Wrestling Media Guide 16-17.Pub (Read-Only)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2016-2017 Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cat Wrestling Media Outlets PITT-JOHNSTOWN PRIMARY MEDIA OUTLETS WJAC-TV 6 SPORTS TRIBUNE-DEMOCRAT Jordan Conigliaro, Brett Hiltbrand Shawn Curtis, Mike Mastovich Track the Mountain Cats 49 Old Hickory Lane 47 Locust Street Johnstown, Pa. 15905 Johnstown, Pa. 15901 Through Social Media (814) 255-7651 (814) 532-5080 Fax: (814) 255-7658 Fax: (814) 539-1409 all season… SOMERSET DAILY AMERICAN ALTOONA MIRROR 334 West Main Street P.O. Box 2008 Somerset, Pa. 15501 Altoona, Pa. 16603 (800) 452-0823 (800) 222-1962 Fax: (814) 445-2935 Fax: (814) 946-7540 WTAJ-TV 10 SPORTS PGH. POST-GAZETTE P.O. Box 10 50 Blvd. Of The Allies Altoona, Pa. 16603 Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222 (800) 762-6053 (412) 263-1621 On the Pitt-Johnstown Fax: (814) 946-4763 Fax: (412) 263-1926 Website at PGH. TRIBUNE-REVIEW INDIANA GAZETTE www.pittjohnstownathletics.com (888) 748-8742 (800) 262-3077 Fax: (412) 320-7964 Fax: (724) 465-8267 BEDFORD GAZETTE THE ADVOCATE 424 W. Penn Street 147 Student Union Bldg. P.O. Box 671 Johnstown, Pa. 15904 (814) 623-1151 (814) 269-7470 (814) 623-5055 On Facebook at facebook.com/pages/Pitt-Johnstown- Athletics ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Design and Layout Chris Caputo, Sports Information Director and Eric Brimmeier, Sports Information Intern Cover Design and Layout Ali Single And on Twitter at Contributing Editors Pat Pecora, Jody Strittmatter, Shane Valko, @MtnCatAthletics Photography Ali Single, Stephanie Blackstone, Tami Knopsnyder, Pitt-Johnstown User Services, The Advocate, The Tribune-Democrat, Harrisburg Patriot News Printing Interior: Pitt-Johnstown Print Shop 1 2016-2017 Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cat Wrestling 2016-17 Season Preview After a 2014-15 season that saw Head Coach Pat 133-lb. Weight Class Pecora’s (41st season) Mountain Cats battle through a Roberts returns to this weight class to defend his bunch of injuries, the 2015-16 season was the complete 2015 National Championship. After transferring from opposite. Pitt-Johnstown wrestling stormed back into the Ohio State and sitting out the first semester last year, national picture by winning the program’s 21 NCAA Roberts was 19-1 overall and 11-1 in dual meets on his Regional title, placing fourth at the Division II National way to winning a Super Region I title and a Division II Championships, and producing four more All-Americans, National championship. Also in this weight class are including National Champions Nick Roberts (Listie, Pa/ red-shirt freshman Kevin Stalter (White Oak, Pa./ North Star HS) (133 lbs.), and Tyler Reinhart McKeesport Area HS) and Jess Wetzel (Ashland, (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg-Salem HS) (165 lbs.). Pa./North Schuylkill HS). Stalter was a four-time The 2016-17 campaign also looks bright for the section place-winner and two-time champion, while Mountain Cats. Pitt-Johnstown returns both national Wetzel was a two-time regional qualifier in high champions, All-American John Blankenship (New school. A freshman in this weight class is 2016 District Florence, Pa./United HS) (174 lbs.), two-time National 9 Champion Josiah McClarren (West Decatur, Pa./ Qualifier D.J. Sims (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa HS) (285 Clearfield HS). lbs.), and 2014 National Qualifier Cole Landowski (149 lbs.), who is coming off of a red-shirt season, to its 141-lb. Weight Class starting line-up. In addition, Pitt-Johnstown has added Coach Pecora must replace Hanau, a two-time talent in other weight classes, including at 157 lbs., where National Qualifier and 2016 All-American (6th-place). former PIAA AA State Champion Cody Law (Windber, The battle should be between junior Malachi Krenzelak Pa./Forest Hills HS) transferred from Penn State. (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan HS) and There are some holes that need to be filled by Coach Bloomsburg transfer Tanner Cahill (Berlin, Pa./ Pecora. The Mountain Cats must replace four-time Conemaugh Township HS). Krenzelak has some All-American and two-time National Runner-up Travis starting experience over the last two years, while Cahill McKillop (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell HS) (184 lbs.), comes to Pitt-Johnstown after sitting out last season at All-American Sam Hanau (Pittsburgh, Pa./Lakeshore Bloomsburg. Prior to that, Cahill placed fourth for the (MI) HS) (141 lbs.), and two-time National Qualifier Huskies at the PSAC Championships as a freshman in Evan Link (Cresson, Pa./Penn Cambria HS) (125 lbs.) 2014. True freshman and PIAA AAA sixth-place who have been lost to graduation. finisher Chris Eddins (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg- Salem HS) will also compete for the starting spot. The following is a tentative weight-by-weight Also in the mix are sophomores Joe Davis (Patton, Pa./ synopsis of the 2016-17 Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cat Cambria Heights HS), and Seton Hill University wrestling team. Justin Smith (Irwin,. Pa./Penn Trafford HS) and Red-shirt freshman Noah Burkhart (Erie, Pa./ 125-lb. Weight Class McDowell HS), a 2015 PIAA AAA State Qualifier. The 125-lb. weight class will have a new starter this A freshmen in this weight class is three-time AAA season. The graduation of two-time National Qualifier State Qualifier Owen Wherley (Spring Grove, Pa./ Evan Link has opened the door for his brother, red- South Western HS). shirt freshman Nolan Link (Cresson, Pa./Penn Cambria HS) and red-shirt junior Sam Holandez (Carson, CA/ 149-lb. Weight Class Carson HS), a transfer from Division I Bloomsburg 2014 National Qualifier Cole Landowski (New University, to compete for the starting job. Link, who Kensington, Pa./Kiski Area HS) returns after red- will make his collegiate debut this year, placed eighth at shirting a year ago. Landowski placed third at the the 2015 PIAA AA State Tournament and was a two-time Super Regional I Tournament as a true freshman to District 6 and two-time Southwest Regional Tournament qualify for nationals and fourth at the PSAC Runner-up. Holandez transferred to Pitt-Johnstown after Championships as a sophomore in 2015. In two two seasons at Bloomsburg. Also looking to get on the seasons, Landowski is 29-16 overall. Sophomore mat in this weight class is red-shirt freshman Zeke Beatty Corey Falleroni (Lower Burrell/Burrell HS) who (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands HS). Beatty saw limited action as a red-shirt freshman, is also in the qualified for the 2015 PIAA AAA State Tournament. mix for mat-time in this weight class. 2 2016-2017 Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cat Wrestling 2016-17 Season Preview 157-lb. Weight Class 174-lb. Weight Class (Cont’d.) Penn State transfer Cody Law is expected to compete weight class include: two-time PIAA AA State place- with sophomore Steve Edwards (Lower Burrell, Pa./ winner with fifth and third-place finishes Tony Welsh Burrell HS) for the starting job at 157 lbs. Law, a (Fredericktown,Pa./Beth Center HS) and 2016 former PIAA AA State Champion, wrestled open PIAA AA State Seventh-Place finisher Jake Driskel tournaments as a freshman at Penn State in 2013-14, (Loretto, Pa./Penn Cambria HS). before posted a 35-12 record in 2014-15. Edwards, who started as a true freshman two years ago, returns after red- 184-lb. Weight Class shirting last season. Last year’s starter Devin Austin A competition between red-shirt sophomore Nico (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford, Pa.) is scheduled to take a Pecora (Johnstown, Pa./Richland HS) and red-shirt red-shirt in 2016-17 after qualifying for the National freshman Levi Niebauer (Carrolltown, Pa./Cambria Tournament as a true freshman. In addition, junior Boe Heights HS) could take place to fill the void left Bonzo (Rochester, Pa./Freedom HS) has experience behind from four-time All-American and two-time and will provide depth at this weight class. Bonzo, an National Runner-up Travis McKillop. Pecora, a 2014 Honorable Mention NWCA All-Academic Team selection PIAA AA State Runner-up and current member of the in 2014-15, has wrestled in several dual over his first two Pitt-Johnstown baseball team, will join the team for seasons. Edwards, a 2014 PIAA State Champion, took the first time. Niebauer, who will make his debut after over the starting spot as a freshman and wrestled at the red-shirting as a freshman last year, is a former two- 2014 PSAC Championships and the 2015 Super Region I time PIAA AA State Place-winner (4th, 6th). Tournament. A freshman in this weight class is 2016 eighth-place PIAA AAA State finisher Gage Thomas 197-lb. Weight Class (Glenville, Pa./South Western HS). After red-shirting in 2015-16, Tyler Oliver (New Florence, Pa./United HS) is expected to regain the 165-lb. Weight Class starting spot at 197 lbs. Oliver, a two-time PIAA AA State 2016 National Champion Tyler Reinhart returns to Place-winner, joined the starting line-up as a true freshman this weight class for his junior season. Reinhart, a PSAC two years ago after injuries decimated the Mountain Cats and Super Region I Wrestler of the Week honoree last and finished with a 4-4 overall record and a perfect 4-0 mark in dual meets. Red-shirt freshman Mitch Fitzgerald year, posted a 28-6 overall record and 13-2 mark in dual (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township HS) will also look to meets on his way to a runner-up finish at the 2016 get mat-time in this weight class. Regional Tournament and a Division II National Championship with a fall in the title bout. Reinhart also Heavyweight won the championship at the Midwest Classic in Two-time NCAA National Qualifier D.J. Sims returns Indianapolis. Freshmen in this weight class include: 2016 for his junior season to try to take the next step and join the southwest Regional Place-winner Nate Claar (Tyrone, Pa./ ranks of the Pitt-Johnstown All-Americans.