The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown will induct six new members as part of the 16^th Athletics Hall of Fame class on Saturday, April 26 in the Pitt-Johnstown Wellness Center.  The Class of 2025 includes:  Thad Benton '06 (Wrestling), Eric Bowser '92 (Wrestling), Quinton Davis '09 (Men's Basketball), Janet Hess '95 (Women's Basketball), Melissa Patterson-Yarkowski '05 (Women's Basketball), and Alicia Zack-Brentzel '11 (Women's Soccer).
 
                The Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame was created in 2007 to honor prestigious groups of athletes, coaches, and university supporters and their champion spirits. These individuals merit distinction for their accomplishments and leadership in athletic endeavors for Pitt-Johnstown.  Since its inception in 2007, 80 individuals and three teams have earned induction.
 
                The reception is 4:30 p.m. in the Sports Center Hall of Fame Room and dinner is 5:30 p.m. in the Wellness Center.
 
                Pitt-Johnstown Alum and Tribune-Democrat sportswriter Mike Mastovich will serve as Emcee for this year's event.
                  From 2001 through 2006, Thad Benton's efforts on the Pitt-Johnstown wrestling mat established him as one of the all-time greats in Mountain Cat history.  Mr. Benton, a three-time All-American, became Pitt-Johnstown's eighth individual wrestler to win a NCAA Division II National Championship in 2005, before becoming the third to win multiple titles when he duplicated the feat again the following season.
                Mr. Benton, a former Pennsylvania State Champion Runner-up at Claysburg-Kimmel High School, joined the Mountain Cats for the 2001-02 season and took a red-shirt.
                As a red-shirt freshman in 2002-03, Mr. Benton won the starting job at 133 lbs. and posted a 25-9 overall record on his way to securing his first All-America honor with a fifth-place finish and earning the Most Falls in the Least Amount of Time Award at the National Tournament.
                A year later, the Claysburg, Pa. native, was 16-2 before an injury ended his season.
                Mr. Benton returned to the mat in 2004-05 at 141 lbs. and went 30-5 with a team-leading 16 falls.  He claimed his first of two NCAA East Regional crowns, before defeating Nebraska-Omaha's Eli Dominguez, 9-4, in the National Title bout at 141 lbs. to become Pitt-Johnstown's eighth individual champion and help lead the Mountain Cats to a fourth-place finish.  That season, Wrestling Report.com named him Pennsylvania's Collegiate Wrestler of the Year.
                Mr. Benton continued to dominate in his final year by going 41-6 with 17 more falls, winning the title at 141 pounds at the Slippery Rock Open, and placing eighth at the Division I-dominated Midlands Open.  After winning his second consecutive East Region Championship, Mr. Benton led Pitt-Johnstown to a sixth-place national finish and became the Mountain Cats' third wrestler to win multiple national titles with his win over Central Oklahoma's Kyle Evans.
                His 17 falls in 2005-06 are still a Pitt-Johnstown record for the 141-lb. weight class, while is 121 career wins rank 16^th on the Mountain Cat Wins List, and his .842 winning percentage is ninth on the Win Percentage List.
                Mr. Benton graduated from Pitt-Johnstown in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography and began his professional career working for former Pitt-Johnstown Wrestling National Runner-up Sean Isgan at CME Engineering in Somerset, Pa.  In 2020, he moved to EVC (Enterprise Venture Corporation) where he was employed as a Quality Control Laboratory Technician.
                In Sept. 2024, Mr. Benton joined LTC Energy in Johnstown and is currently employed as a surveyor with the company.
                He currently coaches his daughter's youth softball team and has served as an assistant wrestling coach at Richland High School in Johnstown since 2008 where the program has produced three state championships, a runner-up finish and multiple Pennsylvania state-place winners.
                Benton, his wife Cortney, and three girls, Cali, Tylee, and Kensley reside in Johnstown.
                "I pushed myself to do things that I didn't want to do, to make myself better.  Everyone has a breaking point, I knew that to get to where I wanted to be I had to go past that point," Mr. Benton said.  "I worked my way to become a national champ, but not alone. The biggest thing that made me who I am is the people that were around me, pushing me, and wouldn't let me give up on myself.  Being inducted into the hall of fame is great, I just wish I could add the names of the people that got me to that point. The brotherhood runs deep and there is no way I could have gotten to this point without any of them."  
                  Two-time NCAA Division II Wrestling All-American and 1991 NCAA National Runner-up Eric Bowser left his mark on the Mountain Cat program, before turning his attention to serving his community as a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper and an American hero as a highly-decorated Engineer Officer in the United States Army Reserves.
