Wrestlers Remain #5 in Div. II Coaches Poll;
Mike Corcetti Stays #1 at 184 lbs.
12/09/06...Head Coach Pat Pecora and the Pitt Johnstown Mountain Cat wrestlers remained ranked #5 in the nation when the most recent NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches’ Association (NWCA) Poll was released this week. Among the five wrestlers who are individually-ranked, junior returning National Runner-Up Mike Corcetti (Export, Pa.) is the top-ranked wrestler at 184 lbs.
The Mountain Cats are 3-2 on the season, with their only losses coming to Division I #8-ranked Penn State University and Division I #21-reanked Lehigh University.
Along with Corcetti, who was the top-ranked wrestler at 184 lbs. coming into the season, junior All-American Albert Miles (165 lbs.) (Canonsburg, Pa.) and senior All-American Eli Garshnick (174 lbs.) (Armagh, Pa.) are both ranked third, while senior national Qualifier Mike Fowler (Carrolltown, Pa.) is fifth at 197 lbs. and red-shirt freshman Shane Valko (Windber, Pa.) is eighth at 141 lbs.
As a team, Pitt Johnstown is ranked fifth in the nation with 125 team points. Central Oklahoma University is the nation’s top-ranked team with 160 points. University of Nebraska-Kearney (150 points) is second, followed by Minnesota State-Mankato (144 points), University of Nebraska-Omaha (137 points) and Pitt Johnstown. Western State (CO) College (109 points), Upper Iowa University (99 points), Fort Hayes State (KS) University (99 points) University of Indianapolis (97 points) and Ashland (OH) University (86 points) round out the top 10.
Coach Pecora and the Mountain will wrap up the first semester at the Clarion University Duals on Sunday, December 17, where they will take on Division I opponents Lock Haven University, Kent State (OH) University and Clarion.