Nick Coreno vs. Millersville
Taylor Brown

Men's Wrestling Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Golden Knights Win Four Bouts but UPJ Clinches PSAC Crown with 22-13 Win

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Gannon picked up wins in four bouts but the Golden Knights were unable to overcome a strong Pitt-Johnstown lineup and lost to the Mountain Cats 22-13. Gannon needed a win to forge a tie for first place in the PSAC. Gannon, ranked 14th by the NWCA and 15th by The Open Mat, wraps up the regular season at 8-7 overall and 4-2 in the PSAC. UPJ clinched the PSAC title and is now 13-2 and 6-0, respectively. The Mountains Cats are ranked seventh by The Open Mat.

As has been the case in recent matches Gannon held the lead heading into the upper weights only to see UPJ win the final three bouts, two by bonus points. The back-and-forth match saw UPJ jump out to a 6-0 lead but Gannon rallied to a 7-6 lead. All told the lead changed hands five times, with Gannon holding a 13-9 advantage after Patrick Jackson's (Harpers Ferry, WV/Spring Mills High) decision at 174 lbs.

It was a night of close matches, but the Mountain Cats held a distinct advantage with at the last two weight classes in All-Americans Dakota Rodgers (197 lbs.) and Isaiah Vance (hwt.). Rodgers won by major decision to give UPJ a 16-13 lead and Vance followed with a quick fall to clinch it for UPJ.

The match got underway at 125 lbs. with the top matchup of the evening. Trevon Gray, another UPJ returning All-American and ranked seventh, edged ninth-ranked Logan Sallot (Erie, PA/McDowell High School) 5-4. Sallot led 3-1 after one period thanks to a takedown but Gray used a second period escape and takedown to go ahead 5-3. The lone scoring in the final period was a Sallot escape as the redshirt freshman dropped to 20-5.

Amarfio Reynolds (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) filled in at 133 lbs. for Jerry Echevarria (Long Beach, N.Y./Long Beach) and dropped a 13-7 decision as Gannon fell behind 6-0. The Golden Knights won the next two bouts to take a narrow 7-6 lead. Brock Christian (Perry, Ohio/Perry) returned to the lineup at 141 lbs. and improved to 12-7 with an 11-6 decision over Mason Myers. Kenny Kiser (Meadville, Pa./Saegertown), ranked as high as third by The Open Mat at 149 lbs., followed with a 17-9 major decision over Chad Ozias. He is now 12-2.

UPJ's Cooper Warshel edged Ethan Richner (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area High) (13-7) in sudden victory, 4-1, at 157 lbs., but Nick Coreno (Willoughby, Ohio/Lake Catholic) (12-10) won a tight 10-9 decision at 165 lbs. over Macon Myers. Coreno held on following a wild third period in which he had three takedowns but Myers rallied for two late. When Patrick Jackson (Harpers Ferry, WV/Spring Mills High) (19-6), ranked 15th by The Open Mat, made it two wins in a row with a 3-0 decision over Tony Salopek, Gannon took a 13-9 lead.      

Freshman Gaetano Savelli (Kirtland, OH/Kirtland High) battled before dropping a 9-5 decision at 184 lbs. to Noah Gnibus as UPJ closed to 13-12. Rodgers, ranked sixth at 197 lbs., and Vance, ranked fifth at heavyweight, closed out the match with a major decision and fall.
Gannon returns to action on Saturday, March 1 at the NCAA Div. II Super Regional One hosted by Fairmont State.

No. 18/7 PITT-JOHNSTOWN 22, No. 14/15 GANNON 13
Friday, February 14, 2025
UPJ Sports Center
Johnstown, Pa.
 
125 lbs. – No. 7 Trevon Gray (UPJ) dec. No. 14/9 Logan Sallot (Erie, PA/McDowell High School) (GU) 5-4 (UPJ 3-0)                          
133 lbs. – Tyson Cook (UPJ) dec. Amarfio Reynolds (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) (GU) 13-7 (UPJ 6-0)
141 lbs. – Brock Christian (Perry, Ohio/Perry) (GU) dec. Mason Myers (UPJ) 11-6 (UPJ 6-3) 
149 lbs. – No. 6/3 Kenny Kiser (Meadville, Pa./Saegertown) (GU) maj. dec. Chad Ozias (UPJ) 17-9 (GU 7-6)
157 lbs. – Cooper Warshel (UPJ) dec. Ethan Richner (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte Area High) (GU) 4-1 sv (UPJ 9-7) 
165 lbs. – Nick Coreno (Willoughby, Ohio/Lake Catholic) (GU) dec. Macon Myers (UPJ) 10-9 (GU 10-9)
174 lbs. – No. 8/15 Patrick Jackson (Harpers Ferry, WV/Spring Mills High) (GU) dec. Tony Salopek (UPJ) 3-0 (GU 13-9)                                                        
184 lbs. – Noah Gnibus (UPJ) dec. Gaetano Savelli (Kirtland, OH/Kirtland High) (GU) 9-5 (GU 13-12)
197 lbs. – No. 6 Dakota Rodgers (UPJ) maj. dec. Eli Reese (Sarver, Pa./Knoch) (GU) 17-5 (UPJ 16-13)
Hwt. – No. 5 Isaiah Vance (UPJ) fall over Shane Davidson (Almond, N.Y./Wellsville) (GU) 0:20 (UPJ 22-13)                
Rankings:  NWCA/The Open Mat
 
RECORDS:  Gannon 8-7, 4-2 PSAC West; Pitt-Johnstown 13-2, 6-0 PSAC West) 
 
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Players Mentioned

Brock Christian

Brock Christian

141
Redshirt Freshman
Nick Coreno

Nick Coreno

165
Graduate Student
Shane Davidson

Shane Davidson

197
Redshirt Freshman
Jerry Echevarria

Jerry Echevarria

133
Redshirt Junior
Kenny Kiser

Kenny Kiser

149
Redshirt Junior
Eli Reese

Eli Reese

197
Redshirt Junior
Amarfio Reynolds

Amarfio Reynolds

133
Redshirt Freshman
Ethan Richner

Ethan Richner

157
Redshirt Junior
Patrick Jackson

Patrick Jackson

174
Redshirt Freshman
Logan Sallot

Logan Sallot

125
5' 4"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Brock Christian

Brock Christian

Redshirt Freshman
141
Nick Coreno

Nick Coreno

Graduate Student
165
Shane Davidson

Shane Davidson

Redshirt Freshman
197
Jerry Echevarria

Jerry Echevarria

Redshirt Junior
133
Kenny Kiser

Kenny Kiser

Redshirt Junior
149
Eli Reese

Eli Reese

Redshirt Junior
197
Amarfio Reynolds

Amarfio Reynolds

Redshirt Freshman
133
Ethan Richner

Ethan Richner

Redshirt Junior
157
Patrick Jackson

Patrick Jackson

Redshirt Freshman
174
Logan Sallot

Logan Sallot

5' 4"
Redshirt Freshman
125