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ATH04_COA_003_pecora_pat_TWrestling Adds 20 Recruits, Including Two PA State Champions and Two Runner-Ups
     06/04/07...Head Coach Pat Pecora and the Pitt Johnstown wrestling program have signed 20 recruits for the 2007-08 season, including 2007 Pennsylvania State Champion Matt Moore (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville H.S.) and 2006 State Champion Nikko Leitzel (Ridgway, Pa./Ridgway H.S.).  In addition, Pennsylvania State Runner-Ups Cody Myers (Three Springs, Pa./Southern Huntingdon H.S.) and Nathan Link (Cresson, Pa./Penn Cambria H.S.).
     Of the 20 incoming recruits, eight are Pennsylvania State Place winners, while five others qualified for the State Tournament and seven others were Regional qualifiers.
     “This could be one of our best recruiting classes in the 31 years I’ve been at Pitt Johnstown,” Coach Pecora said.  “It has both quality and quantity.”
     Heading this year’s recruiting class are State Champions Moore and Leitzel.  Moore, who represented Pennsylvania in this year’s PA vs. USA Dapper Dan Wrestling Tournament, posted a 36-1 record as a senior on his way to winning the 2007 state title at 160 lbs.  Moore wrapped up his high school career with a 146-14 overall record.  Leitzel, the 2006 PA State Champion at 140 lbs. and a third place finisher in 2007, had a 46-1 record and claimed the title at the North West Regional Tournament en route to his state title.  Leitzel finished his high school career with a 156-13 overall record.
     Pitt Johnstown also signed a pair of State runner-ups in Myers and Link.  Myers, a two-time State runner-up at 119 lbs., was 38-2 as a senior, while Link finished second in the state at 130 lbs. with a 45-4 record in 2006-07.    
     In addition, four other 2005 PA State place winners signed with Pitt Johnstown.  McGuffey High School’s Matt Scherich (West Finley, Pa.) was the AAA Southwest Regional Runner-up and placed fourth at the state tournament at 125 lbs.  Scherich recorded a 37-6 record as a senior.  Jon Moore (Leechburg, Pa./Kiski Area H.S.), whose brother Jordan is also in this year’s recruiting class, placed sixth at the states at 189 lbs. after earning the AAA Southwest Regional title.  Scherich was 34-9 in 2006-07 and 73-27 in his career.  The Mountain Cats also signed Zach Lungren (Dubois, Pa./Dubois Area H.S.) and Brock Leitzel (Ridgway, Pa./Ridgway H.S.), pair of eighth place finishers.  Lungren, who was 36-8 as a senior, was the AAA Northwest Regional Runner-up at 160 lbs., while Leitzel, the cousin of Nikko Leitzel, finished third at the AA Northwest Regional tournament.  Leitzel wrapped up the 2006-07 season with a 43-5 record.       
     Coach Pecora also added five PA State Qualifiers.  Damian Majocha (Lower Burrell, Pa./Burrell H.S.), the brother of former Mountain Cat heavyweight Zach Majocha, had a 42-7 record on his way to winning the Southwest Regional title at 171 lbs., Penn Cambria High School’s Paul Myers (Cresson, Pa.) placed fourth at the Southwest Regional Tournament at 125 lbs.  Myers had a 40-11 record as a senior.  Other State Qualifiers include: Jason Kylor (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area H.S.), Phil Slaugh (Hanover, Pa./Hanover H.S.) and Bobby Wolford (Falling Waters, Pa./Mercersburg Academy).  Kylor finished third at the Southwest Regional Tournament at 189 lbs., while Slaugh placed fourth at the Southeast Regional Tournament at 160 lbs.  Wolford was a three-time PA State Prep School Place winner.
     Seven other PA Regional Qualifiers are also among this year’s recruiting class.  They include:  Ryan Everhart (HWT.) (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon Area H.S.), Rick Shawley (WT) (Bellwood, Pa./Bellwood-antis H.S.), Jared Roberts (140 lbs.) (Washington, Pa./Trinity H.S.), Jordan Moore (152 lbs.) (Leechburg, Pa./Kiski Area H.S.), Garrett Gibson (215 lbs.) (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford H.S.), Jordan Malloy (152 lbs.) (West Mifflin, Pa./West Mifflin Area H.S.) and John McDonald (160 lbs.)(Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland H.S.).
     The Mountain Cats are coming off of a 21-5-1 dual meet season, their 20th Regional Championship and a seventh place finish at the National Tournament in 2006-07.  Eight wrestlers advanced to the 2007 Division II National Tournament at the University of Nebraska-Kearney on March 9-10, including four who were East Region Runner-Ups.  At the National Tournament, five more Mountain Cats became All-Americans.  Mike Corcetti (184 lbs.) (Export, Pa.) and Mike Fowler (197 lbs.) (Carrolltown, Pa.) both placed fourth, while Brandon Reasy (133 lbs.) (New Enterprise, Pa.) and Eli Garshnick (174 lbs.) (Armagh, Pa.) finished fifth.  Derrek Bosso (125 lbs.) (Pequea, Pa.) rounded out the All-Americans with a sixth-place finish.  As a team, Pitt Johnstown finished in seventh place for the program’s 24th Top-20 finish.  In addition, the Mountain Cats got it done in the classroom with five more NWCA All-Academic Wrestling Team selections.  Garshnick and Fowler became four-time selections when they were named to the First Team.  Joe Strittmatter (157 lbs.) (Ebensburg, Pa ) and Reasy were First Team choices for the second time, while Patrick Walsh (184 lbs.) (Leesport, Pa.) was an Honorable Mention selection. 
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