Head Coach Pat Pecora and six Johnstown Mountain Cat wrestlers will travel to the Chaifetz Center Complex in St. Louis, MO to compete in Friday and Saturday's NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championships. The top eight place winners in each weight class become NCAA Division II All-Americans.
The Mountain Cats won their 24
th NCAA Regional Championship on February 26 in the Sports Center and came away with six NCAA national qualifiers. This group included three Super Region I champions and three third-place finishers. All 10 Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers placed in the top-five at the Super Region I Tournament.
The top-three finishers in each of the 10 weight classes earned spots in the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championships.
Red-shirt sophomore
Jacob Ealy became a two-time NCAA Regional Champion after winning his first at 141 lbs. in 2020 and his second in 2022 at 149 lbs., while sophomore
Caleb Morris (141 lbs.) and red-shirt freshman
Dillon Keane (165 lbs.) each claimed their first NCAA Regional crowns.
Senior
Matt Siszka (125 lbs.), now a two-time NCAA National Qualifier, red-shirt sophomore
Nate Smith (157 lbs.), and senior, three-time NCAA All-American
Brock Biddle (174 lbs.) all placed third to punch their tickets to the NCAA National Championships.
First Round Pairings and Individual Wrestler Information:
125 lbs. – Matt Siszka (SR) (Leechburg, Pa. / Kiska High School)
--four-year starter at Pitt-Johnstown
--19-6 overall record in 2021-22
--2021 and 2022 NCAA National Qualifier
--2021 NCAA Super Region I Runner-up
--2022 NCAA Super Region I-Third-Place
--
Pig-Tail Match-up vs. No. 6-seeded Josh Portillo (18-5) (Nebraska-Kearney)
141 lbs. – Caleb Morris (R-SO) (Waynesburg, Pa. / Waynesburg High School)
--two-year starter at Pitt-Johnstown
--Transferred to Pitt-Johnstown after one season at West Virginia University
--2022 is Morris' first NCAA Tournament
--16-5 overall record in 2021-22
--2022 NCAA Super Region I Champion
--Won by Technical Fall over Seton Hill's Joe Cawoski, 18-1 (6:39) in regional championship bout at 141 lbs.
--
First Round Match-up vs. No. 7-seeded-seeded Peter Kuster (24-8) (Drury (MO) University)
149 lbs. – Jacob Ealy (R-SO) (Aliquippa, Pa. / Hopewell High School)
--Seeded No. 4 at 149 lbs. for National Championships
--24-2 overall record in 2021-22
--Two-time NCAA Super Region I Champion – 2020 at 141 lbs. and 2022 at 149 lbs.
--Defeated Alderson-Broaddus' Laubach by Fall at 2:58 in regional championship bout at 149 lbs.
--Three-time NCAA National Qualifier (2020, 2021, 2022)
--2021 NCAA All-American (8
th-place)
--2019-20 Super Region I and PSAC Rookie of the Year
--
First Round Match-up vs. Carson Speelman (21-5) (Ashland (OH) University)
157 lbs. – Nate Smith (R-SO) (Murrysville, Pa. / Franklin Regional High School)
--Three-year starter at Pitt-Johnstown
--2022 NCAA Super Region I-Third-Place
--Defeated Mercyhurst's Max Stedeford, 6-2, in Third-Place bout at Regional Tournament at 149 lbs.
--20-4 overall record in 2021-22
--2022 is Morris' first NCAA Tournament
--2022 NCAA Super Region I-Third-Place
--
First Round Match-up vs. No. 3-seeded Josiah Rider (24-2) (Adams State (CO) College)
165 lbs. – Dillon Keane (R-FR) (McKean, Pa. / Bradford High School)
--Two-year starter at Pitt-Johnstown
--Seeded No. 5 at 165 lbs. for National Championships
--21-1 overall record in 2021-22
--2022 is Keane's' first NCAA Tournament
--2022 NCAA Super Region I Champion
--Defeated Millersville's Brandon Connor by Major Decision, 8-0, in regional championship bout at 165 lbs.
--
Pigtail Match-up vs. Rahsaan Vereen (21-13) (UNC-Pembroke)
174 lbs. – Brock Biddle (SR) (Martinsburg, Pa. / Central Martinsburg High School)
--4-Time NCAA National Qualifier
--Three-time NCAA All-American (4
th in 2019, NWCA All-American in 2020, 6
th in 2021)
--2022 NCAA Super Region I-Third-Place
--23-4 overall record in 2021-22
--Defeated Millersville's Anthony Yacovetti, 4-1, in Third-Place Match at Regional Tournament at 174 lbs.
--2020 and 2021 NCAA Super Region I Champion
--2018-19 Super Region I and PSAC Rookie of the Year
--Two-time All-PSAC selection (3
rd-Team in 2018-19, Second-Team in 2019-20)
--
Pig-Tail Match-up vs. Allen Michael (18-8) (New Mexico Highlands)
Wrestling is scheduled to begin on Friday at 12 p.m. EDT with Session I (Preliminaries/ First Round) (120 Matches).
Friday's Session II will begin at 6 p.m. EDT and consist of the Second Round Matches (120 matches)
On Saturday, Session III will start on Friday at 11:00 a.m. EDT and consist of the Championship Semifinals, Third Round of Consolations, Consolation Semifinals, and Third, Fifth, and Seventh-Place Matches (90 matches)
The Parade of All-Americans will take place on Saturday at 7:40 p.m. EDT, followed the Championship Finals scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. EDT (10 matches).
