Dec 11, 2025 By Jonathan Guth 4 min read

Jonah Erdely was ready to put pen to paper.

The Frazier senior committed to Seton Hill University on Oct. 13, but was glad to make it official when he recently signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and wrestling careers.

“It feels great to make it official,” Erdely said. “Wrestling in college has always been a goal of mine, even when I was little. My dad was always training me and telling me I could do it.”

Erdely knew the challenge of wrestling in Pennsylvania when he entered high school, but he gained a huge boost of confidence in qualifying for the state tournament as a freshman. He was geared for another trip to Hershey during his sophomore season, but suffered a neck injury and had to miss the majority of the campaign.

“Around the Powerade tournament, which is held just after Christmas, I had some lingering symptoms in my neck that was diagnosed as a herniated disc,” Erdely said. “I had to take a few months off because it caused some pain. It was pretty scary at the time because I wondered if I would ever get the opportunity to wrestle again. When I got back into wrestling, I thought about re-injuring it again, but after a week or two, I regained my confidence.”

Erdely came back strong last season and had a record of 45-6. He qualified for his second state tournament in two postseasons, and was one victory shy of placing in the top eight in the 152-pound weight class. Erdely has a career record in high school of 92-22. He would most-likely have 100 wins if he wrestled a full season as a sophomore, but he is still eager to hit the century mark.

“The 100-win mark is something that every wrestler strives for,” Erdely said. “I had to deal with the injury and everything, which hindered me for a little bit, but I am confident in my abilities this year. I want to go out and have a great season this year and place as high as I can in the state tournament.”

Erdely is excited to compete for Vince DeAugustine at Seton Hill. The veteran coach is in his third season with the Griffins after coaching at his high school alma mater Hempfield for 16 years and two at Norwin. As a competitor, DeAugustine was a two-time state champion. The opportunity to improve under DeAugustine and wrestle close to home were key points when Erdely made his decision.

“Obviously, Coach DeAugustine is a really good coach, and the team seems to get better-and-better each year,” Erdely said. “I wanted to stay close to home. I had a tour of the campus and made an official visit before committing. I’ve always gone to two or three matches. It was the right fit for me.”

Erdely’s parents and family are glad he will be wrestling near his hometown for home matches, and Seton Hill’s campus is in Greensburg. He intends to live on campus and will be studying mathematics and data analytics while also pursuing his MBA.

“Math has always been a passion of mine,” Erdely said. “I am looking to earn three degrees in five years. I know the work ethic that I have learned from wrestling will help me with my studies in college.”

Erdely, who trains with the Hutchy Hammers and Cow Rock Wrestling Club in Connellsville when he is not practicing with his high school team, anticipates a great season for the Commodores, even though the team is struggling with numbers.

“It has been tough switching from coach to coach the last few years, but I really like Coach Brian Smith,” said Erdely. “Everyone seems to be getting better and having fun. My brother also wrestles, so that is pretty cool.”