyder, Mike Mastovich Mountain Cat Seniors……………………… pp. 12-14 49 Old Hickory Lane 47 Locust Street Derrek Bosso and Mike Corcetti……………………p. 12 Johnstown, PA 15905 Johnstown, PA 15901 Zach Majocha and Albert Miles…………………….p. 13 (814) 255-7651 (814) 532-5080 Brandon Reasy and Rob Sakmar…………………... p. 14 Fax: (814) 255-7658 Fax: (814) 539-1409 Mountain Cat Returning Lettermen……….. pp. 15-19 Chris Dempsey and Nick Fastuca………………….. p. 15 WWCP-TV 8 SPORTS ALTOONA MIRROR Kyle Keane and Mazen Kholi……………………… p. 16 Greg Whitmer, Matt Parsons Buck Frank Neil Rudel, John Hartsock Ryan McIntyre and Scott Morgan…………………..p. 17 1450 Scalp Avenue P.O. Box 2008 Dan Simon and Shane Valko………………………. p. 18 Johnstown, PA 15904 Altoona, PA 16603 Patrick Walsh and Adam Whetstone………………. p. 19 (814) 266-8088 (800) 222-1962 Mountain Cat Red-Shirt Freshmen…………pp. 20-21 Fax: (814) 266-8329 Fax: (814) 946-7540 G. Price, J. Dragun, A. Flegler, S. Makin………….. p. 20 WTAJ-TV 10 SPORTS PGH. POST-GAZETTE N. Murin, B. Petrakis, N. Tomporoski……………...p. 21 Kelly Goodman Phil Axelrod Mountain Cat Freshmen……………………. pp. 22-26 P.O. Box 10 50 Blvd. Of The Allies R. Everhart, G. Gibson, J. Kylor, B. Leitzel……….. p. 22 Altoona, Pa. 16603 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 N. Leitzel, N. Link, Z. Lundgren, D. Majocha…….. p. 23 (800) 762-6053 (412) 263-1621 Jon Moore, Jordan Moore, M. Moore, C. Myers…... p. 24 Fax: (814) 946-4763 Fax: (412) 263-1926 P. Myers, J. Roberts, M. Scherich, R. Shawley……. p. 25 Phil Slaugh, Bobby Wolford……………………….. p. 26 PGH. TRIBUNE-REVIEW INDIANA GAZETTE NWCA All Academic Team Selections………….…p. 27 Kevin Smith, Dave Mackall Tony Coccagna 2007-08 NWCA All-Academic Team Members…... p. 28 (888) 748-8742 (800) 262-3077 Mountain Cat Team and Individual Record……..… P. 29 Fax: (412) 320-7964 Fax: (724) 465-8267 Mountain Cat Wrestling All-Time Win List…….….p. 30 Mountain Cat All-Time Coaching Records............... p. 31 BEDFORD GAZETTE ADVOCATE Mountain Cat Wrestling History…………… pp. 32-37 Chris Wechtenhiser 147 Student Union Bldg. 2007-2008 Season Review…………………….……p. 38 424 W. Penn Street Johnstown, PA 15904 Returning Qualifiers and All-Americans (Photo)….. p. 39 P.O. Box 671 (814) 269-7470 2006-2007 Match Results………………………….. p. 40 (814) 623-1151 2006-2007 Final Statistics……………………….….p. 41 (814) 623-5055 2007-2008 Returning Lettermen (Photo)……….….. p. 42 2007-2008 Red-Shirt Freshmen (Photo)………….... p. 43 2007-2008 Freshmen……………………………......p. 44 2008 Mountain Cat Summer Wrestling Camp….…..p. 45 Mountain Cat All-Time Lettermen……….…… pp. 46-47 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2007 UPJ Athletics Hall of Fame Inductees……….. p. 48 Design and Layout Chris Caputo, Sports Information Director Cover Layout Solutionist Marketing and Print Communications Contributing Editors ON THE COVER… Pat Pecora “HERE WE COME AGAIN!!” This signifies the Pitt Johnstown wrestling program and Photography its style of wrestling. Rick Povich at Pitt Johnstown Audio Visual, The Advo- Year after year, the program has kept on coming… cate and The Tribune-Democrat, Harrisburg Patriot news producing winning dual meet seasons, Regional Printing Championships, National Champions and All-Americans. Cover: Solutionist Marketing and Print Communications The style also is a run-back-to-the-middle, never quit, Interior: Pitt Johnstown Print Shop never stop, just keep coming...so 2007-08 is Here We come Again! 1 SEASON PREVIEW 2007 - 2008 Mountain Cat Wrestling Season after season, Head Coach Pat Pecora’s (32nd year) 133-lb. Weight Class (Cont’d) Pitt Johnstown wrestling squad, takes the mat and proves it is fourth at the 2007 PA State AAA Tournament, and Brock one of the finest programs in the country. The Mountain Cats Leitzel (Ridgway, Pa.), an eighth place finisher at the PA made it 24 Top-20 finishes after placing seventh at the 2007 State AA Tournament in 2007. NCAA Division II National Tournament. This year, the Mountain Cats, ranked #5 in the National Wrestling Coaches’ Association (NWCA) Preseason Poll, return four All- 141 lb. Weight Class Americans, two other National Qualifiers and a total of six Shane Valko, ranked #7 in the NWCA preseason starters to a team that will attempt to continue the tradition of poll, burst onto the collegiate wrestling scene and climbed to excellence. as high as #2 in the country as a red-shirt freshman a year Coach Pecora welcomes back four senior All-Americans ago. Valko, a fourth place finisher at the East Regional