                Following a stellar career at Richland High School that saw him post a 114-12 overall and place three times at the PIAA State Championships, including winning state championship in 1986, Mr. Bowser brought his talents to Pitt-Johnstown in 1989 to wrestle for legendary Coach Pat Pecora.
                Mr. Bowser won an NCAA Regional Championship as a sophomore in 1990, before repeating that feat and closing out his junior season as the 1990-91 NCAA National Runner-up at (126) lbs.  In the process, Mr. helped Pitt-Johnstown earn a top-25 finish national finish for the second straight year.
                In his final season of wrestling, Mr. Bowser won his third consecutive NCAA Regional title and became an All-American for the second time by placing fourth at the National Tournament in 1992.  The Mountains Cats claimed the NCAA East Region championship and placed seventh at the national tournament to mark the program's second highest finish to that point.
                Mr. Bowser then helped Coach Pecora as assistant coach for the 1992-93 season after earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Geography with a minor in Environmental Biology.
                In July 2006, Mr. Bowser entered the Pennsylvania State Police Academy and has been a Pennsylvania State Police Trooper since December 2006, with time stationed at the Coudersport, Indiana, and Somerset Barracks.  He is currently stationed at the Everett Turnpike Barracks in Bedford County.
                Along with serving his community. Mr. Bowser enlisted in the United States Army Reserves on September 10, 2001.  He spent two years as an enlisted member and the last 21 years as a Commissioned Officer and has earned numerous awards for valor, including a Bronze Star (BSM), Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) – 2, Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) – w/ 2 OLC, Army Achievement Medal (AAM) – 1, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal (ARCAM) w/ 2 Silver OLC, National Defense Service Medal (NDSM), Iraqi Campaign Medal (ICM) w/ Bronze Service Star Device, Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) w/ Bronze Service Star Device, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (GWOTEM) w/ Bronze Service Star Device, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal (GWOTESM) w/ Bronze Service Star Device, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) w/ Silver Hourglass and M-3, Army Service Ribbon (ASR), Army Service Ribbon (ASR), Army Overseas Service Ribbon (OSR) – 3, Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon (ARCOTR), Army Reserve Component Overseas Training Ribbon (ARCOTR), Meritorious Unit Commendation – 2, and De Fleury Award – Bronze Medal Bronze Star, two Meritorious Service Medals an Army Achievement Medal, a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal with Bronze Star Service Device.
                Currently, Mr. Bowser is the Battalion Engineer Branch Officer-In-Charge (OIC) and Observer Controller / Trainer (OC/T) with the 2-312^th Training Support Battalion in Coraopolis, Pa.
                From 1993 through 2006, Mr. Bowser coached wrestling at both the elementary and high school levels in the Richland and Forest Hills School Districts.
                He was also a certified PIAA Wresting Official from 1997-2000.
                In 1990 Mr. Bowser earned induction into the Johnstown War Memorial Athlete Hall of Fame and in 2014 he was inducted into the District 6 Wrestling Hall of Fame.
                The native of Windber, Pa. and his wife Amy and daughter Ashley, reside in Windber, PA.
                "We live in the greatest country in this world, find out what you want, find out what it costs, and pay the price.  Self-Discipline Equals Freedom," Mr. Bowser said.  "Coach Pecora gave all his wrestlers the opportunity to win at life and to be better than they ever thought they could be.  He was not only a father to us, but he helped us to become Doctors, Engineers, coaches, teachers, Soldiers, business owners, PA State Troopers, community leaders, Pittsburgh Steelers, and of course great sons, fathers, and husbands."
              Pittsburgh native Quinton Davis, a two-time West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) selection, finished his standout Pitt-Johnstown men's basketball career ranked in the top-seven in four offensive statistical categories, including second on the Mountain Cat all-Time 3-Point Field Goals List.
                Mr. Davis joined Head Coach Bob Rukavina's Pitt-Johnstown squad in 2005-06 after a stellar career at West Mifflin Area High School and averaged 4.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.  He joined the Mountain Cats' starting line-up the following year and averaged 11.4 points and 5.0 rebounds, and led the WVIAC in 3-point field goal percentage in Pitt-Johnstown's first season in the conference.
                As a junior in 2007-08, Mr. Davis earned Honorable Mention All-WVIAC honors after helping to lead Pitt-Johnstown to a regular season conference title and spot in the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament.  He ranked second on the team in
 
