GREENVILLE, Pa. — Thiel will get a good look at its chances of winning the Presidents' Athletic Conference wrestling title with its first conference match of the season Friday at Waynesburg.

The Tomcats had their 10-year run at the top of the conference ended in dramatic fashion by the Yellowjackets last season. This Waynesburg team could be even better than last year's, but, when healthy, the same could be said for Coach Craig Thurber's Thiel squad.

Regardless of the outcome — the match is only a small indication of what could happen at the PAC Championships when you throw W&J into the mix — Friday night could be a preview of an ever-growing rivalry as both teams employ young starting lineups.

Between the two teams, just two seniors are expected to compete Friday, both with accomplished careers. Nick Garber, a returning All-American, may start for the Yellowjackets at 141 pounds, while Andrew Riddle (Utica, Pa., Franklin), a three-time PAC champion, will take the mat for the Tomcats.

Aside from the two seniors, Thiel is led by a great group of juniors that will attempt to hold off a loaded Waynesburg freshman class.

The juniors for Thiel include Corey Brown (Greenville, Pa., Reynolds), Alec Miller (Transfer, Pa., Grove City), Matt Lowry (Smithfield, Pa., Albert Gallatin) and Patrick Morris (Graysville, Pa., West Greene). Brown tops the group with two All-American honors and a current ranking of ninth the nation on his resume. Miller and Lowry have two PAC titles apiece while Morris has one.

Two freshmen for the Yellowjackets are first and second on the team in wins. Luke Lohr (149 pounds) is 24-3 while Sam Lombardo often follows him at 157 and has racked up an impressive 21-4 record. Lohr's early success has earned him notice in the national rankings, receiving honorable mention status by d3wrestle.com. Freshman heavyweight Brandon Fedorka is also listed as an honorable mention.

In addition to their solid freshmen, the Yellowjackets open with a pair of strong competitors in sophomore Alex Crown at 125 and junior Rico Borz at 133. Crown is listed as a contender in the national rankings and is 19-2 on the season. Borz just recently made his return to the team and will put his undefeated 10-0 record up against Brown, by far his toughest opponent this season.

Miller, who is 18-8 for Thiel this season, could see a rematch with Lombardo. He lost to the freshman earlier this season, but only after having to battle his way back through the consolation bracket at the Clarion Open. This match could be different with both wrestlers at full strength.

Fedorka will be a great test for Thiel sophomore Will Ringer (Fredonia, Pa., Reynolds), who has been wrestling great as of late with wins in five straight matches and in six of his last seven. If the match comes does come down to this bout, Ringer is already well-seasoned in having the outcome on his shoulders despite being in just his first year of college wrestling and has come out on top more often than not in that situation.

Another wrestler on a roll for the Tomcats is Lowry, who just recently cracked the d3wrestke.com rankings as a contender. Lowry is 12-2 on the season with wins in 10 of his last 11 matches.

The match is set to start at 7 p.m. at Waynesburg's Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse. Live updates and discussion of the match will be provided from a link on the Thiel athletics website.