Lycoming News

Noah Hunt, a senior wrestler from the Pennsylvania College of Technology, is set to compete in the NCAA Division III National Championships. The event will take place at the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island, starting Friday. Hunt is among 210 wrestlers nationwide and one of 21 in the 141-pound weight class vying for a national title.

The competition begins with preliminaries and consolation rounds on Friday morning, followed by quarterfinals and further consolation matches in the evening. Saturday will feature semifinals and additional placement matches, culminating in the championship finals at 7 p.m.

Hunt has had a successful wrestling career, highlighted by his recent performance at the Region 2 Qualifier where he finished third. He boasts a career record of 103-47 and a season mark of 19-6. Despite losing to Joseph Innamorato of Centenary during the qualifier, Hunt's determination has been praised by his coach.

"Noah embodies what we are trying to build at Penn College wrestling," said first-year coach Dalton Rohrbaugh. "He shows up early, stays late... It has been an honor to be in his corner this year." Rohrbaugh commended Hunt for being Penn College's first 100-match winner and only its second-ever NCAA qualifier.

Rohrbaugh also expressed pride in the team's overall performance at regionals, noting their top-10 finish and record number of medalists. "As a team (at regionals), I am extremely proud of how we competed," he said.

Hunt's resilience was particularly noted after overcoming a quarterfinal loss to qualify for nationals. "I'm very proud of Noah for picking himself up and not letting one loss beat him twice," Rohrbaugh stated.

Hunt previously placed eighth at the PIAA Class AA Championship during high school. This experience could serve him well as he faces tough competition at nationals.

Hunt's journey begins with a match against Sean Conway from the University of Chicago. A victory would pit him against Jacob Reed of Ohio Northern, last year's silver medalist. Other top competitors include Josh Wilson of Greensboro and Pierce Baldwin of Central.

Reflecting on his own experience as a former D-III runner-up, Rohrbaugh emphasized mindset and preparation as keys to success: "What it takes to have a successful NCAA tournament is a great mindset and proper training/weight cut leading up to the tournament."

Rohrbaugh concluded with confidence in Hunt's abilities: "The key for Noah to have success this weekend is very simple — go out on the mat and go be Noah Hunt."