rebounding (5.6 rpg.) and assists (4.0 apg.), and third in scoring (12.7 ppg.) and finished fifth in the WVIAC in free-throw percentage (84.3%) and sixth in steals per game (1.87 spg.).
               
               
                Mr. Davis continued to build his impressive resume as a senior in 2008-09 by being named First-Team All-WVIAC and earning a spot on the All-WVIAC Tournament Team after helping to guide the Mountain Cats to a conference tournament championship and a second straight berth in the NCAA East Region Tournament.  His 17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game were all second on the team and his 83.5% free-throw percentage paced Pitt-Johnstown and ranked fifth in the WVIAC.
                He closed out his Mountain Cat career ranked second on the Pitt-Johnstown All-Time 3-point field goals list (174), fifth in scoring (1,441 points), sixth in rebounding (611 rebounds), and seventh in assists (368 assists). Mr. Davis still ranks eighth in 3-pointers, 10^th in both rebounding and assists, and 12^th in scoring.
                In 2014-15 Mr. Davis played professionally in Jakarta, Indonesia for Laskar Drea South Sumatra in the ASEAN Basketball League and served as a liaison to Laskar Draya and a variety of stakeholders to raise awareness about basketball and the organization with the intent to increase interest and popularity for the sport in Indonesia. 
                Mr. Davis graduated from Pitt-Johnstown in December 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Secondary Education Citizen Citizenship and began his teaching career in 2014 in Jakarta, before serving as a social studies teacher and history, geography, civics, and moral education teacher in Conakry, Guinea from 2016-2018.
                He earned the "You Inspire Us" Award at the Career & Education Fair at National High Jakarta School in 2015.
                Mr. Davis returned to the United States in 2018 and is currently a history teacher at Fort Worth Country Day School in Fort Worth, Texas.
                Mr. Davis and his wife, Jeanelle, who served tours in Jakarta, Indonesia and Conakry, Guinea as a foreign service officer for the United States State Department, reside in Fort Worth with their daughters Quest and Qairo.
                "The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown was the first place I spent significant time away from home, and it profoundly shaped my understanding of the world and my values as an adult," Mr. Davis said.  "Pitt-Johnstown was a perfect fit for 17-year-old Quinton, providing a place where I could learn and grow. The education department introduced me to the professionalism essential for a career in teaching, while my studies in history exposed me to the guidance of inspiring professors like Dr. Raymond B. Wrabley, Dr. Catherine Cox, and Dr. Robert Matson, who expanded my perspective of the world.  Shortly after, I met my wife, Jeanelle, who was just beginning her journey toward a career with the State Department. Her path took us around the world, immersing me in cultural experiences that continue to inform my career to this day. Receiving this honor feels like a full-circle moment.  Finally, I'm grateful for Coach Rukavina, who believed in me when few others did. His encouragement, guidance, and genuine care had a lasting impact on my life—one I could never fully repay."
                  Women's Basketball Division II Bulletin Honorable Mention All-American, Janet Hess, finished her Lady Cat basketball career ranked among the program's all-time leaders in scoring and assists.  Under the leadership of Head Coach, Jodi Gault, she was a part of the 1992 and 1993 NCAA East Regional Championship teams.  
                Ms. Hess, a native of Creekside, Pa., had an outstanding career at Marion Center High School. She scored 1,863 points, dished out 750 assists, and led her team to a 105-20 overall record. In 1991, she committed to Pitt-Johnstown, one of the top women's basketball programs in the country.
               
