Newcomers

• Captured the 2020 OHSAA Division II Team

State Championship for the first time in 61 years while recording a 15-0 record, marking their first undefeated season since 1995 • Two-time district champion (2019-20 and 2020-21) • Two-time sectional champion (2017-18 and 2020-21) • 2018-19 Eastern Ohio Wrestling League’s

Division I Co-Wrestler of the Year • Three-time All-EOWL first team selection • Three-time All-Stark County first team selections • Back-to-back EOWL champions (2019-20 and 2020-21) • 2019-20 Repository Newspaper Best of the best first team selection • 2017-18 USA Greco National Champion • 2018-19 Team MVP • Three-time team captain of the Leopards • Three-time Desire, Dedication, and

Determination Award winner

Personal

• Son of Anthony and Jen Rhoads • Birthday is July 26 • Has two brothers • Majoring in education • Joined former Leopard’s teammate

Garett Lautzenheiser at WVU

Jace Schafer

r-Fr. | 125 Walworth, N.Y./Palmyra-Macedon HS

2021-22 (Fr.)

• Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team • Registered 14 wins, including four pins, in seven opens unattached at 125 pounds • Claimed fifth place after going 3-2 record at the Edinboro Open (Feb. 6) • Recorded a 2-2 record at the prestigious

Southern Scuffle (Jan. 1-2) • Placed third with a 3-1 record at the

Ohio Intercollegiate Open (Nov. 14) • Made debut at the Clarion Open (Nov. 7)

Prep

• Four-year letterwinner for the Palmyra-

Macedon Red Raiders • Posted a 169-10 record in his scholastic career • Four-time New York State qualifier • Two-time NYSPHSAA State champion • Three-time NYSPHSAA Section V

Wrestling champions (2018-20) • Three-time NYSPHSAA Class champion (2019-21) • All-Greater Rochester Wrestler of the Year (2021) • Three-time All-Greater Rochester first team selection (2019-21) • Four-time All-Finger Lakes East first team selection (2018-21) • Three-time Finger Lakes champion (2018-20) • NHSCA All-American (2021) • Member of the Section V championship team (2020) • Four-time team captain • Two-sport athlete (wrestling and soccer) • Three-year letterwinner for the Red Raiders soccer team at the striker position • Three-time All-League first team selection • Two-time Section V champion (2018-19) • Team captain (2020)

Personal

• Son of Edward Schafer III and Kelly DeFisher • Birthday is May 28 • Has two sisters and one brother • Majoring in business administration • Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll • Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

Jordan Titus

r-Fr. | 141 Center Moriches, N.Y/Center Moriches HS

2021-22 (Fr.)

• Registered a 20-7 record, wrestling unattached in six opens at 133/141 pounds • Edinboro Open 133-pound champion (Feb. 6) • Competed at the prestigious

Southern Scuffle (Jan. 1-2) • Patriots Open 133-pound runner-up (Dec. 5) • Ohio Intercollegiate Open 133-pound champion (Nov. 14) • Placed sixth after going 4-2 in his debut in the 133-pound bracket at the Clarion Open (Nov. 7) • Team’s Rookie of the Year

Prep

• Five-year letterwinner for the

Center Moriches Red Devils • Five-time Empire State qualifier and finalist • Posted a 168-7 record in his scholastic career, with a 2019-20 undefeated season • Two-time NYSPHSAA State champion (2019 and 2020) • First ever state champion in school history • First ever New Yorker to claim the

Ironman championship (2019 • Four-time County champion • Three-time Newsday All-Long Island selection (2019-2021) • Competed at the prestigious “Who’s #1” event in Austin, Texas • Top 10 wrestler in the country by

FloWrestling (2019-20) • Journeymen New York State

Wrestling champion (2020-21) • Eastern States Wrestling Classic champion (2019-20) • NHSCA National champion (2019-20) • Super 32 All-American (4th) • Fargo All-American (6th) • Flo National All-American (8th) • Suffolk County Coaches Wrester of the Year (2019-20) • Played on the Red Devil’s soccer team in the offseason

Personal

• Son of Glenn and Darlene Titus • Birthday is December 12 • Has one sister • Majoring in sport management

2022-23 NEWCOMERS

Ian Bush

Fr. | 184 Cameron, W.Va./Cameron HS

Prep

• Four-year letterwinner for the Cameron Dragons • Claimed a 147-12 overall record, including 105 falls • Four-time West Virginia state qualifier (2019-2022) • Two-time WV Class AA/A champion (2021 & 2022) • WV Class AA/A runner-up (2020) • Two-time WV AA/A Outstanding

Wrestler (2021 & 2022) • Four-time Region I A/AA champion • Two-time OVAC Ron Mauck Tournament champion (2020 & 2022) • OVAC Bill Welker Wrestler of Year (2022) • NHSCA Virginia Beach Nationals

