Head Coach Pat Pecora and the Pitt-Johnstown wrestling program have added 20 new wrestlers for the 2015-16 season.  Eleven are former Pennsylvania State Place-winners, including 2015 state champion Allan Beattie (285 lbs.) (News Kensington, Pa.) from Burrell High School and two-time PIAA State Place-winners Levi Niebauer (Carrolltown, Pa./Cambria Heights H.S.), Austin McDermitt (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown H.S.), and Frederick Mantsch (Irwin, Pa./Hempfield Area H.S.)... (Full Press Release)
 
      "I'm really excited about this year's recruiting class," Coach Pecora said.  "You always want to have a class that is two-fold…one that can have an immediate impact and one that can secure the future.  This year's class does both."
  
      Heading this year's recruiting class is Beattie, the 2015 state champion at 285 lbs.  Beattie, a two-time state place-winner who placed third in 2014, finished his senior season with a 48-1 record on his way to winning the PIAA State title at 285 lbs. for Burrell High School.  Beattie also won the section, WPIAL, and regional championships in 2015 and was Pennsylvania's representative at 285 lbs. for the Dapper Dan Classic.  He ended his high school career with a 189-30 overall record.
 
      Niebauer, McDermitt, and Mantsch were all two-time PIAA State Place-winners.
      Niebauer placed sixth at the state tournament as a junior and fourth as a senior at 170 lbs.  Niebauer was 34-5 in 2014-15 and 110-32 in his four-year career at Cambria Heights High School.
      McDermitt placed seventh at the state tournament as a sophomore and sixth as a junior at 113 lbs. for Burgettstown High School.  He was 40-6 as a senior and 153-32 overall.  McDermitt was the WPIAL's 113-lb. representative at the 2015 Dapper Dan Classic.
      Pitt-Johnstown also added Mantsch, an eighth and sixth-place finisher at the PIAA AAA State Tournament at 220 lbs.  Mantsch, who wrestled at this year's Dapper Dan Classic, was 29-6 in 2014-15 and 71-20 for his career.
 
      2015 PIAA State Place-winners Tyler Oliver (New Florence, Pa./United H.S.), Bryce Fochtman (Meyersdale, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley H.S.), and Nolan Link (Cresson, Pa./Penn Cambria H.S.) have also signed with Pitt-Johnstown.  Oliver was 115-27 in his high school career and posted a 35-6 mark in 2014-15 on his way to a third-place finish at 220 lbs. at the Pennsylvania AA Tournament, while Fochtman placed fifth at the AA state tournament at 160 lbs.  Fochtman was 39-6 as a senior and 139-37 for his career.  Link, who will join his brother Evan on the Mountain Cat squad, finished eighth at 113 lbs. at the PIAA AA state tournament in 2015.  Link was 35-8 in 2014-15 and 64-18 in his Penn Cambria career.
     
     Three others were Pennsylvania State Qualifiers.  Seth Hitchens (Port View, Pa./South Allegheny H.S.) was a two-time AA state qualifier at 220 lbs. who posted a 110-45 career record and was ranked 15^th in the state.  Hitchens was 26-9 as a senior and placed third at the WPIAL Tournament and was the section runner-up.  Zeke Beatty (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands H.S.) qualified for the 2015 AAA State Tournament at 120 lbs.  Beatty was 34-21 and ranked 15^th in the state in his weight class.  Noah Burkhart (Erie, Pa./Erie McDowell) was a PIAA AAA State Qualifier at 138 lbs. in 2015.  Burkhart ended his high school career with a 65-38 career record and a 25-13 mark as a senior.
 
      Pitt-Johnstown also brought in Devin Austin (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford H.S.) (110-38 career record, 28-5 senior season), Mitchell Fitzgerald (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township H.S.), Mike Geyer (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland H.S.) (Sectional Runner-up with 25-12 senior season record at 182 lbs.), Kevin Miller (North Huntingdon, Pa./Northwest H.S.) (90-49 career record, 28-11 senior season record at 120 lbs.), Tevin Mostoller (Stoystown, Pa./North Star H.S.) (three-time District Place-winner, 121-52 career record at 145 lbs.), and Jess Wetzel (Ashland, Pa./North Schuylkill H.S.) (88-66 career record at 132 lbs.).
 