to anchor this year’s squad. Mike Corcetti (Export, Pa.) is a Tournament and a qualifier for the National Tournament, three-time All-American with a National Runner-Up finish and returns to take another shot at joining the ranks of the a pair of fourth place finishes at 184 lbs., while Brandon Reasy Mountain Cat All-Americans. He was 31-14 overall and 17- (133 lbs.) (New Enterprise, Pa.) earned two All-American 7 in dual meets and finished second on the team with 10 honors and Derrek Bosso (125 lbs.) (Pequea, Pa.) placed sixth falls. Valko also took home the championship at the a year ago. In addition, 2006 All-American Albert Miles Washington & Jefferson Collegiate Open. John Dragun (Canonsburg, Pa.) will anchor the 174-lb weight class. 2007 (Pittsburgh, Pa.), and Andrew Flegler (Nazareth, Pa.) are National Qualifiers Shane Valko (141 lbs.) (Windber, Pa.) and red-shirt freshmen who will make their debuts this year. Chris Dempsey (HWT.) (Sewickley, Pa.) also return to give Freshmen in this weight class include: 2007 PA State Runner the Mountain Cats the nucleus to take a shot at Pitt -Up Nathan Link (Cresson, Pa.) and two-time PA State Runner-Up Cody Myers (Three-Springs, Pa.) if he Johnstown’s third National Championship. The following is a tentative weight-by-weight synopsis of doesn’t wrestle at 133 lbs. the 2007-08 Pitt Johnstown Mountain Cat wrestling team. 149 lb. Weight Class Sophomore Adam Whetstone (Claysburg, Pa.) is set to 125-lb. Weight Class take over the starting job left by the graduation of Brian After winning the battle for the starting job, Derrek Bosso Cook (Pittsburgh, Pa.). Whetstone, a former PA State worked his way to garnishing All-America honors. Bosso, champion who wrestled the final matches of the 2006-07 who enters his senior season ranked #5 in the country, placed season, including the East Regional Tournament, ended his third at the East Regional Tournament and sixth at the National red-shirt freshman season with a 6-8 overall record. He was Tournament. He wrapped up the 2006-07 season with a 27-12 also 3-4 in dual meets. Fellow sophomores Ryan McIntyre overall record and a 13-6 dual meet record. Bosso also won (Claysburg, Pa.), a teammate of Whetstone’s at titles at both the Washington & Jefferson Collegiate Open and Claysburg-Kimmel High School, and Dan Simon the Wilkes Open. Although Bosso looks to be the front-runner (Pittsburgh, Pa.) are expected to push for time on the for the starting job, junior Scott Morgan (North Huntingdon, mat. McIntyre wrapped-up his first season of collegiate Pa.) should push him for those honors. Morgan split time wrestling with a 4-4 overall record and a 1-2 dual meet with Bosso for much of last season. Morgan was 12-7 overall record, while Simon posted two wins in five matches. Brian and 5-2 in dual meets. He finished second at the Wilkes Open Petrakis (Monroeville, Pa.) is red-shirt freshmen who will and third at the Washington & Jefferson Open. A freshmen in make his debut this year. Freshmen in this weight class this weight class is 2007 PA State Qualifier Paul Myers include: Nikko Leitzel (Ridgway, Pa.), the 2006 PA State (Cresson, Pa.). Champion and third place finisher in 2007, Rick Shawley (Bellwood, Pa.) and Bobby Wolford (Falling Waters, Pa.). 133-lb. Weight Class Two-time All-American and preseason #3-ranked Brandon 157-lb. Weight Class Reasy returns for his senior season after placing sixth at With the graduation of two-time National Qualifier Joe the National Tournament as a sophomore and fifth as a junior. Strittmatter (Ebensburg, Pa.) following the 2006-07 Reasy posted a 33-12 overall record and a 19-7 dual meet season, junior Mazen Kholi (Allentown, Pa.) is expected to record on his way to placing second at the East Regional move up from 149 lbs. to win the starting duties in this Tournament. His 33 overall wins and 19 dual meet wins both weight class. In shared duties at 149 lbs. last year, Kholi was ranked second on the team to Mike Corcetti, while his 21 wins 14-5 with a runner-up finish at the Washington & Jefferson by decision paced the team. Reasy also won the championship Collegiate Open. He was also 7-3 in dual meets. Of his 14 at the Washington & Jefferson Collegiate Open and placed wins, six came by way of fall and six by decision. A third at the Wilkes Open. Freshmen in this weight class freshman in this weight class is 2007 Regional Qualifier include: two-time PA State Runner-Up Cody Myers (Three- Jared Roberts (Washington, Pa.).