All-American (2019)

Personal

• Son of Shawn and Jamie Bush • Birthday is January 14 • Has one sister • Majoring in finance

Joseph Chiappazzi

Fr. | 157 Poquoson, Va./Poquoson HS

Prep

• Four-year letterwinner for the Poquoson Islanders • Three-time Virginia state qualifier • VHSL Class 2 State champion (2022) • VHSL Class 2 State runner-up (2019 & 2021) • Reached the 100-win mark for his career, including an undefeated senior season • Three-time VHSL Class 2 Team State champions

Personal

• Son of Joe and Darcey Chiappazzi • Birthday is March 3 • Has two sisters • Currently undecided

Nick Cicciarelli

Fr. | 157 Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg HS

Prep

• Four-year letterwinner for the Brownsburg Bulldogs • Claimed a 79-24 overall record, including a 26-6 mark as a senior • Indiana state qualifier • Placed fifth at the IHSAA state tournament after a runner-up finish at Semi-States (2022) • IHSAA Regional and Sectional champion (2022) • IHSAA Regional and Sectional runner-up (2021) • Hoosier Crossroads Conference (HCC) champion (2021) • Assisted the Bulldogs to an IHSWCA 3A dual state championship in 2019 and runner-up finish in 2022

Personal

• Son of Michael and Ann Cicciarelli • Birthday is December 3 • Has one brother Anthony, who wrestled at WVU • Majoring in engineering

Austin Cooley

r-So. | 197 Somerset, Mass./Wyoming Seminary/Pittsburgh

2021-22 (r-So.)

• U23 Men’s Freestyle WTT All-American • Fifth-place finisher at the U23 World

Team Trials (202 pounds - 92kg)

2020-21 (r-Fr.) - At Pittsburgh

• Posted a 4-4 in his second season with the Panthers • Made first start and led off the dual against No. 4 Virginia Tech on the road (Feb. 12)

2019-20 (Fr.) - At Pittsburgh

• Won two matches unattached at the Michigan

State Open, before suffering a season-ending injury.

Prep

• Two-year letterwinner at both Somerset

Berkley Regional (2015-16) and Wyoming Seminary (2017-18) • Two-time Massachusetts State qualifier • MA Division 3 State Champion and Runner-up at the All-State Meet as a sophomore (2016) • Assisted the Blue Raiders towards their first team

MIAA Division 3 state championship (2015) • Finished fifth as a freshman at MIAA

Division 3 State championship (2015) • Prep National Champion (2019) • Placed third as a junior at the Prep Nationals (2017) • Two-time Fargo All-American • Ranked No. 3 in the country by FloWrestling to end the 2018 season and No. 5 at 195 pounds in July of 2018

Personal

• Son of Mike and Tracy Cooley • Birthday is Feb. 28 • Has one brother • Majoring in communications

Brody Conley

Fr. | 174 Tiffin, Ohio/Columbian HS

Prep

• Four-year letterwinner for the

Tiffin Columbian Tornados • Ranked as the No. 19 recruit by FloWrestling • Closed out his career on a 119-match winning streak, including a 53-0 record as a senior • Three-time Ohio state qualifier (2019, 2021, 2022) • Two-time OHSAA Division II state champion (2021 & 2022) • Placed fourth at the OHSAA state tournament (2019) • Two-time NHSCA High School Nationals All-

American (champion in 2019 – fourth in 2021) • Walsh Jesuit Ironman champion (2021) • Played running back and linebacker for Tornados’ football program • Two-time Division I All-Ohio third team defense (2020 & 2021)

Personal

• Son of Shaun and Jen Conley • Birthday is May 18 • Has three sisters • Majoring in health and wellbeing

Brian Finnerty

Fr. | 184 Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson HS

Prep

• Four-year letterwinner for the

Thomas Jefferson Jaguars • Claimed a 121-29 overall record, including a 44-1 record as a senior (2022) • Holds the school record for total wins (121) and wins in a single season (44) • Two-time Pennsylvania state qualifier (2021 & 2022) • First PIAA individual state champion in school history (2022) • WPIAL Class 3A/PIAA Southwest

Regional champion (2022) • Two-time WPIAL Class 3A Section 2 champion (2021 & 2022) • Two-time Powerade top-6 finisher (sixth in 2021 & third in 2022) • Allegheny County champion (2022)

Personal

• Son of Brian and Kim Finnerty • Birthday is July 31 • Has two brothers • One brother, Brendan, currently wrestles at Seton Hill University • Majoring in aerospace engineering