                During her freshman campaign, the Lady Cats won the Mideast Conference Title, were the NCAA East Regional Champions, and were ranked as high as number 5 in the nation.  The following season she helped lead the Lady Cats to a 2nd straight East Regional Crown.  Ms. Hess was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament where she averaged 22.5 points, 7 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game.
                Ms. Hess, a two-year Lady Cat team captain, and a two-time Mountain Cat Classic All-Tournament Team selection, was named Women's Basketball Division II Bulletin Honorable Mention All-American following the 1993-94 season. At the time, she became the program's 20^th 1,000-point scorer.  During her senior season in 1994-1995, she led Pitt-Johnstown to a 19-8 overall record. In her four seasons at Pitt-Johnstown, the Lady Cats posted an 88-24 (.786) overall record.
                The recipient of the 1994 University of Pittsburgh Golden Panther Scholar-Athlete Award, Ms. Hess ended her career ranked 10th on the Lady Cat All-Time Scoring List (1,340 points) and fourth on the All-Time Assists List (524).  She still ranks 15^th on the scoring list, fourth on the assists leaders' list, and is the program's leader in rebounding for point guards, with 417.
                Ms. Hess served as a student assistant for Coach Gault in 1995-96 and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education.  She was hired by the Harmony Area School District as a middle school History teacher, where she was employed from 1996-2006.  During that time, she also served as the varsity girls' basketball coach where she was named Indiana Gazette Coach of the Year during the 2000-2001 season. Additionally, she was honored by the Indiana County Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.  
                In 2006, she relocated to Houston, Pa., and was hired by the Burgettstown Area School District. Currently, she teaches sixth-grade English Language Arts and Social Studies. She has also served as a grade-level representative and a mentor teacher at various times in the district.
                Ms. Hess is a member of the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), Allison Park Elementary Parent Organization, and is a volunteer coach in the Chartiers-Houston Youth Girls' Basketball Association.  She and her spouse, Becky Siembak, reside in Houston, Pa. with their children Harper and Hudson.
                "Competing for a prestigious program under the guidance of Coach Gault fills me with immense pride and a deep sense of gratitude," Ms. Hess said. "The invaluable support and friendships I experienced with my coaches and teammates at Pitt-Johnstown profoundly influenced my personal and athletic development. Receiving this honor is truly humbling, and I am appreciative of the university for the opportunities it offered me to thrive both in basketball and in my academic pursuits. The experiences I gained at UPJ have left an indelible mark on my life.  Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Nancy and Edward Hess, for their unwavering support throughout my athletic career. Without their guidance and encouragement, I would not have had the opportunity to pursue my passion."  
                 From 2001-2005, Melissa Patterson-Yarkowski epitomized what it meant to be a student-athlete. On the court, Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski earned Honorable Menton All-American honors on Head Coach Jodi Gault's Lady Cat basketball team and became the program's initial First-Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American with her work in the classroom.
                After a standout career that saw her score nearly 1,500 points at Juniata Valley High School, Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski, who received an Academic-Leadership Scholarship, came to Pitt-Johnstown and played in 14 games as a true freshman, before seeing action in every game as a sophomore and averaging 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds on her way to helping the Lady Cats earn their 14^th appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2002-23.
                The native of Alexandria, Pa. joined Coach Gault's starting lineup as a junior and finished as the team's second-leading scorer (14.7 ppg.) and rebounder (5.3 rpg.) in helping to guide the Lady Cats to another NCAA Tournament appearance.  Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski was named Most Valuable Player at the Converse (S.C.) Tournament and secured a spot on the Mountain Cat All-Tournament Team.
                However, as a senior in 2004-05, Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski proved to be one of the top players in Division II basketball.  She ranked 10^th in the country in scoring at 22.3 points per game and 22^nd in steals per game at 3.4 and was named Independent Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-American by Kodak, Daktronics, and Women's Division II Bulletin.  Her 22.3 points per game are still tied with fellow Hall of Famer Denise Gallo for the Lady Cat Single-Season Scoring Record.  Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski led or tied for the team lead in scoring 22 times and scored 20 or more points 19 times, including a career-high 38 points against Shepherd (WV) University on Feb. 21, 2005.
                Along with the stellar season on the court in 2004-05, Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski was the first women's basketball player to be named First-Team Academic All-American by ESPN the Magazine.
                She finished her career ranked 16^th and currently ranks 22^nd on the Lady Cat All-Time Scoring List with 1,196 points.
                After receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Information Systems and Managerial Accounting and a NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship in 2005, Ms. Yarkowski spent the 2005-06 season as an assistant coach on Coach Gault's staff before beginning her professional career.
                Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski, also a member of the Pitt-Johnstown women's track and field team, earned a Master's of Business Degree from the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business in 2010.
                As a professional, she worked at the University of Pittsburgh/UPMC Hillman Cancer Center for over 18 years, most recently as the Associate Director of Clinical Research Finance.
                In 2024 Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski joined the staff at New York City's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to conduct clinical trials to study new treatments and therapies for Cancer patients that will hopefully one day lead to a cure!
                Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski, also a volunteer for the Monroeville Baseball and softball Association (MBSA), and her husband Anthony, a former Mountain Cat baseball player, and their children Garrett and Addison reside in Monroeville.
              "I am honored to be inducted into the UPJ Hall of Fame and join an accomplished and talented group of men and women," Ms. Patterson-Yarkowski said.  "I will be forever grateful to my coaches for giving me the opportunity to be part of the Lady Cat Women's Basketball program, and for the lifelong lessons and intangibles they taught me while playing a sport that I love."
                  From 2006 through the 2009 season, Alicia (Zack) Brentzel proved to be a cornerstone of Pitt-Johnstown women's soccer on her way to being named Honorable Mention All West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) and setting all of the Mountain Cat scoring records.
                Ms. (Zack) Brentzel joined the Mountain Cat soccer team in its second year of existence in 2006 after a standout career at Norwin High School.  As a freshman, Ms. (Zack) Brentzel helped Pitt-Johnstown boast a 12-3-1 overall record by setting program records of 22 goals and accumulating 53 points, records that still stand today.
 
