Pennsylvania College of Technology senior Noah Hunt of Muncy became the second Wildcat wrestler in program history to advance to the NCAA Division III Championship after his third-place finish Sunday in the NCAA Division III Region 2 Championship at Lycoming College. In team competition, Penn College was 10th of 19, its best regional finish to date.

Wrestling at 141 pounds, Hunt posted a 5-1 record over two days of action — including two falls and a technical fall — as he hiked his career record to 103-45 and season mark to 20-6.

Also for the Wildcats, who set a program record with five on the regional podium, Carter Davis of York went 3-2 and placed fourth at 165, Isaac Cory of Montoursville, who went to nationals two seasons ago after placing second in the region, went 4-2 and placed fifth at 184, Nicholas Woodruff of Wyalusing went 2-3 and finished sixth at 197, and TJ Martin of Honesdale went 3-2 and placed eighth at 149.

Stevens won the team title with 153 points and was followed in the top 10 by Ithaca 115.5, Wilkes 112, RIT 107, Lycoming College 101. 5, SUNY Oneonta 99.5, Centenary, N.J. 95, St. John Fisher 78, SUNY Oswego 68.5 and Penn College 68.

Up next for Hunt will be the NCAA Division III Championship on Friday and Saturday, March 14-15, at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island.

On Saturday, Davis and Woodruff both went 2-0 in their opening matches, while Martin was 3-1, and Hunt and Cory both were 2-1.

In other first-day action, Nic Brotzman of Marietta was 1-1 before his season ended with a medical forfeit, while Justin Adams of York (125), Kaden Ware of Brooklyn, Connecticut (133), Gavin Gomes of Denville, New Jersey (157), and Cole Shupp of Danville (174) all went 1-2 in falling by the wayside.

Earlier in the week, a record eight matmen earned their spots on the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference first team, the league office announced on Wednesday. Freshman Adams (125), sophomore Ware (133), senior Hunt (141), sophomore Martin (149), freshman Davis (165), sophomore Travis Green of Manchester, Maryland (174), junior Cory (184) and sophomore Brotzman (285) claimed individual titles in the championship and led the Wildcats to their first team title.

Schedule/Record/Series History

Final overall: 7-2

Final AMCC: 4-0

Saturday-Sunday, March 1-2 — NCAA Division III Region 2 Championship at Lycoming College, 10 of 19

Friday-Saturday, March 14-15 — NCAA Division III Championship at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island, noon on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday.

Men’s Basketball

In a United East semifinal game on Tuesday that saw 14 lead changes and 16 ties — the last time at 89-all with 54 seconds left in overtime — the 12-seeded Wildcats took top-seeded Bryn Athyn down to the wire before their Cinderella-ending season concluded 96-91. In two earlier playoff games, Penn College knocked off the conference’s fifth and fourth seeds.

Senior Livingston Cross of Union, New Jersey, closed out his stellar two-and-one-half season career with his men’s program-record seventh 30-point game. Senior teammate Gavin Barrett of Roselle, New Jersey, finished with 27 points and sophomore Landon Reeder of Montoursville came off the bench to add 14 points.

Cross led the team in scoring with 623 points, a new program single-season record that eclipses the 601 that Leroy Joiner scored in 2010-11, and in rebounding with 369. Barrett was next in season scoring with 451 points.

For their careers, Barrett finished with 1,608 points, tops in the NCAA era that began in 2014 and third on the all-time list behind Greg Solyak’s 1,629 and Joiner’s 1,620. Cross ends his career with 1,315 points, second in the NCAA era and fifth all-time behind Solyak, Joiner, Barrett and Joe Simon (1,425).

With eight rebounds on Tuesday, Cross finished the year with the program single-season record and the career record of 711 to take over the top spot, one more than previous record holder Thomas Ross had from 2013-17.

Commenting on the season, coach Geoff Hensley said, “This team left their hearts on the court Tuesday night. I am so proud of each one of these guys. What they did transcends the game of basketball. Their fight, their courage, their toughness, their commitment, their never-give-up attitude goes way beyond playing a sport. These are all life lessons and life skills that these young men have that will enable them to succeed at anything they do for the rest of their lives.

“As the coach, it was truly amazing and remarkable to see these guys come together and stick together through the face of adversity and come out on top on the other side. It would’ve been so easy for these guys to quit and give up when the going got tough, but they never did. They never made excuses, they never complained, they never took the easy route. This isn’t just about a ‘playoff run.’ This is about building a team and becoming a family. I am so proud of them. 

“The semifinal against Bryn Athyn was such a great game of basketball. We gave them everything they could handle. It took the No. 1 seed an overtime thriller to knock off the No. 12 seed. It was such a great game but heartbreaking.

“I am sad I will never get the opportunity to step on the court again with that team, especially that senior class. It breaks my heart I will never get to coach Gavin again, or Liv, or Michael Woolridge, or Christian Chandler, or Ronn Flood Jr. and Cade Cavanaugh. That type of senior class does not come around very often.

“They went through all the trials and tribulations of building a successful, competitive college basketball program. It’s not easy. There were many sleepless nights, tough losses, long road trips, and all the frustrations and emotions that come with enduring the painful process of creating something out of nothing. It’s so hard, and nobody can fully comprehend the level of difficulty unless they put on the uniform and go through the process like this senior class did.   

