1 week Ago By The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown announced the addition of women’s wrestling and men’s and women’s swimming to support enrollment growth.“We are thrilled by the historic addition of women’s wrestling and swimming and are highly confident that these programs will make UPJ an even more compelling destination for prospective students, thereby boosting our enrollments,” Pitt-Johnstown President Jem Spectar said.
The addition of women’s wrestling to Pitt-Johnstown’s program leverages and complements its historic legacy in wrestling, providing a significant boost to student recruitment efforts throughout the commonwealth and beyond, the university said in a news release.Women’s wrestling has rapidly gained popularity in the western Pennsylvania region, with many local high schools and wrestling clubs fielding women’s wrestling teams and featuring talented student-athletes.More than 1,200 women wrestlers are competing at NCAA schools, a crucial factor in Pitt-Johnstown’s efforts to also boost its enrollment of female students.
There are currently 93 women’s wrestling programs at NCAA schools. Women’s wrestling was recently approved as the 91st NCAA-sponsored national championship for the 2025-26 season.Pitt-Johnstown men’s wrestling coach Tyler Reinhart is excited about the addition of women’s grappling.
“I think it adds a ton of opportunity,” Reinhart said in the news release. “It brings enrollment up and gets more females in the university, which is good. Adding sports in general is great.
It’s great for the whole student body, to have more events.”Reinhart, who won a national title wrestling at Pitt-Johnstown and served as an assistant to the late Pat Pecora, said adding another wrestling team to a university steeped in tradition makes sense.“Women’s wrestling right now is huge, especially in this area,” Reinhart said.
“You see how many girls are involved.“It’s not just guys now. There are thousands of girls all over the country that are super-involved.
I think it’s awesome.“It’s a huge positive for the university and the community. I’m excited for it.
”Swimming, another growing sport in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and region, is also a popular choice for high school athletes. The Pitt- Johnstown admissions office receives many inquiries about the sport of swimming from potential students, and its addition is already earning praise from potential recruits.Twelve PSAC institutions currently sponsor women’s swimming, while seven sponsor men’s swimming – making it one of the most popular sports in the PSAC.
Approximately 100 NCAA Division II schools sponsor women’s swimming, while 60 sponsor men’s swimming.“The addition of swimming, a very popular sport in the region, also leverages key strengths, including the recently renovated Zamias Aquatic Center and UPJ’s history for hosting high school swim meets on our campus,” Pitt- Johnstown Athletic Director Abby Gearhart said.With the addition of women’s wrestling at Pitt-Johnstown, the PSAC will have five universities with the sport (Gannon, East Stroudsburg, Lock Haven, West Chester and Pitt- Johnstown), and would only need one more school to host a conference championship.
Other regional institutions such as West Liberty, Frostburg State and Point Park also offer the sport.“These additions are a momentous milestone, especially given our preeminence in wrestling – thanks to the legacy of the legendary Pat Pecora, who posted a record-shattering 661 career wins, two team national titles, 25 individual titles and eight conference championships,” Spectar said.Pitt-Johnstown hired two coaches for these programs.
Shane Valko, who served as an assistant coach in the Pitt-Johnstown men’s wrestling program from 2010-16 and has experience coaching elite-level competitors, will be the new women’s wrestling coach. Valko was a 2010 national champion and played a key role in helping Pitt-Johnstown earn 48 NCAA All-Americans and four national championships.He was an NCAA Hall of Fame inductee and three-time All-American wrestler at Pitt-Johnstown.
Kile Zeller, a former assistant women’s swimming coach at St. Francis University with over 25 years of experience in the field, will be the new swimming coach. An accomplished Division I swimmer during his collegiate years at Florida State University, Zeller holds a bachelor of science degree in sociology from the University of Georgia and is a successful entrepreneur who has taught swimming to over 200 local children.
“I am thrilled to welcome these accomplished coaches and look forward to supporting their efforts and helping us meet our enrollment goals,” said Mike Drahos, associate vice president for student affairs and athletics at Pitt-Johnstown..
