Second-year Head Coach Tyler Reinhart and his Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cat wrestling squad, ranked third in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Division II Preseason National Poll, return six starters, including NCAA Division II All-Americans Trevon Gray (125 lbs.) (Newport News, VA) and Isaiah Vance (285 lbs.) (New Stanton, Pa.), three National Qualifiers in Chad Ozias (141 lbs.) (Connellsville, Pa.), Cooper Warshel (157 lbs.) (Johnstown, Pa.), and Noah Gnibus (Mount Pleasant, Pa.), and 2024-25 starter Tyson Cook (133 lbs.) (Scranton, Pa.).
        The Mountain Cats return a bunch of talented and accomplished wrestlers, but must replace All-American Dakoda Rodgers (197 lbs.), National Qualifier Mason Myers (141 lbs.), and Macon Myers (165 lbs.).
 
        The following is a tentative weight-by-weight preview of the 2025-26 Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cat wrestling team.
 
125-lb. Weight Class
         Three-time NCAA national qualifier and two-time All-American Trevon Gray, the NWCA Preseason No. 1-ranked wrester at 125 lbs., returns to the Mountain Cat starting line-up for his red-shirt season.  The three-time Super Region I Champion First-Team All-PSAC selection placed third at last year's national tournament after becoming an All-American with a seventh-place finish in 2024.  Gray went 27-8 overall and 13-2 in dual meets and was second on the team in falls (7) and technical falls (7) and placed eighth at the Midwest Classic.  Also a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American, Gray needs 23 victories to become Pitt-Johnstown's 29^th wrestler to reach 100 career wins.  A freshman in this weight class is:  two-time West Virginia State Champion Pepper Martin (Morgantown, W.Va.).
 
133-lb. Weight Class
    Sophomore Tyson Cook won the starting job as a true freshman in 2024-25 and is expected to retain that spot again this year.  Cook, a third-team All-PSAC choice, went 18-12 overall and 11-4 in dual meets and placed fourth at the NCAA Super Region I Championship.  Red-shirt sophomore Connor Demcher (Clair, Pa.) could also push for time on the mat after red-shirting as a freshman and wrestling in open tournament last season.  Freshmen in this weight class include: Michigan State Champion Brady Baker (St. Joseph, Mich.) and two-time Pennsylvania section champion Anthony Mucci (Derry, Pa.).
 
141-lb. Weight Class
    2025 NCAA national qualifier Chad Ozias is expected to drop from 149 lbs. to 141 lbs. and replace national Qualifier Mason Myers, who graduated after the 2024-25 season.  Ozias began his career at 133 lbs. and moved to 149 lbs. last year.  Ozias, a First-Team All-PSAC selection, was 15-11 overall and 7-4 in dual meets and won a Super Region I championship for Pitt-Johnstown.  Red-shirt junior Braxton Rice (Spring Grove, Pa.), Rahul Raghuram (Dublin, Ohio), and Trennen Smith (Fairview, Mich.) will bring depth and added experience in this weight class.  Kobi Burkett (New Pari, Pa.) is a junior in this weight class and freshmen in this weight class include: two-time PA AA State Place-winner Gideon Bracken (Vintondale, Pa.), two-time PIAA AAA State-Place-winner Elijah Brosius (Oil City, Pa.), PIAA AAA State Qualifiers Kase Chopp (Butler, Pa.) and Zach Sherman (Chambersburg, Pa.).
 
149-lb. Weight Class
         Two-time NJCAA National Champion and preseason NWCA No. 9-ranked Matt Sarbo (Altoona, Pa.) will take over the starting spot at 149 lbs. after taking a red-shirt last season.  Sarbo, the 2023-24 NJCAA National Wrestler of the Year and top Pound-For-Pound Wrestler in Junior College posted 49-3 overall record in two seasons at Iowa Central Community College.  Sarbo was also a four-time PIAA AAA State Qualifier and a PIAA State-Place winner who finished his career at Altoona Area High School with a 113-19 record.  Red-Shirt sophomores Chad Jesko (Dunbar, Pa.) and Evan Wilcox (Germantown, Ohio) will also compete for time on the mat at 149-lbs.  If they don't wrestle at 141 lbs., freshmen in this weight class are Brosius, Burkett, and Chopp.
 
