Head Coach Pat Pecora and the Pitt-Johnstown wrestling program have added 16 wrestlers in their 2023-24 recruiting class, including four Pennsylvania State place-winners and a two-time Michigan State Place-winner, and an Ohio State Place-winner. In addition, the Mountain Cats also signed five Pennsylvania State Qualifiers and five other talented wrestlers to this year's recruiting class.
 
The group of Pennsylvania State place-winners include Gavyn Beck (160 lbs.) (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional HS), Mason McLendon (114 lbs.) (Duncannon, Pa./Susquenita HS), Owen Ott (215 lbs.) (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford HS), and Gabriel Ruggieri (133 lbs.) (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville HS).  They are joined by two-time Michigan State Place-winner Trennen Smith (125 lbs.) (Lakeview, MI/Ausable HS) and Ohio State Place-winner Evan Wilcox (132 lbs.) (Germantown, OH/Valley View HS).
 
"Each year you want to bring in some recruits who may help immediately and others who will help in the future," Coach Pecora said.  "All of our recruits also need the academic credentials to earn a Pitt degree.  I believe we have done that with this year's recruiting class.  I also want to thank assistant coaches Shad Benton and Tyler Reinhart for another excellent recruiting season.  They have both been extremely valuable in our recruiting process over the last few years."
 
Beck, who went 37-9 as a senior and 93-40 in his career at Franklin Regional High School, placed sixth at 160 lbs. at the 2023 PIAA AAA Tournament, while McLendon, a state semifinalist, was 33-7 in 2022-23 and 113-34 overall on his way to a sixth-place finish at 114 lbs. at the PIAA AA for Susquenita High School.
 
Ott and Ruggieri each placed eighth at this year's PIAA AA State Tournament.  Ott was 37-10 at 215 lbs. in 2022-23 and 90-53 in his career for Penn Trafford High School, and Ruggieri closed out his senior season at 133 lbs. at Connellsville High School at 34-15 and 71-32 overall.
 
Joining the Pennsylvania State Place-winners is Smith, who finished fifth and seventh at the Michigan State Tournament and Wilcox, a two-time Ohio State qualifier who finished eighth in 2023.  Smith was 92-31 in his career at Ausable High School, and Wilcox posted a 126-27 overall record at Valley View High School.

Five former PIAA State Tournament Qualifiers will also join the Mountain Cats this fall, including two-time state qualifiers Michael Mazurek (285 lbs.) (Sharon, Pa./Sharon HS) and Carter Weaver (145 lbs.) (Williamsport, Pa./Williamsport HS).  Mazurek was 33-4 as a senior and 76-17 overall, and Weaver went 32-12 in 2022-23 and 107-37 overall.
 
Teague Connor (215 lbs.) (Abbottstown, Pa./Spring Cove HS), the son of former Pitt-Johnstown National Qualifier Tyke Connover, Jimmy Spindler (160 lbs.) (Pittston, Pa./Pottstown HS), and Nate Stone (139 lbs.) (Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville HS) were all PIAA AAA State Qualifiers.  Conover was 34-9 in 2022-23 and 82-43 in his career at Spring Grove High School, while Spindler went 36-6 as a senior at Pottstown High School and 119-28 overall and Stone was 26-11 in 2022-23 at Connellsville High School and 104-39 overall.
 
Pitt-Johnstown signed five additional wrestlers that include Arontay Heningcamp (114 lbs.) (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway HS) (27-10, 57-27 overall), Connor Demcher (127 lbs.) (Pottsville, Pa./Pottsville,HS) (41-9, 119-2 overall), Chad Jesko (145 lbs.) (Dunbar, Pa./Connellsville HS) (24-18, 47-38 overall), Jinan Khan (182 lbs.) (Columbia, MD/Hammond HS) (68-8 overall), and Rahul Raghuram (132 lbs.) (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman HS) (94-43 overall).

Below is an Alphabetical List of the 2023-24 Pitt-Johnstown Wrestling Recruits
 

NAME	HOMETOWN/SCHOOL	WEIGHT	RECORD	AWARDS / HONORS
Gavyn Beck	Murrysville, Pa. / Franklin Regional HS	160 lbs.	93-40	2023 PIAA AAA State Place 6th
Teague Conover	Abbottstown, Pa. / Spring Cove HS	215 lbs.	82-43	2023 PIAA AAA State Qualifier
Connor Demcher	Pottsville, Pa. / Pottsville HS	127 lbs.	119-32	AAA 4th-Place District, 6th-Place Region
Arontay Heningcamp	Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway HS	114 lbs.	57-27	AAA 3rd-Place Section, 6th-Place Region
Chad Jesko	Dunbar, Pa. / Connellsville HS	145 lbs.	47-38	AAA 2nd-Place Sections, 8th-Place Region
Jinan Khan	Columbia, MD /  Hammond HS	182 lbs.	68-8	2-time County and Regional Champion
Michael Mazurek	Sharon, Pa.  / Sharon HS	285 lbs.	76-17	2-time PIAA AA State Qualifier
Mason McLendon	Duncannon, Pa. / Susquenita HS	114 lbs.	113-34	2023 PIAA AA State Place 6th
Owen Ott	Irwin, Pa. / Penn Trafford HS	215 lbs.	90-53	2023 PIAA AAA State Place 8th
Rahul Raghuram	Dublin, OH / Dublin Coffman HS	133 lbs.	94-43	2-time Ohio State Qualifier
Gabriel Ruggieri	Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville HS	133 lbs.	71-32	2023 PIAA AAA State Place 8th
Trennen Smith	Lakeview, MI / Ausable HS	125 lbs.	92-31	2-time Michigan State Place (5th, 7th)
Jimmy Spindler	Pittston, Pa. / Pottstown HS	160 lbs.	119-28	2023 PIAA AA State Qualifier
Nate Stone	Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville HS	139 lbs.	104-39	2023 PIAA AAA State Qualifier
Carter Weaver	Williamsport, Pa. / Williamsport HS	145 lbs.	107-37	2-time PIAA AAA State Qualifier
Evan Wilcox	Germantown, OH / Valley View HS	132 lbs.	126-27	2-time Ohio State Qualifier 2023 Ohio State Place (8th)