University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Athletics

    Most people dream of being a part of a national championship team. For John Strittmatter, he was a major part of two NCAA Division II National Championship wrestling teams. Mr. Strittmatter was a National Runner-up on the Mountain Cats’ 1996 title team, before winning an individual national championship for Pitt-Johnstown at 133 lbs. in 1999 when the Mountain Cats took home their second crown in three years.
     After starting as a true freshman at Penn State, Mr. Strittmatter transferred to Pitt-Johnstown prior to the 1995-96 season and immediately joined Head Coach Pat Pecora’s starting line-up. He won an East Regional Championship and was the national runner-up at 118 lbs. on his way to helping Pitt-Johnstown claim its first team national champion ship by holding off top-ranked University of Central Oklahoma at Northern Colorado University.
     Three seasons later, Mr. Strittmatter, now wrestling at 133 lbs., reached the top of the mountain a second time. This time, Mr. Strittmatter claimed his third East Regional title and won an individual championship with a decision victory over San Diego State’s Scott Braun in the finals. In the process, the Mountain Cats took home another team title over the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the Mavericks’ home arena.
     Mr. Strittmatter, a three-time All-American with second, fifth and first-place finishes, was also a three-time National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic Team selection. Following the 1998-99 season, Mr. Strittmatter and his brother, Jody, also a Pitt-Johnstown Hall of Famer, shared the prestigious Lowell Shaffer Award for being the school’s top student-athlete.
     On the mat, Mr. Strittmatter was a part of four straight NCAA regional championships and four consecutive top-five national team finishes. His 112-15 (.882) overall career record ranks 13^th on the Mountain Cat All-Time Wins List. Mr. Strittmatter, a graduate of Cambria Heights High School, still holds Pitt-Johnstown’s record for wins in a regular season with 35, and wins in a season with 41 at 133 lbs. In 1999, he became the seventh Mountain Cat to reach the 100-career win plateau.
     Mr. Strittmatter earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education. He is currently a teacher in the Central Cambria School District at Jackson Elementary School in his hometown of Ebensburg, Pa., where he resides with his wife Stephanie. He also assists his brother with Young Guns Wrestling Club, which has developed into the premier and largest wrestling club in Pennsylvania.
    “It is a very humbling honor to be a part of the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame,” Mr. Strittmatter said.  “When I reflect back on my time at Pitt-Johnstown, I realize how fortunate I was. Pitt-Johnstown provided me with an outstanding education, and I wrestled for a legend in Coach Pecora. I had the opportunity to train and pursue a dream and a goal with my brother Jody. Since our hometown was close to Pitt-Johnstown, Jody and I got to wrestle matches in front of our family, grandparents, and friends. There are no words to express my gratitude for everything the school, administration, faculty, and Coach Pecora have given to me.”