Sam Hillegas

Jr. | 149 Pittsburgh, Pa./ North Hills HS/Virginia Tech

2021-22 (So.) – Virginia Tech

• Finished 5-3 in limited action • Scored a 5-2 decision over Pittsburgh’s Luke

Kemerer in the team’s 24-12 dual victory (Jan. 30) • Registered a 2-2 slate at the Patriot Open (Dec. 5)

2020-21 (Fr.) – Virginia Tech

• Started at 141 pounds as a true freshman • Registered a 5-5 record, including a 3-3 mark in duals • Captured first win by fall in the season opener versus Campbell (Jan. 2)

Prep

• Four-year letterwinner for the North Hills

Indians, under coach and WVU threetime All-American Vertus Jones • Claimed a 157-5 overall record while wrestling at four different weight classes (113, 126, 132, & 138) • Four-time Pennsylvania state qualifier (2017-2020) • Two-time PIAA state champion (2017 & 2018); first state champion in program history • Three-time WPIAL champion (2017, 2018, & 2019) • Four-time District 7 sectional champion (2017-2020) • Two-time Powerade Tournament champion (2017-2019 • Took fourth at both Fargo and Super 32 • Class president and Co-president of the high school varsity club

Personal

• Son of Jason and Leigh Hillegas • Father played football at Mercyhurst • Birthday is October 14 • Has two sisters and one brother • Majoring in building construction

Brayden Ivy

Fr. | 149 Morristown, Tenn./Lakeway Christian Academy

Prep

• Three-year letterwinner for the Lakeway

Christian Academy Lions • Three-time Tennessee state qualifier • Two-time TSSAA Division II State

Champion (2021 & 2022) • Two-time NHSCA High School Nationals

All-American (third in 2019 & 2022) • Two-time National Prep All-American (fourth in 2020 & 2022) • Assisted the program to its first TSSAA

Division II Dual Championship in 2022 • Fandetti-Richardson Brawl Most

Outstanding Wrestler (2022)

Personal

• Son of Keith and Sharon Ivy • Birthday is June 12 • Has one sister • Majoring in environmental geology

Dylan Kohn

So. | 174 Fredericksburg, Va./Hagerty HS/ The Master’s Academy/Edinboro

2021-22 (Fr.) – At Edinboro

• Posted 11 wins at 165 pounds • Competed at the MAC Championships • Opened his first season with a 4-1 record at the Michigan State Open (Nov. 6)

Prep

• Three-year letterwinner for the Hagerty Huskies, before transferring to wrestle for the Master’s

Academy Eagles for his senior season • Claimed a 221-29 overall record • Four-time Florida state qualifier (2018-2021) • Placed third twice at FHSAA State

Championships (2020 & 2021) • Finished fifth at the FHSAA State

Championships as a freshman (2018) • Two-time United World Wrestling (UWW) All-American • One-time Fargo Cadet Greco All-American (2018)

Personal

• Son of David and Carrie Kohn • Birthday is August 9 • Has three brothers • Majoring in exercise physiology

Leonardo Muzika

Fr. | HWT Chalfont, Pa./Faith Christian Academy

Prep

• Four-year letterwinner for the Faith

Christian Academy Lions • Claimed a 112-41 overall record, including a 35-12 record as a senior • Three-time Pennsylvania state qualifier (2020, 2021, & 2022) • Placed fifth at the PIAA Class 2A

Championships (2022) • Back-to-back runner-up finishes at the PIAA

Class 2A Southeast Regional (2021 & 2022) • Three-time District 1/12-2A champion from (2020, 2021, & 2022) • Assisted FCA to three District 1/12 2-A titles (2019, 2020, & 2022) • Reporter/Times Herald/Montgomery

Media All-Area first team (2022) • Took seventh at the Powerade

Wrestling Tournament (2021)

Personal

• Son of Bill and Shannon Muzika • Birthday is October 15 • Has four brothers and one sister • His brother Andy currently wrestles for Penn College of Technology • Majoring in exercise physiology

Michael Pescatore

Fr. | 149 Roseland, N.J./West Essex HS

Prep

• Three-year letter winner for the West Essex Knights • Posted a 50-19 overall record in three seasons, including a 18-5 record as a senior • Two-time New Jersey state qualifier (2019 & 2022) • Placed sixth at the NJSIAA state tournament as a senior in 2022 • Three-time All-Conference honoree (2022-first team, 2021-second team, 2019-hm) • Captured the program’s first NJSIAA Group 3

State Championship in 2019, as well as backto-back North II Group 3 sectional titles in 2019 and 2020 and District 5 championship in 2019 • Two-time team captain of the Knights

Personal

• Son of Thomas Pescatore and Erica Grilli • Birthday is July 17 • Has one brother • Currently undecided

2022-23 SEASON PREVIEW

2022-23 Season Preview                56 2022-23 Schedule                      57 WVU Quick Facts                      57