Head Coach Pat Pecora and the Pitt Johnstown Mountain Cat wrestling team have earned the No. 5 seed and will take on No. 12 Nebraska-Kearney in Thursday's opening round of the 2018 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Multi-National National Duals in Fort Wayne, Ind.  Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday at the War Memorial Coliseum and finish with the championship and placing matches on Friday at 2 p.m.
 
If Pitt-Johnstown wins its opening round match, the Mountain Cats will take on the winner of the No.5-ranked McKendree (IL) University/No. 13 Central Oklahoma in the Quarterfinals match on Thursday at 1 p.m.  An opening round loss by the Mountain Cats would set up a match-up with the loser of the McKendree/Central Oklahoma match on Thursday at 1 p.m.
 
Pitt Johnstown is 5-1 and ranked sixth in NCAA Division II.  The Mountain Cats are led by 2017 All-American Cody Law (157 lbs.) two-time National Qualifier D.J. Sims (285 lbs.), and National Qualifiers Chris Eddins (141 lbs.), Devin Austin (165 lbs.), and Levi Niebauer (197 lbs.).
 
Nationally for Pitt-Johnstown, Law (157 lbs.) is ranked second, while Eddins (141 lbs.) is fifth, and Niebauer (197 lbs.) is seventh.
 
Nebraska-Kearney, ranked 12^th with a 6-0 overall record, boasts four nationally-ranked wrestlers, including Keith Surber, the top-ranked wrestler at 149 lbs.  In addition, Kevin Barrett is seventh at 285 lbs., Bryce Shoemaker is eighth at 133 lbs., and Zach Stodden is 12^th at 174 lbs.
 
Pitt-Johnstown and Nebraska-Kearney last met at the National Duals two year ago and the Mountain Cats came away at a 37-7 victory.
 
Eighty-six total teams, including 16 from NCAA Division II, will take to the mats on Thursday at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, as the National Wrestling Coaches Association will kick off the NWCA Multi-Divisional National Duals presented by presented by Applied Silver, InBody, Theraworx and the United States Marine Corps.
 
Competing Division II Teams:  Ashland, California Baptist, Central Oklahoma, Colorado State-Pueblo, Gannon, Indianapolis, Kutztown, Lake Erie, McKendree, Nebraska-Kearney, Notre Dame College, Pitt-Johnstown, Seton Hill, St. Cloud State, Upper Iowa, Wheeling Jesuit.
 
Nine of the top 10 teams in the country are competing in Fort Wayne, including last year's champion St. Cloud State. The top-ranked Huskies have finished in the top three six straight seasons and have won 136 of their last 145 duals.  St. Cloud State will open with 15^th-ranked Lake Erie College with the winner facing either ninth-ranked Indianapolis or unranked Kutztown. Lake Erie finished in seventh place a year ago, a program best.
 
Third-ranked Ashland will enter as the No. 2 seed and will open with 25^th-ranked Seton Hill. Notre Dame College has won the event four different times -- twice in Division II and twice as an NAIA program. The Falcons, ranked eighth, will open up with 10^th-ranked Upper Iowa, showcasing the depth of the Division II portion of the event. The winner of the Notre Dame-Upper Iowa dual will face the winner of the Ashland-Seton Hill match.