College

Three UPJ wrestlers from WPIAL win all-PSAC honors

Jonathan Bombulie
Thursday, March 26, 2020 11:03 p.m. | Thursday, March 26, 2020 11:03 p.m.

Pittsburgh-Johnstown wrestling coach Pat Pecora (right) greets Chris Eddins, a Greensburg Salem grad and two-time national champion, as they warm up before an match against Gannon on Feb. 7, 2020.

Pitt-Johnstown’s wrestling team lost out on a legitimate chance at a team title when the NCAA Division II national championships were canceled due to coronavirus.

Three of its top wrestlers, all WPIAL graduates, received some consolation Thursday in the form of a postseason award.

Brendan Howard, Jacob Ealy and Chris Eddins earned all-PSAC honors.

Howard is a 125-pound senior from Jefferson-Morgan, Ealy a 141-pound freshman from Hopewell and Eddins a 149-pound senior from Greensburg Salem. All three were champions at the NCAA Division II Super Region I tournament. Ealy won the league’s freshman of the year award.

Second-team all-PSAC honorees included Gannon 125-pound junior Jacob Dunlop (Belle Vernon) and 149-pound sophomore Dom Means (Central Catholic), UPJ 157-pound freshman Nate Smith (Franklin Regional) and Mercyhurst heavyweight Jacob Robb (Armstrong).

Included on the third team were four Seton Hill wrestlers – 125-pound sophomore Frank Bonura (Moon), 133-pound sophomore Vincent Distefanis (Hempfield), 149-pound senior Austin Shaw (Greensburg Salem) and 197-pound junior Billy Bowlen (Carmichels). UPJ 165-pound senior Devin Austin (Penn-Trafford) and junior heavyweight Allan Beattie (Burrell) also made the third team.