      Along with the incoming freshman, the Mountain Cats also added four standout transfer student-athletes in Troy Dolan (Wexford, Pa.), Nick Roberts (Friedens, Pa.), Travis Shaffer (Derry, Pa.), and a post-graduate student-athlete from the University of Pittsburgh in Eric Nutter (Pittsburgh, Pa.). 
      After winning three Pennsylvania State championships at Derry Area High School, Dolan wrestled two years at the University of Missouri before transferring to Pitt-Johnstown for the 2015-16 season.  Dolan won PIAA Sate championships at 119 lbs. in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
      Roberts, a three-time PIAA AA State Champion from North Star High School, will join the Mountain Cats after wrestling one season at Ohio State University.
      Shaffer, who won the state title in 2011 at Derry Area High School, comes to Pitt-Johnstown after wrestling at the University of Pittsburgh.  Shaffer was a four-time Pennsylvania State Place-winner and the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2011 Dapper Dan Tournament.
      Nutter, who graduated from Pitt in 2015, was a former PIAA State Place-winner at Pittsburgh's Central Catholic High School.  He wrestled two seasons at Pitt where he posted an 18-8 overall record.
     NAME                    HOMETOWN/H.S.                               PROJ. WT.    SENIOR (CAREER REC.)      H.S. HONORS

Devin Austin                 Irwin, Pa. / Penn Trafford H.S.                               157 lbs.                28-5 (110-38)                                                                    
Allan Beattie                 New Kensington, Pa. / Burrell H.S.                         285 lbs.               48-1 (189-30)                               2x-PA AA State Place-Winner (1^st, 3^rd)
Zeke Beatty                  Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands H.S.                 125 lbs.                34-21                                            2015 PA AA State Qualifier
Noah Burkhart              Erie, Pa. / Erie McDowell H.S.                                141 lbs.               25-13 (65-38)                                2015 PA AAA State Qualifier
Troy Dolan                    Wexford, Pa./Transfer from Univ. of Missouri         133 lbs.               (170-9)                                           3x-PA AA State Champion
Mitchell Fitzgerald         McMurray, Pa. / Peters Township H.S.                    174 lbs.                                                                                                      
Mike Geyer                   Gibsonia, Pa. / Pine-Richland H.S                          184 lbs.               25-12 (80-53)                               Section Runner-up
Bryce Fochtman            Meyersdale, Pa. / Berlin Brothers Valley H.S.         157 lbs.              39-6 (139-37)                                PA AA State Place-Winner (5^th)
Seth Hitchens                Port View, Pa. / South Allegheny H.S.                     197 lbs.              36-9 (110-45)                                2x-time PA AA State Qualifier
Nolan Link                     Cresson, Pa. / Penn Cambria H.S.                          125 lbs.              35-8 (64-18)                                 PA State Place-Winner (8^th)
Frederick Mantsch         Irwin, Pa.  /Hempfield Area H.S.                              197 lbs.              29-6 (71-20)                                 2x-AAA State Place-Winner (6^th, 8^th)
Austin McDermitt            Burgettstown, Pa. /Burgettstown H.S.                     133 lbs.              40-6 (153-32)                               2x-PA AA State Place-Winner (6^th, 7^th)
Kevin Miller                     North Huntingdon, Pa. / Norwin H.S.                       125 lbs.              28-11 (90-49)                               2015 AAA Regional Place-winner
Tevin Mostoller               Stoystown, Pa. / North Star H.S.                             149 lbs.              38-8 (121-52)                               3x-District Place-Winner
Levi Niebauer                 Carrolltown, Pa. / Cambria Heights H.S.                 174 lbs.              34-5 (110-32)                                2x-PA AA State Place-Winner (4^th, 6^th)
Eric Nutter                       Pittsburgh, Pa,/Post-Graduate From Pitt                 157 lbs.             (131-37)                                       PA AA State Place-Winner (4^th)
Tyler Oliver                      New Florence, Pa. / United H.S.                             197 lbs.             35-6 (115-27)                               PA AA State Place-Winner (3^rd)
Nick Roberts                    Friedens, Pa./Transfer from Ohio State                 133 lbs.             (146-10)                                       3x-PA AA State Champion
Travis Shaffer                  Derry, Pa. / Transfer from Pitt                                 149 lbs.              (149-22)                                      PA AAA State Champion
Jess Wetzel                     Ashland, Pa. / North Schuylkill H.S.                        133 lbs.              (88-66)                                                                          
                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                               
     The Mountain Cats are coming off of a 12-2 overall dual meet season, and a 5-2 mark in the program's second season competing in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).  Evan Link (125 lbs.) and Sam Hanau (141 lbs.) each placed third in their respective weight classes to earn spots on the All-PSAC Team.
     Four Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers advanced to the 2015 Division II National Tournament, including John Blankenship, who placed sixth to earn All-America honors at 174 lbs.  Joining Blankenship at the National Tournament were Hanau (141 lbs.), Tyler Reinhart (165 lbs.), the 2014-15 PSAC Wrestling Freshman of the Year, and D.J. Sims (285 lbs.).
     In the classroom, Blankenship was named First-Team NWCA All-Academic Wrestling Team, while Cole Landowski (149 lbs.) and Sims were both second-team selections, and Boe Bonzo (157 lbs.) and Jim Harrison (125 lbs.) were honorable mention choices.
 
     Pitt-Johnstown will kick-off the 2015-16 with a home dual meet against West Liberty (WV) University on November 13, before opening the PSAC conference schedule against Kutztown University on November 20 in the Sports Center.