Bradford, Pa. – Despite being unable to compete on the mat, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford wrestling team has made an impact in the classroom during its first year as a member of the Eastern Collegiate Wrestling Conference.

Six team members earned a spot on the conference’s All-Academic team, which honored 94 wrestlers conference-wide. Recipients of this honor must have a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average or higher (through the last eligible grading period of the current academic year) or have maintained a 3.30-or-better over the past two completed semesters.

The Panthers’ awardees represented three different classes. Colton Davis and Mitchell Dowd represented the senior class. Victor Elias and Matthew Ristau made the team as juniors, and Farhid Neghaban and Colton Gletler earned the honor in their first year on campus.

“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our wrestlers. In a year that has been anything but normal, they have persevered, focused, and achieved success in their studies,” said athletic director Bret Butler.

The wrestling program joined the ECWC this fall following two years of competing without conference competition. “It was very important for us to find a conference for our wrestling team. Not only is it great for our program for competition, but it also provides an avenue for our student-athletes to be recognized for all their work, whether it be on the mat, in the classroom, or in the community,” Butler added.

The full press release from the ECWC can be found here.