GREENVILLE, Pa. (Oct. 15) -- Thiel College wrestling head coach Craig Thurber and former Mat Cat Paul Scriven '98 have been selected for induction into the Mercer County Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2027.

Thurber and Scriven will be the 34th and 35th Tomcats to earn the distinction of Mercer County Hall of Famers.

A Greenville native and 1991 graduate of Greenville High School, Thurber enters his 24th season as Thiel's Wilt Family Endowed Wrestling Coach in 2026-27. Since taking over the program in 2003, Thurber has guided the Tomcats to 11 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) championships, including the program's conference-record 24th title in 2022-23.

A 10-time PAC Coach of the Year, the second-most in conference history, Thurber has mentored 78 individual PAC champions, seven PAC Most Outstanding Wrestlers, 20 NCAA Division III National Championship qualifiers and nine All-Americans. Under his leadership, Thiel has also earned eight National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar Team Awards.

Prior to arriving at Thiel, Thurber served as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock from 1997-99, where he helped develop 1999 NCAA Division I All-American Derek Delporto. He began his collegiate coaching career at his alma mater, Pitt-Johnstown, helping the Mountain Cats capture the 1996 NCAA Division II National Championship.

An accomplished wrestler himself, Thurber was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American at Pitt-Johnstown, finishing fifth nationally in 1993, sixth in 1994 and earning national runner-up honors at 177 pounds in 1995. He received the Gorriaran Memorial Trophy at the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championships after recording the most falls in the least amount of time. Thurber was also a three-time Eastern Regional champion, earning Outstanding Wrestler honors in 1995, and finished his collegiate career with 120 victories.

Before his collegiate career, Thurber captured the 1991 Pennsylvania state championship at 171 pounds while competing for Greenville High School after finishing as the state runner-up in 1990.

Scriven, a 1998 Thiel graduate, was a two-time PAC champion, claiming conference titles at 190 pounds in 1996 and 197 pounds in 1997.

Scriven capped his Thiel wrestling career in 1997 by capturing his second consecutive conference championship and qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championships.

The Mercer County Hall of Fame's 80th induction ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2027, at Avalon at Buhl.