Uniontown native, J-M grad Howard wins Super Region I Tournament for UPJ
Uniontown native and Jefferson-Morgan High School graduate Brendan Howard is headed to the Division II National Wrestling Championships after winning the 2019 Super Region I Tournament on Saturday at Mercyhurst University in Erie.
Howard, who has a record of 21-5 this season for the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, earned a 6-0 decision over Gannon University’s Jacob Dunlop, a Belle Vernon graduate, in the finals of the 125-pound weight class. Three of Howard’s loses have come to ranked wrestlers and two were to Division I grapplers.
Howard earned a bye into the quarterfinals, where he won an 11-1 major decision over Shippensburg’s Corbin Hopkins before advancing to the finals with a 15-0 technical fall in 3:12 over Seton Hill’s Derrick Chandler-Christie.
Howard, who was 156-35 for the Rockets and qualified for the state tournament twice and was seventh as a senior, is second in school history for career wins behind four-time state champion Gavin Teasdale, who was 162-2. Howard started his collegiate career at Clarion University before transferred to the Mountain Cats. The redshirt junior is ranked No. 9 nationally in Division II.
Howard and Dunlop (18-8) have qualified for the Division II National Wrestling Championships that will be held March 8 and 9 at The Wolstein Center on the campus of Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Pitt-Johnstown won its 22nd regional championship and first since 2016 with 141 team points. Kutztown was second with 102 and Gannon third with 94.
UPJ’s Chris Eddings (149) and Levi Niebauer (149) also won titles, and Mountain Cats head coach Pat Pecora was named the 2018-19 Super Region 1 Coach of the Year.
Pitt-Johnstown’s Joey Alessandro (2nd at 141), Corey Falleroni (2nd at 157), Brock Biddle (2nd at 184) and Devin Austin (3rd at 165) all qualified for the national tournament.
Two Waynesburg University wrestlers in Ken Burrs (197) and Jake Evans (285) have qualified for the Division III National Championships. Evans, an Elizabeth Forward graduate, is the defending national champion at 285.
Bentworth graduate Hunter Neely will represent Washington & Jefferson College in the national tournament at 157.
The Division III National Championships will be held March 8 and 9 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia.