| Clarion Golden Eagles | |
|---|---|
| University | PennWest Clarion |
| Head Coach | Keith Feraro (4th season) |
| Conference | MAC |
| Location | Clarion, PA |
| Arena | Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium (Capacity: 3,500) |
| Nickname | Golden Eagles |
| Colors | Blue and gold [1] |
| NCAA individual champions | |
| 8 | |
| Conference Tournament championships | |
| 1965, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 2010 | |
The Clarion Golden Eagles wrestling team represents PennWest Clarion in Clarion, Pennsylvania in wrestling.
The squad is coached by Keith Feraro, who replaced Troy Letters. Letter's replaced Matt Derlan, who is now the coach of the Binghamton Bearcats. Derlan replaced Teague Moore who left the Clarion collegiate wrestling program to become the head coach at American University. [2]
The Golden Eagles wrestle in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and as of the 2018–2019 season participated in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) as well. The Eagles were members of the Eastern Wrestling League until the end of the 2018–19 season when all members of the EWL accepted affiliate membership in the MAC for wrestling starting in the 2019–20 season. They qualify for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as Division I members of the MAC. The PSAC comprises both Division I and II squads.
Notable former Golden Eagle wrestlers include national champions Wade Schalles and Kurt Angle, who after leaving Clarion would go on to win a gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics before embarking on a career in professional wrestling. In 2020, Clarion wrestling alumnus Bekzod Abdurakhmonov won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics [2]
| Name [3] | Year | NCAA Location | High School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Barton | 1972 | University of Maryland | Fairview, Pennsylvania |
| Wade Schalles | 1972 | University of Maryland | Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania |
| Don Rohn | 1973 | University of Washington | Saucon Valley, Pennsylvania |
| Wade Schalles | 1973 | University of Washington | Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania |
| Bill Simpson | 1973 | University of Washington | Gaithersburg, Maryland |
| Kurt Angle | 1990 | University of Maryland | Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania |
| Kurt Angle | 1992 | Oklahoma City, OK | Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania |
| Sheldon Thomas | 1996 | University of Minnesota | St. Marks, Delaware |
Clarion's wrestling program earned its highest ever dual meet ranking in 1986. The Golden Eagles went on to finish the season undefeated, with a record of 17–0–1. The 1986 season was the third season in Clarion's history in which the Golden Eagles finished without a loss.
NWCA Division I National Dual Meet Wrestling Rankings (February 3, 1986)
| Name | First Year | Last Year | Years | Matches | Wins | Losses | Ties | Win % | Alma Mater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Lignelli | 1959 | 1966 | 6 | 73 | 61 | 12 | 0 | .836 | Clarion State Teachers College |
| Bob Bubb | 1967 | 1992 | 25 | 447 | 322 | 121 | 4 | .725 | University of Pittsburgh ('59) |
| Jack Davis | 1993 | 1997 | 4 | 82 | 43 | 34 | 5 | .555 | Clarion State College |
| Ken Nellis | 1998 | 2006 | 8 | 139 | 47 | 89 | 3 | .349 | Clarion University of Pennsylvania ('86) |
| Teague Moore | 2007 | 2011 | 5 | 98 | 37 | 60 | 1 | .383 | Oklahoma State University ('99) |
| Matt Dernlan | 2012 | 2012 | 1 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 0 | .462 | Liberty University ('96) |
| Troy Letters | 2013 | 2014 | 2 | 39 | 14 | 25 | 0 | .483 | Lehigh University |
| Keith Ferraro | 2014 | present | 9 | 140 | 64 | 76 | 0 | .457 | Lock Haven University ('03) [4] |
