Head Coach Pat Pecora and the Pitt-Johnstown wrestling program have added 19 new wrestlers, including a pair of NCAA Division II National Champions, a Pennsylvania State Champion, six former Pennsylvania State place-winners and seven state qualifiers, for the 2019-20 season. 
 
2019 NCAA Division II National Champions Tyler Warner (Dennison, Ohio/Claymont High School) and Connor Craig (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder High School) both transferred to Pitt-Johnstown from Wheeling Jesuit (WV) University after leading the Cardinals to a runner-up national finish.  Warner, a red-shirt junior, posted a 25-1 overall record and defeated Nebraska-Kearney's Wesley Dawkins, 4-1, to win his title at 133 lbs.  Warner was 53-10 in two seasons at Wheeling Jesuit.  Craig won the 174-lb. national championship with a 6-2 decision over McKendree's (IL) Nick Foster.  Craig, also a junior, was 28-1 in 2018-19 and 54-9 in his two-year career at Wheeling Jesuit.
 
Hopewell High School's Jacob Ealy (Aliquippa, Pa.), the 2019 Pennsylvania State Champion at 138 lbs. and local standout and state place-winner Hunter Tremain (Boswell, Pa./North Star HS) lead this year's high school recruits.
 
"As always, in every recruiting class, I look for two things.  First, recruit athletes who and make an immediate impact on the program, and second, recruit athletes who can contribute in the future.  I feel this recruiting class does both," Pecora said.
  
Ealy, a two-time PIAA State place-winner at Hopewell High School, posted a 137-21 career record.  Ealy, the 2019 Southwest Regional Champion, placed fifth at the Pennsylvania State Tournament in 2018, before winning the state title at 138 lbs. with a 42-2 record in 2019.
 
Six other former PIAA State place-winners join Ealy in this year's class.  They include…Kenny Hayman (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon McMillan HS), Tremain, Noah Hutcherson (Arnold, Pa./Valley HS), Dillon Keane (McKean, Pa./Bradford HS), Ty McGeary (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny HS), and Blake Passarelli (Curwensville, Pa./Curwensville HS).
 
Hayman, who went 42-13 as a senior, reached the PIAA AAA Semifinals at 126 lbs. in 2019, before placing fourth, while Tremain, closed out his impressive high school career with a fourth-place AA state finish at 195 lbs.  Tremain was 141-32 in his career and 43-6 as a senior.
 
Hutcherson, who wrestled at 170 lbs. also reached the PIAA AA Semifinals before placing fifth.  Keane, the nephew of former Pitt-Johnstown All-American Kyle Keane, won the Northwest Regional title before earning a seventh-place finish in the PIAA AAA State Tournament at 170 lbs.  Keane closed out his career at 112-20.
 
McGeary and Passarelli round out the six former PIAA State place-winners.  McGeary (160 lbs.) placed sixth at the 2018 PIAA AAA Tournament and wrapped-up his career at 129-39.  Passarelli (126 lbs.) placed eighth at the 2018 PIAA AA Tournament and qualified for the state tournament in 2019.  Passarelli was 27-10 as a senior and 115-35 in his high school career.

Along with the state place-winners, seven others were Pennsylvania State Tournament qualifiers.  They include…Marino Angelicchio (113 lbs.) (Greensburg, Pa./Greater Latrobe HS), Bryon Daubert (126 lbs.) (Summerhill, Pa./Forest Hills HS), Cole Grove (126 lbs.) (Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg HS), Colton Jordan (126 lbs.) (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy HS), Joe Mwete (157 lbs.) (Brashear High School), Chase Proudfit (126 lbs.) (Lilly, Pa./Penn Cambria HS), and Alex Weber (152 lbs.) (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson HS).
 
Coach Pecora also brought in three other standout wrestlers…Brock Moore (145 lbs.) (Johnstown, Pa./Greater Johnstown HS), Dajauhn Hertzog (138 lbs.) (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem HS), and Sage Parsley (152 lbs.) (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Salem HS).
     