“This senior class had their senior seasons in their high school basketball careers basically canceled due to COVID-19. They came here with the hopes and dreams of creating something magical, and something special. And they did it. They bought in from the moment they stepped on campus. They worked so hard, they adapted and overcame, and they persevered. Many times, they got knocked down and many people counted them out, but they got back up and kept fighting.

“They left their hearts on the court that night. I left mine with them. We will forever be connected. That senior class was something special and they will never be forgotten.”

Schedule/Record/Series History

Final overall: 10-18

Final UE: 8-11 (6-10 regular season)

Tuesday, Feb. 25 — United East Semifinals at Bryn Athyn, L, 96-91 (OT)

Baseball

At Lancaster Bible College on Friday, the Wildcats lost 22-10, pounding out 14 hits but committing five errors. Nate Gustkey of Philipsburg went 4 for 4 with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored, and Levi Purnell of Snow Shoe had two hits and three RBIs to pace the offense.

Schedule/Series History

Overall: 0-3

UE: 0-0

Friday, Feb. 28 — at Lancaster Bible College, L, 22-10

The Ripken Experience at Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Sunday, March 9 — vs. Worcester Poly Institute (2), 9 a.m.(Worcester leads 1-0)

Monday, March 10 — vs. Bridgewater State, 1:30 p.m. (Bridgewater leads 1-0)

Monday, March 10 — vs. Lesley University, 6:30 p.m. (first-time opponent)

Softball

Penn College split at home in its season openers with Juniata College on Friday, winning 5-0 and losing 6-3.

In Friday’s first game, pitcher Mackenzie Weaver of Montoursville tossed a three-hit shutout and got offensive support from her teammates with a two-run third and a three-run fourth inning that included an RBI double by Grace Lorson of Jersey Shore.

Later Friday, Juniata hammered out 12 hits against two Wildcats’ pitchers for its win, with starting pitcher Fayth Anderson of Lykens taking the loss. Weaver went 2 for 3 at the plate with one run scored on a triple by Lexi Snyder of Hegins.

On Saturday at Messiah University, Penn College split again, winning 2-1 in eight innings and losing 13-3 in five innings.

Snyder’s two-run single in the top of the eighth inning snapped a scoreless tie and Weaver limited Messiah to one run in the bottom of the frame to pick up her second win in as many days with a six-strikeout, one-walk effort in Saturday’s opener.

In the second game, Messiah used a four-run second inning and an eight-run third to take command. Lorson led Penn College with two hits, one run scored and one RBI.

Schedule/Series History

Overall: 2-2

UE: 0-0

Friday, Feb. 28 — host Juniata College (2), W, 5-0; L, 6-3

Saturday, March 1 — at Messiah University (2), W, 2-1 in 8 innings; L, 13-3 in 5 innings

Fast-Pitch Dreams Spring Classic at North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Sunday, March 9 — vs. SUNY Canton, 3 p.m. (first-time opponent)

Sunday, March 9 — vs. FDU Florham, 5 p.m. (first-time opponent)

Monday, March 10 — vs. Bridgewater State, 5 p.m. (Bridgewater leads 1-0)

Monday, March 11 — vs. Malone University, 7 p.m. (first-time opponent)

Archery

Ten Penn College archers had top 10 finishes — two of them earning gold and two others silver — in their respective disciplines Feb. 21-23 at the USA Archery Indoor Nationals in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Placing first were Casey Keiter of Dornsife in collegiate men’s fixed pins and Matthew Byrnes of Manahawkin, New Jersey, in collegiate men’s compound. Right behind them in second place were Josiah Hinojos of Groton, Connecticut, in fixed pins and Eli Bartron of South Williamsport in the compound.

Also on the podium for the Wildcats was Brady Buriak of Herndon who was fourth in the compound.

“I was very pleased with the team’s performance. Their hard work is paying off. Our first-year archers rose to the occasion with Keiter, Hinojis and Eli Bartron all making the podium,” coach Dustin Bartron said.

Schedule

Saturday-Monday, April 19-21 — Eastern Region Outdoor Championships at Harrisonburg, Va.

Men’s Lacrosse

Sparked by an eight-goal third period, Penn College rolled to a 19-4 win on Wednesday. AJ Dotson of Wilmington, Delaware, and Gage McClune of Ephrata both scored three goals in the team’s first win of the season.

Hosting Misericordia University on Saturday, the Wildcats rolled to a 15-3 victory, led by freshman Elliot Dotson of Wilmington, Delaware, to had three goals and two assists. His brother, AJ Dotson, added two goals and three assists.

Also, Elliot Dotson secured his first UE Offensive Player of the Week award as a result of his play on Feb. 22 against Montclair State University when he scored four goals and had three assists to end with seven points.

Schedule/Record/Series History

Overall: 1-2

UE: 0-0

Wednesday, Feb. 26 — at Juniata College, W, 19-4

Saturday, March 1 — host Misericordia University, W, 15-3

Wednesday, March 5 — at Lycoming College, 7 p.m. (Lycoming leads 1-0)

For additional information, visit the Wildcats Athletics website.

For more about the United East, visit the conference website.