Lock Haven, Pa. - Mercyhurst Wrestling wraps up an impressive 2022-23 campaign with a number of all-conference honors as Eric Bartos, Jake Niffenegger, and Dillon Walker are each named to the All-PSAC First Team while Luke McGonigal makes it onto the All-PSAC Second Team. Bartos goes one step further as he is named the Wrestler of the Year while Niffenegger is crowned the Freshman of the Year, giving Mercyhurst back-to-back winners of the award.

This marks the third time Bartos has been named to an All-PSAC conference team with it being his first as a member of the First Team. The native of Valley City, Oh. put on a show on the mat during his final season on his way to being named the PSAC Wrestler of the Year and All-American. He finished the season 31-4 overall while surpassing 100 wins for his Laker career to become just the 12th wrestler in program history to do so. He ended his season on a strong note with him claiming the win at the Super Region while coming in fourth at nationals at 133. 

"I'm really happy for Eric. This is an awesome recognition of his successes this season," said Head Coach Mike Wehler. "He jumped a level in his mindset and confidence this season which freed him up and allowed his skills and all the work he has put into his career to take over. He was pretty dominant all season long and had a fantastic career at Mercyhurst. Eric is someone that left his stamp on this program and his entire support system is very proud of who he is and what he's done."

After seeing Dillon Walker being named the conference Freshman of the Year a season ago, the Lakers claim their second in a row with their go-to at 141. Jake Niffenegger made a splash in his first season in Erie on his way to being named a first-teamer and the Freshman of the Year while earning All-American honors with a 24-9 record. The native of Cincinnati, Oh. finished the season on a strong note during the Super Region as he was able to claim the win at 141 with a sudden victory via the takedown to qualify for nationals where he finished seventh.

"Jake had a slow start and a fast finish. It took him a little bit to realize that he could compete with the best guys in the country. Once he realized that, his confidence grew and his results improved," said Wehler of his standout freshman. "To be an NCAA All-American as a true freshman is an outstanding accomplishment.  He won the regional tournament as a 4 seed and finished 7^th at NCAA's coming in unseeded. It was a great run and something to really build on going forward."

Walker put together a solid second season for Mercyhurst after a phenomenal freshman campaign. He is named to the All-PSAC First Team for the second straight season with his work at 174. He qualified for nationals after his performance at the Super Region as he claimed the top spot. Walker proved to be a tough competitor and helped anchor the backend of the Laker's lineup all year long as he finished with the fourth most wins of anyone on the team on the year with a 19-7 record.

"Dillon had a great season this year. He was able to win the regional championship and qualify for the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.  He's only a sophomore so we are looking forward to his continued success."

Luke McGonigal rounded out the award winners for the Lakers as he was named to the All-PSAC Second Team at 197. The senior finished out his career for Mercyhurst on a high note as he qualified for nationals after a second-place finish during the Super Region. McGonigal was a major force for Mercyhurst at the end of matches alongside Walker as he finished the year with a mark of 23-6 while being ranked as one of the better grapplers at 197 all season long.

"Luke had an outstanding career at Mercyhurst. He finished his career undefeated in PSAC duals and was an All-American, 3x National Qualifier, and 2x Regional Champion," said Wehler when reflecting on McGonigal's time. "Our team benefited greatly from his ability to get bonus points on a routine basis.  His leadership qualities were also vital to the development of our younger guys in the program."