Below is an Alphabetical List of the 2019-20 Pitt-Johnstown Wrestling Recruits
 

NAME	HOMETOWN/SCHOOL	WEIGHT	RECORD	AWARDS / HONORS
Marino Angelicchio	Greensburg, Pa. / Greater Latrobe	113 lbs.	59-22	2019 PIAA AAA State Qualifier
Bryon Daubert	Summerhill, Pa. / Forest Hills	126 lbs.	126-43	2019 PIAA AA State Qualifier
Connor Craig	Cincinnati, Ohio / Wheeling Jesuit Univ.	174 lbs.	54-9	2019 NCAA Div. II National Champion
Jacob Ealy	Aliquippa, Pa. / Hopewell	138 lbs.	137-21	2-time PIAA AA State Place 5th and 1st
Cole Grove	Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg	126 lbs.	100-52	2019 PIAA AAA State Qualifier
Kenny Hayman	Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan	126 lbs.	100-36	2019 PIAA AAA State Place 4th
Dajauhn Hertzog	Greensburg, Pa. / Greensburg Salem	138 lbs.	77-43	2019 AAA Regional Qualifier
Noah Hutcherson	Arnold, Pa.  / Valley	170 lbs.	113-41	2019 PIAA AA State Place 5th
Colton Jordan	Langhorne, Pa. / Neshaminy	126 lbs.	113-32	2019 PIAA AAA State Qualifier
Dillon Keane	McKean, Pa.  / Bradford	170 lbs.	110-20	2019 PIAA AAA State Place 7th
Ty McGeary	McDonald, Pa. / West Allegheny	160 lbs.	129-39	2018 PIAA AAA State Place 6th
Brock Moore	Johnstown, Pa. / Greater Johnstown	145 lbs.	62-27	AAA Regional Qualifier
Joe Mwete	Brashear High School	157 lbs.	87-44	2019 PIAA AAA State Qualifier
Sage Parsley	Greensburg, Pa. / Greensburg Salem HS	152 lbs.	41-30	AAA Regional Qualifier
Blake Passarelli	Curwensville, Pa. / Curwensville	126 lbs.	115-35	2018 PIAA AA State Place 8th
Chase Proudfit	Lilly, Pa. / Penn Cambria	126 lbs.	115-58	2019 PIAA AA State Qualifier
Hunter Tremain	Boswell, Pa. / North Star	195 lbs.	141-32	2019 PIAA State Place 4th
Tyler Warner	Claymont, Ohio / Wheeling Jesuit Univ.	133/141-lbs.	53-10	2019 NCAA Div. II National Champion
Alex Weber	Jefferson Hills, Pa. / Thomas Jefferson	152 lbs.	108-30	2019 PIAA AA State Qualifier

                                                                                                                                                         
                The Mountain Cats are coming off of a 16-3 overall dual meet season, and a 6-1 mark on their way to winning their fourth consecutive Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Dual Meet Championship.
            Pitt-Johnstown claimed its 22^nd NCAA Super Region I Tournament in 2018-19 under Coach Pecora and sent seven wrestlers to the 2019 NCAA Division II National Tournament in Cleveland.  Pitt-Johnstown placed sixth with five All-Americans, including Chris Eddins (149 lbs.), who won his second consecutive national championship.  Along with Eddins, Devin Austin (165 lbs.) placed third, Joey Alessandro (141 lbs.) placed fifth, Brock Biddle (184 lbs.) placed fourth, and Brendan Howard (125 lbs.) placed eighth.
            In addition, Coach Pecora won his third National Wrestling coaches Association (NWCA) Nation coach of the Year Award and his 18^th Regional Coach of the Year Award.  Eddins earned Super Region I Wrestler of the Year honors, and Biddle was named the PSAC and Regional Wrestling Freshman of the Year.
 
Pitt-Johnstown will kick-off the 2019-20 season with a PSAC match at East Stroudsburg on November 1, before traveling to the Northeast Duals in Troy, NY on November 9.  The Mountain Cats will make their 2019-20 home debut with a PSAC match against Kutztown on November 22 and a non-conference match against the University of Findlay (OH) on November 23.