Lycoming News

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference issued the following announcement on Mar. 23.

Kutztown’s Andrew Dunn Jr., Mercyhurst’s Dillon Walker and Pitt-Johnstown’s Pat Pecora all garnered major awards for the All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Teams, the league office announced Wednesday. Along with the major award winners, First, Second, and Third-Team All-Conference selections were announced. 

All-conference teams and major award winners are decided by a vote of the league’s head coaches. 

Dunn Jr. captures his second consecutive Athlete of the Year honor after earning it in 2019-20. Dunn Jr. dominated the 285-weight class once again this season in the PSAC, while also becoming the DII runner-up at the 2022 NCAA DII Championships in St. Louis. Dunn Jr. is in elite company in Kutztown history as one of three three-time All-Americans following this season. In three seasons for the Golden Bears, he’s recorded a 69-3 overall record (.958), a 61-match winning streak, three Super Region 1 Titles and the 2019 National Title. 

Mercyhurst’s Dillon Walker earned Rookie of the Year honors following a great first season for the Lakers. Walker, a Freshman from Cincinnati, Ohio, placed fifth at NCAA DII Nationals at 174lbs. He earned All-American honors after the fifth-place finish and finishing the year with a 31-8 overall mark. Walker is the first Mercyhurst Laker to win PSAC Rookie of the Year since Eric Bartos did back in 2017-18. 

Pat Pecora led the Mountain Cats to yet another outstanding season. He captures back-to-back Coach of the Year honors in the PSAC. Pecora earns the conference Coach of the Year after being announced as the NCAA DII National Wrestling Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career. Pecora led the Mountain Cats to a 3-1 dual meet record this season and the program’s 24th NCAA Regional Title. UPJ earned its sixth consecutive conference championship and he coached six Mountain Cats to qualify for the National Championships. 

UPJ had the most first-team honorees on the all-conference teams with four, while they tallied five overall all-conference members. Gannon had the most overall all-conference members with seven spread across all three teams. For the full list of All-PSAC teams, see the squads below:

PSAC Wrestling Major Award Winners

Athlete of the Year: Andrew Dunn Jr., Kutztown

Rookie of the Year: Dillon Walker, Mercyhurst

Coach of the Year: Pat Pecora, Pitt-Johnstown 

PSAC WRESTLING FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE

Wt.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown / Previous School
125	Tyshawn White	Shippensburg	Jr.	Harrisburg, Pa. / Clarion
133	Collin Wickramaratna	Kutztown	Sr.	Marlton, N.J. / Cherokee
141	Caleb Morris	Pitt-Johnstown	So.	Waynesburg, W.Va. / Waynesburg
149	Jacob Ealy	Pitt-Johnstown	R-So.	Aliquippa, Pa. / Hopewell
157	Nate Smith	Pitt-Johnstown	R-So.	Murrysville, Pa. / Franklin Regional
165	Dillon Keane	Pitt-Johnstown	R-Fr.	McKean, Pa. / Bradford
174	Dillon Walker	Mercyhurst	Fr.	Cincinnati, Ohio / Lasalle High School
184	Matt Weinberg	Kutztown	Fr.	Philadelphia, Pa. / Archbishop Ryan
197	Joel Leise	Gannon	R-Jr.	Transfer, Pa. / Reynolds
285	Andrew Dunn Jr.	Kutztown	Gr.	Bethlehem, Pa. / Bethlehem Catholic

 

PSAC WRESTLING SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE

Wt.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown / Previous School
125	Jacob Dunlop	Gannon	Sr.	Rostraver Township, Pa. / Belle Vernon
133	Devin Flannery	Millersville	R-So.	Wantage, N.J. / High Point Regional
141	Alexis Soriano	Mercyhurst	Gr.	Perth Amboy, N.J. / Perth Emboy
149	Dom Means	Gannon	R-Jr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. / Central Catholic
157	Nick Young	Gannon	Jr.	Batavia, N.Y. / Alexander
165	Evan Fisler	Gannon	R-Jr.	Sewell, N.J. / Washington Township
174	Joey Petrella	Gannon	Fr.	Reynoldsville, Ohio / Bishop Hartley
184	Anthony Giampietro	Millersville	R-So.	Columbus, N.J. / North Burlington
197	Brian Kennerly	Kutztown	Gr.	Drexel Hill, Pa. / Upper Darby
285	Jacob Robb	Mercyhurst	Gr.	Kittanning, Pa. / Armstrong

 

PSAC WRESTLING THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE

Wt.	Name	School	Cl.	Hometown / Previous School
125	Matt Wilde	Kutztown	Sr.	Boyertown, Pa. / Boyertown
133	Eric Bartos	Mercyhurst	R-Jr.	Valley City, Ohio / Buckeye
141	Joel Cawoski	Seton Hill	R-Sr.	Latrobe, Pa. / Greater Latrobe
149	Mike Zacur	Mercyhurst	Fr.	Jefferson Hills, Pa. / Thomas Jefferson
157	Max Stedeford	Mercyhurst	Fr.	Sewickley, Pa. / North Allegheny
165	Brandon Connor	Millersville	R-So.	Sinking Spring, Pa. / Wilson
174	Brock Biddle	Pitt-Johnstown	R-Jr.	Martinsburg, Pa. / Central Martinsburg
184	Brandon Matthews	Seton Hill	Jr.	Venetia, Pa. / Peters Township
197	Dakoda Rodgers	Pitt-Johnstown	R-Fr.	Connellsville, Pa. / Connellsville
285	Freddie Nixon	Gannon	Sr.	Buffalo, N.Y. / St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute

ABOUT THE PSAC

Headquartered in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division II Conference comprised of 18 institutions in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The member institutions are Bloomsburg University, California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University, East Stroudsburg University, Edinboro University, Gannon University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown University, Lock Haven University, Mansfield University, Mercyhurst University, Millersville University, The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Seton Hill University, Shepherd University, Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University and West Chester University.

Original source can be found here.