157-lb. Weight Class
        University of Pittsburgh transfer and 2023-24 NCAA National Qualifier Cooper Warshel, ranked 15^th in the NWCA Preseason Poll, is expected to hold on to his starting spot as a red-shirt junior.  Warshel, the 2023-24 PSAC Freshman of the Year and Super Region I Champion, was 20-11 overall and 11-4 in dual meets with a team-best 13 wins by decision a year ago.  He placed fourth at the Super Region I tournament and eighth at the Midwest Classic on his way to earning Third-Team All-PSAC honors.  Warshel will face strong competition for the starting job from red-shirt sophomore Carter Weaver (Williamsport, Pa.), and a pair of red-shirt freshmen in two two-time PIAA AA State Place-winner Elias Long (York, Pa.) and PIAA AA state-Place-winner Isaiah Pisano (Aliquippa, Pa.).  A freshman in this weight class is Andrew Mardula (Lilly, Pa.).
 
165-lb. Weight Class
      At 165 lbs., red-shirt freshman Trent Hoover (Cresson, Pa.) and red-shirt sophomore Gavyn Beck (Murrysville, Pa.) will compete for the starting duties at 165 lbs. with the loss of Macon Myers.  Beck went 7-12 overall last year and 4-4 in dual meets sharing starting time in this weight class.  Beck, who recorded four decisions, a pair of major decisions, and one default victory, wrestled at last year's Midwest Classic, but did not place.  Hoover, who will make his Mountain Cat debut, placed seventh at the PIAA AA State Tournament in 2024 and posted a 126-33 overall career record in high school.  Red-shirt freshmen Josh Barlow (Kennett Square, Pa.), a two-time PIAA AAA State qualifier, Ricky Halford (Ringtown, Pa.), a PIAA AA State qualifier, will also start their collegiate careers and battle for time on the mat.
 
174-lb. Weight Class
        True freshman Ty Morrison (Landisburg, Pa.) is expected to win the starting job at 174 lbs. and replace Tony Salopek who won this spot a year ago.  Morrison, a former PIAA AAA State Champion, recorded 173 career wins in high school and was ranked 12^th in the country in his weight class.  Morrison also placed fifth at the Super 32 Tournament and was named the Mid-Penn Conference Wrestler of the Year following his senior season.  Red-shirt sophomore Jimmy Spindler (Pittston Township, Pa.), a former PIAA AA State Qualifier, wrestled in open tournaments and exhibition matches for Pitt-Johnstown last year.
 
184-lb. Weight Class
        2025 NCAA Division II National Qualifier and Second-Team All-PSAC selection Noah Gnibus returns to the Mountain Cats for his red-shirt junior season.  Gnibus, ranked sixth in the NWCA Preseason Poll, went 17-12 overall and 10-5 in dual meets on his way to finishing as the Super Region I Tournament runner-up last season.  Red-shirt junior Bryan Green (Towanda, Pa.) and red-shirt sophomore Teague Conover (Abbottstown, Pa.), a former PIAA AAA State Qualifier, also have experience in this weight class.  A freshman in this weight class is Julien Smith (New Kensington, Pa.).
 
 197-lb. Weight Class
    Red-shirt junior and Lock Haven University transfer Brad Morrison (Landisburg, Pa.) should win the starting place at 197 lbs. and replace All-American Dakoda Rodgers.  Morrison, the older brother of Ty Morrison, took a red-shirt last year.  Morrison posted a 133-27 overall career high school record and was a PIAA AA State Runner-up.  Red-shirt sophomore Owen Ott (Irwin, Pa.), who placed eighth at the 2023 PIAA AAA State Tournament, and Aiden Hight (Chambersburg, Pa.), a transfer from North Dakota State University and former PIAA AA State Place-winner, could also push for time on the mat this season.  A freshman in this weight class is Virginia State District Runner-up Ethan Osborn (Hayfield, Va.).
 
285-lb. Weight Class
        Two-time All-American and 2025 NCAA Division II National Finalist Isaiah Vance is back for his red-shirt senior season.  The Vance, the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 285 lbs. and the 2024 PSAC and Super Region I Wrestler of the Year, was 26-5 overall and 10-2 in dual meets, before suffering a narrow loss in last year's national championship bout at 285 lbs.  A three-time All-PSAC choice, Vance place third at the Midwest Classic and was selected as a NWCA Scholar All-American.  He led the Mountain Cats with 11 falls in 2024-25.  Vance needs 17 wins to become Pitt-Johnstown's 29^th wrestler to reach 100 career victories.  Red-shirt sophomore Michael Mazurek (Sharon, Pa.) will serve as Vance's back-up at 285 lbs. after going 3-0 in dual meets last season.
 
        Pitt-Johnstown will visit No. 19 West Liberty (WV) for the year's first dual meet on Thursday.  The Mountain Cats will then make their home debuts against Ashland (OH) on Nov. 21, before opening the PSAC slate with a home match against Shippensburg on Dec. 5.  Both home matches are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in the Sports Center.