                The Irwin, Pa. native continued her career with seven goals, three assists, 17 points as a sophomore, before adding seven goals, six assists and 20 points in Pitt-Johnstown's first season in the WVIAC to earn honorable mention all-conference honors.
               
                Ms. (Zack) Brentzel closed out her four-year Mountain Cat career by adding eight goals, three assists, and 17 more points to her resume in her final season in 2009.
                When she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology with a minor in Math and Biology in 2011, Ms. (Zack) Brentzel held the Pitt-Johnstown women's soccer career records for goals (44), assists (21), points (109), and game-winning goals (8).  She continued to hold all of those record until 2024 when her game-winning goals record was snapped.
                Ms. (Zack) Brentzel, also a member of the Pitt-Johnstown women's track and field team throughout her college career, married former Pitt-Johnstown wrestler A.J. Brentzel in 2012. She began her professional career as a Mechanical Engineer at Philips Respironics. She remained in that position until being promoted to Associate Global Product Manager upon obtaining her Master's Degree in Business Administration from Katz in 2015. She remained in that role for two years until deciding to jump all in to help run her and her husband's construction company. Today, Brex Enterprises has grown to 50 employees with work being completed in several states.
                In 2023, Ms. (Zack) Brentzel began consulting to help other construction companies increase profits and reduce stress.
                Ms. (Zack) Brentzel, named to Construction Equipment's 40 Under 40 in 2023, is a member of the Women's Energy Network where she has held positions from treasurer to president, and is the founding member and past treasurer of Crew Collaborative, a nonprofit group aiming to increase participation in the trades.
                In 2023, Ms. (Zack) Brentzel created the "New For You" Toy Drive where gently used toys are collected for the public to shop with no restrictions for the holidays. They've helped over 1000 kids in the last two years.
                The Brentzel's and their five children, Bo and Blaire (10), Case (7), Cori (5), Deacon (2), reside in Irwin on their family farm they purchased in 2019.
                "Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is an incredible honor and a humbling surprise," Ms. (Zack) Brentzel said. "Since leaving Pitt Johnstown, I've been on a journey to create a legacy elevating those around me and striving to be my best in everything I do. I think once you become an athlete at a certain level, that drive never leaves. I never imagined that I already left such an impact on a program still in its early days. As athletes do, I still replay moments I could have been better—shot more, ran faster, stayed healthy longer, so to be included in this class of athletes is truly fulfilling, and it's an honor beyond words to know that my contributions were enough."
       
        Pitt-Johnstown's inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class was inducted on September 30, 2007 and included:  Lisa Britt (Women's Basketball), Sean Isgan (Wrestling), Carl Sax (Men's Basketball), C. Edward Sherlock (Men's Basketball and Athletic Director), and James Wilkes (Men's Basketball)