Head Coach Pat Pecora and the Pitt-Johnstown wrestling program have added 12 new wrestlers, including four Pennsylvania State place-winners, for the 2016-17 season.  The four Pennsylvania State place-winners include: two-time place-winner Anthony Welsh (Fredericktown, Pa./Beth Center HS), and 2016 place-winners Chris Eddins (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem HS), Jake Driskel (Loretto, Pa./Penn Cambria HS), and Gage Thomas (Glenville, Pa./Southwestern High School).
 
"Once again, I believe we have a nice blend of recruits", Coach Pecora said.  "I feel few of these recruits can make an immediate impact, while the others will help secure the future of the program." Coach Pecora said.
  
Heading this year's recruiting class is Welsh, who placed fifth as a junior and third as a senior at 170 lbs. at the PIAA AA State Tournament for Beth Center High School.  Welsh, who won a Pennsylvania State Freestyle Championship in May, finished his senior season with a 39-2 record, and 149-31 overall career record.

Along with Welsh, Eddins, Driskel, and Thomas were all 2016 PIAA State Place-winners.

Eddins won the 2016 Southwest Regional Championship and advanced to the state semifinals before placing sixth at the Pennsylvania AAA State Tournament at 126 lbs.  Eddins, who also won a WPIAL title in 2016, was 37-6 as a senior and 138-35 in his four-year career at Greensburg Salem High School.

Driskel placed seventh at 182 lbs. at this year's AA state tournament for Penn Cambria High School.  He was 39-8 as a senior and 111-44 overall.

Pitt-Johnstown also added Thomas, an eighth-place finisher Southwestern High School at the PIAA AAA State Tournament at 152 lbs.  Thomas posted a 34-9 record in 2015-16 and a 102-44 overall record for his career.
     
Three-time PIAA AAA State Qualifier Owen Wherley (Spring Grove, Pa./Southwestern HS), and four transfer student-athletes in Tanner Cahill (Berlin, Pa./Conemaugh Township HS), Sam Holandez (Carson, CA/Carson HS), Cody Law (Windber, Pa./Forest Hills HS), and Justin Smith (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford HS) will join the Mountain Cats' squad in 2016-17.

Wherley reached the PIAA AAA State Tournament three straight years and finished his senior season at 34-4 and his career at 136-24.

Cahill will transfer to Pitt-Johnstown from Division I Bloomsburg University where he placed fourth at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) at 141 lbs. in 2014.  Prior to that, Cahill was a three-time Pennsylvania State AA Qualifier at Conemaugh Township High School.  He also won three District 5 titles for Conemaugh Township.

Holandez will also transfer to Pitt-Johnstown from Division I Bloomsburg, while Smith will come to Pitt-Johnstown after a strong high school career at Penn Trafford High School and one season at Division II Seton Hill University.

Law, a former PIAA AA State Champion, came to Pitt-Johnstown last January after wrestling for two seasons at Penn State.
 
In addition, Coach Pecora has also brought in Pennsylvania Regional Qualifier Kiernan Kelly (York Haven, Pa./Redland HS) (74-29 career record), Brodie Englert (York Haven, Pa./Redland HS), and Josiah McClarren (West Decatur, Pa./Clearfield HS).
    
Below is an Alphabetical List of the 2016-17 Pitt-Johnstown Wrestling Recruits
NAME                    HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL     PROJ. WT.   SR (CAREER REC.)                H.S. HONORS
Tanner Cahill                Berlin, Pa. / Conemaugh Township HS           141 lbs.                                                          3x PA AA State Qualifier
Jake Driskel                            Loretto, Pa. / Penn Cambria HS         174/184 lbs.          39-8 (111-44)              PA AA State Place-Winner (7^th)
Chris Eddins            Greensburg, Pa. / Greensburg Salem HS             141 lbs.             37-6 (138-35)           PA AAA State-Place Winner (6^th)
Brodie Englert                           York Haven, Pa. / Redland HS             165 lbs.                                                                                                    
Sam Holandez                                    Carson, CA / Carson HS             125 lbs.
Kiernan Kelly                             York Haven, Pa. / Redland HS                                                                                                                               
Cody Law                                   Windber, Pa. / Forest Hills HS             157 lbs.            36-0 (112-26)                2013 PA AA State Champion
Josiah McClarren                 West Decatur, Pa. / Clearfield HS             133 lbs.
Justin Smith                                 Irwin, Pa. / Penn Trafford HS             141 lbs.                                                                                                    
Gage Thomas                       Glenville, Pa. / Southwestern HS             157 lbs.             34-9 (102-44)           PA AAA State Place-Winner (8^th)
Anthony Welsh               Fredericktown, Pa. / Beth Center HS             174 lbs.              39-2 (149-30)    2x PA AA State Place-Winner (5^th, 3^rd)
Owen Wherley               Spring Grove, Pa. / Southwestern HS             149 lbs.              34-4 (136-24)                     3x PA AAA State Qualifier
                                                                                                          

The Mountain Cats are coming off of a 15-1 overall dual meet season, and a perfect 7-0 mark on their way to winning their first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Dual Meet Championship.

Pitt-Johnstown won its 21^st NCAA Regional Championship under Coach Pecora and sent nine wrestlers to the 2016 NCAA Division II National Tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D. where the team placed fourth.

Four more Mountain Cat wrestlers became All-Americans, including Nick Roberts (133 lbs.) and Tyler Reinhart (165 lbs.) who became the program's 11^th and 12^th wrestlers to win individual national championships.  Travis McKillop was the National Runner-up at 184 lbs., and Sam Hanau placed sixth at 141 lbs.

In the classroom, John Blankenship (174 lbs.), McKillop, and D.J. Sims (285 lbs.) were named to the First-Team of the NWCA All-Academic Wrestling Team.
 
Pitt-Johnstown will kick-off the 2016-17 at the Clarion University Open on October 30.  The Mountain Cats will then travel to Dual meets at West Liberty (WV) University and Kutztown University, before hosting a home dual meet against PSAC rival East Stroudsburg University on November 22 in the Sports Center.